Bydgoszcz, Torun

Saturday, July 4

In the morning, we had our breakfast waiting for us (they asked us what time we wanted it). What a lovely arrangement and selection! A table in the restaurant area was set up for 3 with juice, yogurt, a basket of bread, jams & butters, flavored cream cheeses, individual plates with meats, cheeses, & sliced tomatoes, & a dish of creamy scrambled egg was then served warm. A coffee & tea table was nearby, but they initially filled our cups. We enjoyed it, but wondered how they made any money – there was almost no one at the hotel. If others had the same initial impression of the entrance that we did, it’s no wonder! A very nice place – needs a new front entrance/signage, lots of advertising, & a publicity manager! Apparently the night club is very popular, so this may be where much of the revenue comes from.
Our relatives said they would take the train from Torun and meet us in Bydgoszcz. Finding the station took well over an hour, which we did not plan, but our patient relatives were waiting there when we finally arrived. Could have easily driven to Torun and halfway back in the time it took us to find the station. Of course, we had lots of “help”. No fewer than seven people told us how to get there. We got a little closer each time. It turned out that the station was in the opposite direction from where we had been first directed, and only one and one-half miles from the hotel. We went on a family home tour, seeing several places where my father & my grandparents lived when they returned/escaped to Poland in the 1930’s. We visited a couple of cemeteries, but didn’t find my grandparents’ graves, as others had been buried over them when the annual fees could not be paid. The old chapel was gone or built over, so the photos of it from the funerals weren’t useful.
All old cities have an Old Town area, so we went to the old area in Bydgoszcz to look for somewhere to eat. Also did some shopping: Found a “Cepelia” shop – carries folk art and handmade Polish items. Great prices on amber, as well as baskets, needlework, and some pottery. I bought amber earrings for my daughters & granddaughter. For a basket, an apron, a small needlework mat, and 5 pair of amber/silver earrings, I paid 179.80zł ($55.49). The earrings were around 30zł a pair (varied from 22-40zł). We also stopped at Empik Bookstore, quite large, lots of fun items as well as books. Many Audrey Hepburn things, which another daughter would like, and they weren’t available in the US, but which weren’t “Polish” enough to warrant taking up valuable packing space.
Returned to cousin’s home in Torun for tea, after a grocery stop for packages of Polish gingerbread – which were worth the packing space! Back to Bydgoszcz for the night; returning to Warsaw the next day.