BOU AVENUE
Toruń
On 22 August 2023, Zosia Zgolak and I made a stop in the Polish city of Toruń.  Besides being the birthplace of the famed astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, Toruń is renowned for producing amazing gingerbread which was the main impetus for our visit.  Unlike many other Polish cities, Toruń escaped destruction during the Second World War although its residents were still brutalized by the Nazis.  As such, there is an authenticity to the buildings in its Old Town--a UNESCO World Heritage Site--as none of them had to be rebuilt after the war.
A bridge too far?

Zosia crosses a bridge over the Vistula River to get to Toruń's Old Town which is visible in the distance.
I wonder if they had cable...

This is apparently the house in which Nicolaus Copernicus was born in 1473.
This monument was built in 1853, 310 years after Copernicus's death. In front of the Old Town Hall is a statue of Nicolaus Copernicus.  The Latin inscription reads, "Nicolaus Copernicus Thorunensis, terrae motor, solis caelique stator" ("Nicolaus Copernicus of Thorun, mover of the earth, stopper of the sun and heavens").
Kinda like a pizza sub!

Zosia is about to eat a zapiekanka--a toasted baguette with various toppings of choice.
I think that gingerbread is glued to the sheet! At Muzeum Toruńskiego Piernika (Toruń Gingerbread Museum), Zosia tries to take a sample from a mock-up of an oven.  Admission to the museum is free on Tuesdays (today!).
I guess Pluto is no longer considered a planet! This gingerbread representation of the solar system was created in honour of the 550th anniversary of Copernicus's birth.
This was very cool and a lot of fun. One of the many interactive displays in the museum allows Zosia to see herself in various clothing from the past.
What do all the Polish words say? This gingerbread cake would be perfect for Valentine's Day.
Yummy! Zosia stocks up on gingerbread before leaving the museum.
Couldn't they have installed a giant e-reader instead? A giant book is displayed just outside the ruins of a medieval Teutonic castle.
I love tourist attractions like this! Near the Old Town Hall is this Spanish donkey monument which is quite popular with kids who naturally want to climb onto its back.  Most parents probably think that this is adorable without realizing the real purpose of the original Spanish donkey which was wooden and infamously used as a torture device to punish deserters or criminals.  The person being punished would be tied and forced to sit on the back of the donkey which would have a sharp and uncomfortable edge such as the metal rod depicted on the statue.  Having the person sit naked would add to their suffering and humiliation, and occasionally, extra weights were also tied to the legs to increase the pain.
Zosia, don't push the red phallic things sticking out! Along the riverfront is this seemingly inexplicable sea mine monument.  A nearby hotel used to be a Naval Officers’ School.
Not a good place for a pool table... This is the Leaning Tower of Toruń from which the city supposedly derived its name according to the following legend:  The Tower was a friend of the Vistula River and loved listening to her stories.  Over time, the River got closer to the Tower and began eroding his foundations which caused him to lean.  The Tower pleaded with the River not to flow so close lest he falls down, but the River simply stated, “So fall down, then!” which supposedly translates in Polish to “Toruń”.