GDYNIA

When traveling, there are places that one would not visit without the guidance of a local. Gdynia is such a place. It was part of Trójmiasto (Polish for tricity), consisting of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Stopol. It was a beautiful coast, with a beautiful beach like straight out of a picture book. Here was once the summer center of the region, or at least it looked like it was. The sun set behind the trees and as a result, the red light of the sun was lost in the blue sky. Since there were no clouds, or only a few, the dramatic effect of the setting fireball was lost on the horizon. It could have been spectacular and it felt as if all the ingredients for a magical show had come together, but unexpectedly dissolved into thin air on the spot.

On the way to the cliffs, we passed an abandoned luxury resort. It had been built of concrete and was abandoned some time ago. The youth had made it their own by decorating every inch of wall with graffiti. On the top terrace, we sat down to enjoy the view and to linger a little. E & B pulled a picnic blanket out of their pocket, four pieces of cake and three party hats. That's how we celebrated my 28th birthday. Most of us were still fighting their hangovers and as a consequence, it was a small but very nice gathering. On the beach below the hotel, the photographers were looking for the perfect pictures with their customers, mostly bridal couples or families. The street lanterns weren't switched on until the sun had disappeared behind the trees.

And because this iconic painting can be found all over the world, not in this size necessarily, one last photo...