Freeday in Poznan

My sister and I had a free day. She went on her way to visit the Castle and do some shopping, and I tucked my stool under my arm and went down to the Market Square to try to finish some sketches.

Poznan doesn’t seem to open until about 10am so the market square is quiet and cool before then. Storekeepers have washed their front steps and put out their tables and chairs. Sounds of preparation tinkle across the cobbles, and no one seems to mind that I’m sitting at one of their tables to draw.

As the day warms up and gets busier, the symptoms of a cold I’d been carrying with me begin to solidify and I feel like I really need to lie down at home. Stupid nose and head and rattling breathing was really taking hold. My organised sister had brought cold remedies in her bag of medicines so dosed me up and my snooze really helped a lot.

We dined at another instance of a cafe we liked, they have three or four across the city. It was delicious but again the servings are really big. The Poznan restauranteur is a very generous one.

Poznań: Museums, ramen, and very berry desserts

We hit a museum today where we were asked if we qualified for the senior discount at the ticket counter. (A moment of silence for our egos, please.) Audio guides in hand, we set off on a journey through prehistoric Poland, from early tools to metal-smithing to the rise of ancient villages.

Now, this kind of stuff is usually right up my alley. But the audio tour was a bit slow and too detailed. By exhibit four I realised we’d be there till sunset if we kept at it. So, we returned our headsets and made a break for daylight.

That’s when Jo turned to me and said, “Oh… it was the Archaeological Museum. I thought it was Architectural. No wonder nothing made sense!” Mystery solved.

Eat, rinse, repeat (or not)

We’re eating our way through Poznań. Truth is, neither of us actually eats that much, but we sample with purpose. Today’s pick: pavlova with mascarpone and berries. Very berry good. Tart, creamy, crisp, worth every bite. Being New Zealanders we felt it was our duty to ensure the quality and it was there in abundance.

On the walk back to the hotel, we found our street cordoned off by police for a peaceful protest against the war in Ukraine. Calm, organised, and powerful. A moment that reminded us of the world beyond our plates and plans.

Ramen roulette

Jo’s been finding little Japanese eateries scattered around the city. We tried to hit a gyoza spot but it was closing early (Monday blues, clearly). So we wandered up the street to a ramen joint that turned out to be a quiet win: clean broth, balanced flavour, more comforting and familiar.

Contrast that with the Michelin Guide ramen place we visited over the weekend. The broth was intense, oily, and frankly inedible. It was ramen turned up to eleven, and we just couldn’t. So finding a simpler, more familiar bowl was appreciated.

Funny thing is, before we arrived I joked that Poznań’s “best restaurant” was a Thai place. Now I’m not laughing because our best meals have been Asian and French. Still, the top dish of the trip remains the humble Gzik we had on night one at a quiet little bar: creamy cottage cheese, chives, and potato, perfectly simple and totally unforgettable.