Ghosts On Tour - 2006 - Day 17 (October 15)

As it turns out, Warsaw isn't (at first glance) as inviting a tourist town as Prague and we ended up with only a day in our schedule but this was perfect. And even though we locked our packs in storage at the train station, we weren't sure we were ever going to see them again.

We arrived a 6AM and the main goal was to find the house we (the Looney family) lived in between 1978 and 1980. I also wanted to see the big park we used to play in as kids if we had time and then finally look at the royal palace if possible.

Using a map we grabbed from a convenient hostel we walked around trying to find our bearings. It was very cold (probably just above freezing) and we happened across a market being held around (and I mean completely around) a soccer stadium. Anna grabbed a beanie, scarf and gloves and we continued.

We found the park first, then went on to find the house (very lucky), headed back to the main city for lunch in an excellent traditional Polish restaurant and then toured the palace, which was free because it was Sunday. Yay!

As it turns out, this was the anniversary of the day that Pope John Paul II was made pope (inaugrated? inducted? whatever...). So there was a big concert happening in the square outside the palace that we (as a family) had queued around in 1980 for 6 hours to get our glimpse of the partially restored palace.

At the end of the day we jumped on an express train for Berlin. Except it wasn't really an express - it stopped at least 10 times. And arrived late. At 1AM. We ended up eating fast food for the only time on our tour (Burger King at 2AM) because it was the only thing open we could find. Even the pizza joints had shut.

Phew. Big day.

Palace of Culture - Central Warsaw	More bridges than I remember	We're on the "old" bridge...	looking towards the "new" bridge
	The park!	Unknown solider memorial...	Anna in the park
A small friend looking for food...	...on Anna!	...and quickly gone...	I used to ride my bike on this lake in Winter when it iced over...
			Bernenska 9c
Bernenska 9b - our old house!	Bernenska 9a	Rear view of the house	The local shops
	Local landmark (Syreny)		The wall outside a museum
Shows many languages			The square outside the palace
The palace itself	Inside the palace - ceiling fresco	So much detail...
	Even the floor is amazing		Self portrait
		Anna took this - a guy at the railway station	On the train to Berlin

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