I’ve been traveling now for 5 of the last 7 weeks throughout Poland and Lithuania.  It’s hard to believe that today is my last day here. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic, and just wandering through the streets that Lina so carefully pointed out, giving me enough clues about each of them, that I have no fear of getting lost.

It’s raining off and on, and I hoped to accomplish a few things in between drops.  I wanted to walk up to the castle and for that I need the stones to be dry, otherwise it would be very slippery.  I did get up to the top, or at least to the top of the hill, just outside the castle tower.  To get up the hill, there is a short flight of wooden steps and the rest of the way is all ancient stone.  If it was raining, I doubt I could have gotten there and down.  I briefly contemplated going into the tower and going up, but the sky was getting darker and the gray clouds seemed ominous, so I caved and walked back down.  Sure enough, as I crossed the street by the Cathedral Plaza, it started to pour.  I wasn’t too bedraggled by the time I got to the hotel, just across the street, but that’s probably just my opinion because I don’t want to admit how pitiful I must have looked.

Once the rain stopped again, I went out for a very late lunch, walked down the street I have officially named the ice cream street because of all the ice cream vendors, and today, Trattoria had pizza dough, so I had a last pizza alla’ herba. Delicious.  I walked around the streets some more, walking in and out of the small and large ghetto areas, getting one last look.  Of course, the wind picked up and the rain looked imminent so I headed back to the hotel.  I guess we have a theme going today called dodge the rain.

I spent some time working but by about 7 PM, I decided to go out one last time and stop at a bakery and pick something up for my early morning trek to the airport.  Of course, the ice cream stands called out to me, and I decided, since I wasn’t having dinner, to have one last chocolate and pistachio cone. Yum.

Packing has proven to be a challenge.  I bought so many books with Marek and Lina’s help, that I needed to buy a bag just for them.  The army surplus store had something almost perfect for only 13 EU – if it had wheels it would have been absolutely perfect, since lifting it is going to be a challenge.  I bet it’s over 30 pounds.

Next stop, Amsterdam and them Minneapolis on the way to SLC.  Back tomorrow, July 4.  I think it may be a week or more before I catch up on the photos for all the blog posts.  Stay tuned, and happy 4th.