I like to have friends coming to stay with me
and when that happens I play a role of a tourist guide to present the town in
the best possible way. I have been conscious of the fact that I may not be the
best guide in the world and I want to improve.
The last week one of my Aussie friends, who was
travelling through Europe, came to spend few days with me in Gdansk. I have a
feeling that I have not made an impression on her of a super guide but I did
improve my sightseeing program considerably this time. I had been aware of the
fact that not everybody is keen on seeing all the churches a town has to offer.
And Gdansk has many, many of them which are worthwhile seeing if one is big way
into sacral architecture. But who is? I may be a bit, but this is not normal
and I know it.
This time I planned not to overdo with churches
and selected only three to visit. St Mary’s Basilica because it is so
impressive and the biggest brick Gothic church in Europe. Oliwa Cathedral
because it has a famous organ with moveable parts and because I love it.
Oliwa Cathedral |
St Nicolas
church because of the organ concert from the cycle Closer to Bach. I was happy
with the plan but it did not work. On reflection, this was actually fortunate.
We saw only one church, the huge St Mary’s Basilica which has a room
for 25,000 people. Each time I enter the church, its size makes an impression on
me. I feel small and insignificant aware of a higher power to which glory the
church was built. The major construction
work was carried from 1379 to 1502, but
even if the church was structurally then completed the work has not finished to
this day.
Many years ago I saw the church destroyed and
empty but with each visit I find new restorations and additions of altars and historical
artefacts. The church ever changes. My
favourite object there is stone Pieta from around 1410. I always go to the
chapel housing the sculpture to once again admire its sad beauty. The sculpture
is in a glass cabinet and unfortunately does
not photograph well.
There I go, started to write about a church and
got carried away. Will have to continue the subject of sightseeing in the
Tricity in my next posts. No more stories about churches, I promise.