After four solo visits to Gdańsk during the year I had finally convinced Little A to join me. With the daughter onboard, it didn’t take long before Susann also decided to join. Our father-daughter trip to Poland became a family trip. A family day trip. Yes, we left Sweden and Stockholm at Skavsta Airport in the morning and flew back in the evening. This was also Little A’s first visit to Poland, making it her 23rd country.
Earlier visits:
- Gdansk, Poland – A 24 Hour Visit
- Gdańsk, Poland – A Stormy Winter Visit
- Gdańsk, Poland – Summer Day Trip from Sweden
- Gdańsk, Poland – A Repeat Summer Visit
- Gdańsk, Poland – A Late Summer Visit
Hello Poland!
For us, there is a great advantage with flights from Stockholm Skavsta Airport. We have less than 30 minutes to drive and the size of the airport means that there are very few inconveniences. Even with that, it was an early morning for Little A. I’m, however, really impressed with her courage and determination when it comes to new adventures. She was happy and the short flight to Gdańsk was spent talking about her wishes for the day. The main wish was to visit a children’s amusement center. Something that I had found a possibility for, but was still quite unsure of the logistics and planning. We would just have to wait and see how we could make her wish come true.
Arriving at Gdańsk Airport is also a fast process. A short walk and we had left the tarmac, gone through arrivals, and were on our way towards the train station. We had opted for the train instead of carrying around the car seat for Little A the whole day. This might be a bit slower than a taxi, but we were either way soon standing in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz. No, it is not possible to take the train directly to the main station in Gdańsk. Instead, we got to spend some time exploring the shopping center Galeria Metropolia while we searched for some breakfast.
An Early Lunch Break In Gdańsk
From Gdańsk Wrzeszcz it is just another short train ride to Gdańsk Główny, the main train station. It had been raining since our arrival and more was hanging in the air. We had kind of failed with breakfast. Sandwiches abroad do not use the same ingredients as home. So we ended up with things we didn’t like. Once we had reached the center of Gdańsk, we were already wishing it was time for lunch. We were strolling around in the center until the restaurants opened for lunch. We were standing at the door when a Georgian restaurant opened. I cannot remember that Little A had tried Georgian food before. Once more it was fun to see that she was eager to try. That is a behavior that we rarely see at home. But when traveling our child is different somehow. Everything is so much more exciting when not at home. A feeling that we can identify ourselves as well.
A Family Stroll Through Gdańsk Followed by Some Shopping
After lunch, we took a short sightseeing tour. Yes, it was short. It consisted of a walk up and down Długa street. With perfect timing, the sun decided to join us. This is probably one of the most picturesque streets in Gdańsk and also one of the most touristy. We did take some of the mandatory photos at the canal and Little A wanted to do as many cute poses as she could before we turned around. Turning around we had set our target on the shopping center Forum Gdańsk. With the hours gone so far, we had to cancel the plans to head to a play center a bit outside of the center. We just didn’t have as much time as the plan required.
Little A’s tears for the missed play opportunity would, however, soon be turned into a huge smile. We had a look in a few of the many stores and found a pair of new training tights for Little A. Something needed for her weekly athletics and floorball practices. It was then by coincidence that we stumbled upon a place we had not noticed on the shopping center’s information boards. There was an indoor playground here! While Susann got to explore the shopping opportunities alone for an hour, Little A and I headed into the play center. It was a lot bigger than I had expected and I was quite worried that Little A would never want to leave. There were mazes with climbing possibilities and a lot more fun for kids. I just had to sit down and try to figure out where Little A was at the moment. Luckily I could see her from time to time.
Once our hour was up Little A was tired, sweaty, and thirsty. But most of all she was really happy. Even better mummy greeted us outside with something to drink. We didn’t have much more time, but instead, it was time to head back to the airport. Once more by train and once more without any delays.
Time to Say Goodbye!
Arriving at the airport Little A got the only thing that we had promised her. A hamburger for dinner. Sitting down with some fast food at the airport, awaiting our flight back to Sweden, was a nice ending to the day. Little A might have been tired, but I do believe that she had enjoyed the day. As a six-year-old, play is still highly valued and we were happy that we had found an alternative to our initial plan. If you ever travel with kids we have one recommendation. Find a large playground or play center and they will remember the trip. Little A still remembers the indoor playground she visited in Bucarest earlier in the year. An alternative to playgrounds or play centers seem to be swimming pools. They are also highly appreciated by Little A.
With the darkness enclosing the airport we were soon onboard on our Wizz Air flight back to Stockholm Skavsta Airport. Goodbye Gdańsk! Goodbye Poland! I would either way soon be back for a new adventure.
