Since Gdańsk has a Paper Concept store (unlike Łódź, unfortunately), I popped in to grab a few more nib types for my dip pen. Nibs are definitely one of those things you want to pick out in person, when you can take your time and really look at them. I snagged a few nice ones. While I was there, I also checked out some watercolor sets, palettes, and brushes, but didn’t buy anything—already got some good ones at home. And since the shop’s in the Madison shopping center, right in the city center, I decided to just stick around that area for my wanderings.

I started with the old shipyard area, where I spotted a mural by Marcin Wolski on the wall—it was done as part of a collab with Disney. The artwork blends the Gdańsk crane (aka that building from The Witcher 3) with a scene from Andor, the Star Wars series.

There’s a Żabka (convenience store extremely popular in Poland) there that has literal train tracks running into it. I chatted for a minute with a guy who lives nearby. Apparently, the local heritage conservator banned removing that bit of track; it’s from back when separate rail lines used to run into lots of the shipyard buildings.

Then I headed up Góra Gradowa (a hill in Gdańsk, 46 meters/151 feet above sea level)—a place I’d never been before, which is kind of wild considering I grew up in Gdańsk and spent the first thirty years of my life there.

Since my Samsung S21 Ultra has a nice zoom, I took a few modest shots of the city from that height of 46 meters above sea level, while shyly standing next to some young Asian guy taking photos with a DSLR and a telephoto lens.

What made me want to check out Góra Gradowa was something Szymik, my buddy Rafael’s girlfriend, told me a while ago. She said a tour guide once told them that J.R.R. Tolkien visited Gdańsk as a kid, and that the little houses built into the hill there inspired him to create the Shire. There’s a good chance she was totally messing with me, testing how gullible I am—but even if she was, I’m not giving up on that lovely idea.

Up on the hill I also took a selfie using a selfie stick I bought not too long ago—something totally new for me if you know me at all. By the way, it’s called the Ulanzi MA09, and I totally recommend it. Folded up, it’s compact enough to live in your backpack, but it offers three modes: regular selfie stick, kinda like a mini gimbal, and a full-on tripod that extends to nearly 180 cm (5.9 feet). It comes with a Bluetooth remote too, which can either stay in the handle or be removed and used wirelessly (like from your pocket or behind your back). Of course, with such a compact design, it’s not gonna be as stable as one of those heavy-duty tripods at full height, but the size-to-performance ratio is solid.

After that I aimlessly wandered around the city center. My feet took me to a few spots I’d never been before.

One of them was a random stretch of the Old Motława River where there’s a kayak rental spot—I had no idea that even existed.

It was really nice just chilling on the little steps by the river, munching on my beloved smoked cheese. Would be even nicer to hang out there someday with someone.

I also discovered Pasibus that day. I randomly stumbled into the spot at 27 Stągiewna Street while looking for something to eat. The inside’s got a bit of a McDonald’s vibe (even the self-order screens), but it’s actually a Polish fast food brand from Wrocław. The burgers are way better than McD’s, plus there are three different vegetarian options for plant-eaters. I had the Cheese Boss Wege—sooo good!