The next four days was Szczecin, but in fact it was about 3 times its population, with crowds pouring in hundreds of thousands not only to see the boats but to welcome us, what a spirit!
On our sail from Swinoujscie first came young crew of Nauticus who helped us get diesel at night; unprovoked act of friendliness, then we entered the gray morning waters I crossed back and forth hundred times in my teens; it was emotional for David as well despite he doesn’t know much about his Polish roots. His camera deleted all his pictures from the trip; bummer..
When we sailed into river Odra around 7AM there sat older couple on the bank in the woods with their picnic basket, polish flag and a sign “WELKOME SAILORS”, and there were hundreds of people waving, in the shipyards and farms, and falling apart ancient gray industrial sights. Banners everywhere. It still smells and looks like decaying 70s PRL (People’s Republic of Poland) I remember, but it is pretty romantic at the same time, Steve Devoe commented at some point “don’t they throw out things here?” They get attached..
My new friends on Nauticus showed me the jib with stamp from infamous 79 Fastnet race they still use, last year they won Polish IMS championships, and they charter that boat with their vacation earnings driving buses in Ireland!
The first week of August 2007 was by far the most eventful week in Szczecin’s history since ally’s weeklong bombing campaign that leveled the city in 1945.
We docked as a second boat, met our liaison officer Claudia who picked up our laundry and delivered two heavy bags of invitations, goodies and propaganda. My brothers showed up parking miraculously right next to boat, and they managed to do that every time despite all security, barricades and flowing river of people, real talent in civil disobedience.
Out of the way authority; Glinskis are coming!! I have lost that skill; I am such a wimp.
Andrzej Rojek and Steve Devoe took charge: forcing our refreshed dressed to code navy personnel to work while delivery crew got expelled to my mothers command for rejuvenation procedures.
An hour later massage came announcing the boat cleaner than ever and need to move it to second row in order to limit direct exposure to the public.
There was a steady procession of visitors to all vessels including ours, the crowd control turned to be the greatest challenge. Yachting etiquette is in total regress among it seams entire European sailing community, Gosia tried very hard with little result to hoist it few levels, in the name of god.
The big wigs being Rojeks and Devoes lived in a charming little hotel near the waterfront while the rest of us including freshly arrived Zaleski family occupied every chamber of my parents house, overflowing to the neighbors.
Somebody will perhaps scribe about Glinski’s involvement I must say how very proud I am of my dysfunctional family which reunited for those few days, every one of them. Love you guys.
And again wet and dry parades, rock concerts, dances, hayrides, politicians and religious figures, Bosman beer and fireworks, very loud and plenty.
Friends came from all over Poland, to many to mention, on the last day Marta’s grandfather Stah Raciborski showed up for a tour, he was the first sailor I ever met and he got us all into that mess. His older son Marcin was the head of organizing committee in Szczecin.