The flight to Vilnius
was not a direct one.
The group had chosen
to have a quick stay in Warsaw.

It was not only
a practical choice for the group.
It was indeed a symbolic route
to the Republic of Lithuania.

From the historical point of view
Poland played a huge role
in the history of Lithuania.
The two nations also formed
in the past a united nation
which lasted for many years.

for more on that click here

The present day capital Vilnius
was indeed a part of Poland
or actually occupied by the Poles
when the Machtas family
lived in the then
temporary capital of Kaunas.

Also from the family point of view
Warsaw is quite significant
as it was in the polish capital
that the second chess Olympiad
in which Machtas was a part of
took place in 1935.

for more on that click here

So all in all.
it was both useful
as well as symbolic
to spend a few hours in Warsaw
and also visit the old town
before entering a new plane.

The Warsaw airport was impressive.
A big one with a tasty ice-cream...
The Vilnius one was friendly.
A much smaller one indeed ...