After a very full day in Gdansk, a quiet morning at sea served as an opportunity to sort through photographs and relax. It also allowed time to listen to a lecture by National Geographic photographer Alison Wright. Alison explored and enlightened us on her approach to creating a sense of place in her work. This was followed by an early lunch, after which we went ashore.
We transferred from the ship by Zodiac to the small town of Gudhjem on the east side of Bornholm. The journey from the ship granted us an overview of the elegant coastal town with its windmill and greenery. A number of excursions were offered from here to various parts of the island. As well as having beautiful scenery, Bornholm is also of great historical significance. Hammershuis, Scandinavia’s largest mediaeval ruin, is situated on the north of the island. We travelled by coach to the starting point of a hike that made its way through one of the island’s dramatic, decommissioned granite quarries and up through the hills to the promontory occupied by the partially demolished fortress. Another group visited the island’s iconic round churches and other historic sites. As the afternoon drew to a close we all returned to Gudhjem for some of the local smoked herring on rye bread, a classic dish from this region of the Baltic. Once everyone had eaten their fill, we gradually returned to the ship by Zodiac under fading golden evening light for the captain’s farewell cocktails and dinner. We reminisced about the highlights of the previous seven days and the many diverse places we had experienced, talking long into the night before saying our goodbyes and finally retiring.
