Last Days.

We had been happily travelling around different parts of the world for more than six weeks, but all good things must come to an end. It was the last day of our holiday. We had a late check out at five pm, then it would be off to the airport and a flight back to Hong Kong. The long shadow of work was looming.

We decided to spend the day exploring Warsaw's new town. New town is a bit of a misnomer as it dates from the fourteenth century, though like the whole of Warsaw it was destroyed during the second world war and rebuilt. Warsaw's new town is right next to its old town. It lies on the other side of the Barbican Gate. We did not enter it from the Barbican Gate end but rather from the northern end which was closer to our hotel.

The first sight we saw was Sapieha Palace which was built by Jan Fryderyk Sapieha, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania. This palace became home to the Sapieha family. Later, in the nineteenth century, the palace became an army barracks. Nowadays it is a school.

Sapieha Palace.

Next we came to The Church of St. Francis which dates from the seventeenth century. This church was bombed during the Warsaw Uprising, resulting in the deaths of forty people who were sheltering in its cellars.

The Church of St. Francis.

The Church of St. Francis.

Painted building near The Church of St. Francis.

We then walked down towards the River Vistula and came across The Church of the Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary, or more informally just St. Mary’s Church. This is one of the oldest churches in Warsaw and dates from the fifteenth century.

The Church of the Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Church of the Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Church of the Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary.

Just behind this church there is a small park with a statue of Marie Curie who was born in Warsaw's new town. There are also beautiful views over the River Vistula and over the multimedia fountain park which opened near the banks of the river in May 2011. This park hosts music, water and light shows. Some kind of event was going on on the banks of the Vistula when we visited.

Event on the banks of the Vistula.

Multimedia Fountain Park.

Marie Curie.

Marie Curie.

Marie Curie.

Next we walked into the new town's market square which is home to St. Caisimir’s Curch which dates from the seventeenth century. During the second world war this was used as a hospital. There are statues of saints outside the church. There are also several attractive painted buildings in market square and a well which is located on the site of the former town hall.

St. Caisimir’s Curch

Outside St. Caisimir’s Curch

In Market Square.

In Market Square.

In Market Square.

In Market Square.

We then walked along Freta Street, which is the main street of the new town. It has many restaurants and shops. It leads all the way to the Barbican Gate. Near that gate stands the lovely Church of the Holy Spirit which dates from 1717. Also on Freta Street we passed the house where Marie Curie was born.

Freta Street.

Freta Street and the Church of the Holy Spirit.

Marie Curie's birthplace.

Also on Freta Street is the lovely seventeenth century Dominican Church of Saint Hyacinth.

Church of Saint Hyacinth.

From the old town looking back at the Barbican on the Church of the Holy Spirit.

Then it was a bit of last minute shopping and off to the airport. The holiday was over at last.