Gdańsk, LPG and rain

Gdańsk, 16.08.2017

The morning greets us with rain. We quickly decide to pack up and head towards Gdańsk. Our LPG is empty and we had to realize that besides the various adapters we have, there is of course another one that is used in Poland. Hoping to find an LPG workshop, we start driving. Just 10 kilometers further, we find it. A small shed with a big sign 'Autogaz' gives us hope to solve our problem. With the wrong adapter, I enter the workshop. It doesn't look particularly reputable... Car wrecks are scattered everywhere, giving the impression that nothing has ever been repaired here. I ask a young Pole who is hanging upside down in a car if he speaks English and luckily, I'm in luck. 2 minutes later, I have the right adapter and we can finally continue. That was easier than expected.

Four hours and a nerve-wracking traffic jam later, we finally arrive in Gdańsk. And of course: it's raining like crazy here too. This week is the Dominicus Festival in Gdańsk, a kind of huge market that takes over the entire old town. We squeeze through the crowds and I show Hanna the most important spots. We save ourselves from the tourists and the ever-increasing rain in a small café and occupy ourselves with travel planning. Our idea of driving through Kaliningrad to Lithuania quickly falls apart. Since the beginning of the year, there are no more short-term visas and the wheels of the State Duma in Moscow grind slowly. There is no new regulation yet and for the time being, you need a tourist visa to enter. That means a detour of around 400 kilometers for us, but there's nothing we can do about it. After a visit to the top of St. Mary's Church, our short visit to Gdańsk ends. Hanna needs a new sleeping mat after our mat burst after the first time putting it on. In an outlet center outside the city, we find a surprisingly large selection of camping stores and quickly find what we need.

We decide to drive to Malbork Castle and camp there. That's about 50 kilometers and we hope to arrive while it's still light outside to set up our tent. Around half past 9, it's pitch black by now, we arrive. It's raining even harder... We take a walk around the castle and decide that neither of us feels like setting up our tent in the rain. The weather forecast doesn't look much better. The plan to go to Masuria for a canoe trip doesn't seem very pleasant, so we decide to drive the 650 kilometers to Klaipeda in Lithuania directly. Estimated time of arrival: 7:10... 10 hours of driving. But what can you do. Forward escape!