11/01/2026
“In winter, be sure to go see the sea🌊☁️Just look at the winter sea❄️”
Fairy tales are understated; otherwise, the moment they're put in the spotlight might gently shatter amidst the clamor of reality. Gdansk is such a fairy tale.
Before deciding to ring in the New Year in Poland, I had no idea about this small port city. Its name, with its cluster of consonants (Gdansk), is easy to mispronounce. But once you get the hang of it, it sounds like pebbles skipping and tumbling over the waves.
From the city center, a commuter train takes you to the seaside in under half an hour. The winter sea breeze isn't as cold as you'd imagine. Sunlight slants through the gaps in the sea of clouds, bestowing its grace upon a corner of the earth. When you take photos, it feels as if the lighting technician is playing tricks: one moment the sea surface is deep and mysterious, the next, it's a dazzling mirror of the sky.
The sight of flocks of graceful, elegant swans strolling along the coast makes you feel as if the bewitched princes from "The Wild Swans" are waiting for their sister's arrival... But the noisy seagulls and pigeons fighting for food instantly pull you back to reality.
Before 3 PM, the moon is already quietly waiting to take over. When you're staggering back along the pier, blown all about, the sun has already withdrawn its magic wand like a magician, and a dark cloak of night is surging to cover the earth.
From the station to the seaside, the small houses and courtyards along the way are also understated and lovely. I wonder if living here, one would remain sensitive to happiness? Or do truly happy people not need to compare or even perceive it? And when you walk back from the seaside to the station, you'll hardly get lost. The gentle slope takes you on a loop from the pedestrian street to the central square, straight back to where you started, like a host who is neither cold nor overly eager: not neglectful, but not lingering either.
#2026
🌊❄️
