Friday, September 6 – Transition day, so I needed to get an early start. Got outside just as the sun rose to walk to “my” park bench with my resistance bands for today’s core workout.

Then it was time for one final Gdansk breakfast before we had to check out and head to the train station.

Today’s train was much bigger and smoother and, thankfully, air conditioned! Seats were in compartments in sets of six, and we had some interesting cabin mates. One young woman seemed to disappear as soon as the conductor was heading down the aisle looking for tickets. We’re convinced she locked herself in the bathroom to avoid having to show a ticket. We never saw her again. Another woman, around our age, had a suitcase that the younger woman likely could have hidden in. It was quite the process trying to get in on the shelf. Everyone else had to move their bags to accommodate, and it still hung dangerously over the edge, fortunately not over my head! That left zero room for the last woman in, who simply left her large bag just rolling around in the aisle for people to dodge. Public transit is never dull.

We had to transfer trains for a short hop to Torun. That was fairly uneventful, though we did share our space with a canine, much to Dan’s delight.

Torun is a small city, designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site as a result of its preserved medieval layout and Gothic brick buildings. It is also famous for being the birthplace of Copernicus (Poland seems to be a hotbed of space gazers) and gingerbread. Its Old Town is cute, compact, and smells of gingerbread, which is sold in every other storefront.

As it was too early to check in, we dropped our bags at the hotel and went in search of lunch. Decided on Indian which turned out to be great and not too heavy. We wandered around the town and visited the Copernicus house, which was as much a study of merchant life in the 15th and 16th centuries as it was about his life. However, we learned quite a bit we didn’t know–for example, he studied both Law and Medicine in addition to sending the church into a tizzy with his theories about the Earth revolving around the sun.

After a brief respite at our hotel (which seems unique in and of itself), we just strolled the town, popping our heads into churches and doing a little shopping. For dinner, we decided on a place that specializes in crepes and savory pancakes. It was bustling, and it turned out the food was both cheap ($25 for two!) and delicious. Never would have believed it.

Finished our day with a sunset stroll along the river. A lot of Torun visitors, young and old, were out and about enjoying their Friday evening along the waterfront. There was even an area set up for relaxing and lounging with friends. A lovely finish to a busy but fulfilling day.

Tomorrow we are off to the capital city of Warsaw.

23,474 steps;10.4 miles