Heading to Poland

 April 2nd

 

Not much of consequence today as most of the day was spent on the bus driving from Vilnius to Warsaw.  We arrived with a smidge over 2 hours before our farewell dinner (odd timing, yes, but it's the only free evening before many on the tour leave in the early morning hours).  Anyway, I had no other free time in Warsaw, so I had to quickly choose how I wanted to spend my time.  Depositing my backpack quickly into my hotel room, I booked an Über and headed to the POLIN Museum.  The museum is actually dedicated to the history of the Jews in Poland, which actually dates back a thousand years, and was erected in the former Jewish ghetto.

The entrance fee was about $12 and included an audio guide, but in the end I found it unhelpful.  The guide didn't read the displays, so I would start reading the plaque next a display I was viewing and then would end up missing what was being said via the audio guide.  The museum was astounding, and they say you need about three hours to get through it.  Seeing as I had less than 2 hours eventually turned off the audio guide and continued through the very extensive and masterfully done exhibits.  I read only what caught my attention and easily could have spent another two hours there.  I had to zoom through the WWII era in about 15 minutes and quickly head back to the hotel. I had a few moments to 'powder my nose' before the farewell drinks and walk to AleGloria for dinner.