Gdańsk was a pin on Alex’s map when he traveled from Lithuania to France by car. Well known in professional circles, an actor that just came back from a gig in Hong Kong. Always up for a fresh experience and a good conversation

We started with dinner in town. Burrata, roasted vegetables, and a glass of white wine — a good way to begin the visit.

After dinner we walked the streets for a while. The city is quiet at that hour and easy to talk in.

Halfway through the walk we ran into a hedgehog. Alex sat down and said hello to it, which is not something you usually get to do on a Friday night.

Then we went to Kameralna for a drink.

The place is unique. It’s owned by people who’ve put heart and skill into it, and it’s very cozy - fantastic atmosphere and lovely people. Another day we were there with a party of older captains; one of them, Marek, is 90 and has crossed the globe on his ship.

On the wine side, they have a curated selection of bottles at a fair price.

When you’re surrounded by an atmosphere like this, the conversation flows on its own. Alex and I had a long talk about the past, the future, and what matters in the world now.

A bottle of French Armagnac, planted in the tree to surprise a local who’d left an empty bottle there earlier.

The next morning we walked into Oliwa forest. The weather was crisp and bright, and the first snowdrops were already up between the leaves.

Old Oliwa carries its age quietly. The timber frames and low rooflines have been here long enough to feel like they grew from the ground.

There’s an enormous old tree on the trail. We stood under it for a minute and took a photo looking up through the branches.

We saw the first flowers — bluebells. Isn’t it great, as an explorer, to get a small bonus experience where you don’t expect one? For a moment it felt huge. Alex went and lay down on the ground next to them to take a selfie 😄

From the forest we drove to the coast. The beach was almost empty and the Baltic was flat and grey in a calm way.

The sun was out but the wind was sharp, so we kept our jackets on. We took a photo at the water’s edge before walking back.

On the way back we stopped at Café Łas to warm up. Hot coffee and a thick slice of cake, which is the right move after an hour by the sea.

We’re heading back from Sopot, past a small lake near the house I’m staying in. There’s a family of swans on it, and a man out for a walk.

Then Alex packed up and got back on the road - Poland, Germany, and on to a farm somewhere in the French countryside. We hadn’t seen each other for years, but somehow we still share a worldview and the kinds of observations that come out of it. It’s a piece of luck to meet someone you can talk with for hours.