July-August trip to Baltic Coast – Whitehead Gallery Blog

Our recent trip to the Baltic was too short and the weather variation in the four days we were there was quite dramatic. We stayed at the Marena Wellness and Spa Hotel which it just outside of Miedzywodzie, Poland. This is on the far Western side of the coast nearest Germany. The hotel was good, but we mainly just slept and showered there and spent the rest of the time at the beach or nearby towns. I’ve seen five different spots along the Baltic now and I can honestly say that the beaches all look about the same except for the width (distance between grasses and water). The sand is white and smells clean, water slightly salty and on the cold side, but swim-able in the later parts of the summer. I put together a number of photos from the trip with captions. Image are expanded in a new window if clicked.

I’m a sucker for art of all types which includes large landmark sized religious symbols. Here is the Christ the King statue in Swiebodzin Poland. While visiting a friend we drove past it. Its 108 ft. tall and was completed in 2010.

We got a chilly sunset our first night after we arrived just before dinner. Wiktor was all about getting right into the sand.

The rain and winds started and while the rain let up after a bit the winds were brutal for the rest of 1.5 days. We did get out to see some of the surrounding towns and tourist areas. Here is an old fence that ran next to the path to the beach. I only brought my 18-55mm lens.

The Baltic pine trees tend to grow fast and straight when small, but at some point they start to twist and gnarl.

Small pines next to the sea.

four year olds and sand. Wiktor getting into the cold sand.

Wiktor was on vacation mode and was skipping meals and going right for the treats like waffles, ice creams, pretzels, etc..

The wind on the pier in Miedzyzdroje was brutal. My camera was okay, but I had to keep a good hand on the lens cap. Wiktor was enjoying feeling like a kite and getting tossed around.

The pier had shops at each segment which blocked the winds.

two handed selfie

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I loved this picture of the surf so I cropped it a bit and cleaned in up. If you want a bigger size let me know.

Justyna and Wiktor enjoying the water art in Miedzyzdroje. There were a number of these water walls as well as some other creative benches and well maintained gardens. This town was a little too touristy for my taste, but they did have a super playground for Wiktor and there was the normal wax museum, ice cream shops, junk vendors, etc.

large Polish ice creams. I think one of the flavors here was Prince-Polo.

The heavy winds made the beach look like a martian surface.

Kamien Pomorski marina. There was a bridge that went over a shallow area where some people were fishing. We actually saw one guy catch a minnow sized fish – the first fish I’ve seen anyone catch in Poland.

Kamien Pomorski square. I didn’t do my research about this town, but there is some on wikipedia

Any good photo has something star wars related in it to Wiktor.

Here is a church across from the cathedral in Kamien. It looks almost like an old synagogue, but I didn’t see any extra information about this.

We announce to facebook world that Justyna is pregnant with this picture.

More goofing around in Kamien.

Back to the beach for a sunset and the winds have quieted down a bit.

Baltic Birds were rather friendly and only Wiktor got pooped on once. Normally I take a load or two 🙂

Building sand castles

Volley Ball as a spectator sport in Poland is huge. Not as big as soccer, but close. My favorite player is Marcin Mozdzonek of course.

Here is one of the better shots of the sunset. Often times the best part of a sunset is the opposite.

More birds.

I love taking pictures and working with stuff like these trees and grasses. The blues were grand.

Artist Bryan S. Whitehead about to dive into the Baltic.

Wiktor and I waiting for a wave to crash up against the freshly made castle. It took another 3 minutes.

Why text at home or in the car when you can at the beach.

beached Coelenterate and walker.

Some walking

Since I first was here in 2006 with my short style swim trunks there has been a steady decline of speedo type swim trunks with the men. I take all credit for this change in trends.