March 26

 Day 16:  Final Day

Warsaw

Today was our last day of our amazing Cities of Lights itinerary.  For the first time on this six day extension we were able to sleep in.  Our excursion this morning didn't begin until 9:15am.  We were on the bus for the first half with a couple of 15-20 minute get off & short walk stops.  It was overcast and in the upper 40's.  A bit brisk, but if the wind was blowing it was nice.  Then our bus driver who's been with us since we left Prague dropped us off at the Old Town - we were all SO appreciative of his efforts.  Then we had about a 45 minute walking tour.  A highlight was seeing a fragment of wall left where after the war and people returned, they wrote messages of friends/family they were looking for.  When the Nazi's left Warsaw near the end of the war they literally destroyed nearly the entire city and more than 90% of the population was "liquidated" in one form or another.  Right outside the "living wall" we saw the death wall where thousands were lined up and shot.  We finished in the Old Town where some of the city had survived including the old city gate and medieval walls.

Tomorrow we head home.  Bags out at 3:45am and our transportation to the airport leaves at 4am.  We should touch down in Miami about 6:30 pm.  But.....no rest for the weary as Saturday is Florida Derby Day and we will be part of a group of ten sitting on the finish line beginning before 11am!  We will take Sunday to rest before planning our next set of adventures!  Thanks for following along :)

The Royal Road

Monument to first democratic president of Poland (between World Wars) - their version of George Washington :)

Memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising where 90% of all Jewish peoples were killed

The modern Supreme Court building sits where the city of Warsaw was separated into the Warsaw Jewish ghetto in the 1940's

The fragment of one of the "living walls" - because there were no phones or other forms of communication, survivors wrote their name and who they were looking for on pieces of the demolished buildings upon their return after the war

The "death wall" - see bullet holes - where thousands were executed

The Old Town medieval city gate and wall

The medieval market square just inside the city gates

The cathedral square - note cathedral to left was completely demolished and had to be rebuilt from scratch

Saturday March 28th:  Florida Derby Day!