Friday was my day to leave Toruń and drive to Dąbrowa Górnicza. I left Toruń for what should have been about a 3 1/2 hour drive, but because of an accident that closed one lane of the road & some construction & there was a lot of traffic especially on a holiday...
Today, I visited family in Gniewkowo. Gniewkowo is the parish town my ancestors come from. Of course our visit began with some good Polish food.There were no plans for our visit together and last year we went to Toruń, but it was decided that we would go to Inowrocław. We went...
Hussar OutfitWe could not go to Bydgoszcz without going to the military museum there. Adam is quite knowledgeable about history & he has a special knowledge of Poland's military history. When Adam was younger, he was in the mobile infantry.War may not be a pretty thing, but it has been part...
White GranaryI have yet to see anything in Bydgoszcz, Poland, so while I was there to pick up my rental car, I was going to see some ofBydgoszcz for the first time along with Adam, Ania & Artur. Since they had not visited the area either it was going to be...
Brama Mostowa (Bridge Gate) ToruńWe were up bright and early this morning to first go to the airport in Bydgoszcz & pick up my rental car. I do not like to be driving right after arriving in Poland because jetlag makes you so tired & it is not really safe to...
Gingerbread ready for the ovenToruń is famous around the world for its Pierniki (Gingerbread), and it would almost be a sin not to take advantage of this delicious treat by not buying some for yourself or to take home as souveniers & share with family and friends. I have had the...
With a chance of rain today we opted for some inside activities and decided to go to the "Centrum Nowoczesności" an interactive science center made for kids, but us grownups had just as much fun or more than the kids did. This science center is in an old mill building which...
Placemat at "Pierogarnia Stary Toruń"Our day ended with a bang! We returned to Toruń and walked to a popular restaurant here in Toruń "Peirogarnia Stary Toruń"Everyone says it has the best pierogi and after tasting them I can not disagree! MY MOUTH WAS IN HEAVEN!!! I chose to have the traditional...
Memorial for those that diedThe next stop we made after seeing Bierzgłowski Castle was to Barbarka Memorial. This place is to remember those that were killed during WWII in mass executions. The area contains many mass graves of about 1000 people. Many people that lost their lives here have been identified and...
After I took some time in the morning to do a little bit of work, it was time to do some more touring in the afternoon. Our first stop was Bierzgłowski Castle, which is between Bydgoszcz & Toruń.Bierzgłowski Castle was built by the Teutonic Knights in about 1260 and is one of...
This post may not be genealogy related, but it does share something about the interests of people in Poland. Motorcycle racing hasbecome a very popular sport in Poland where teams from various cities in Poland compete and peopel are VERY loyal to their teams. My cousin Adam is no different in...
I was very lucky that I was in Toruń today because there is an event here that only happens once each year. It is a reenactment with the Teutonic knights and the battle for the castle. The Teutonic Knights treated the people poorly, destroying their property and killing people. The knights...
Pork cutlet, potatoes, coleslaw & cucumber saladIn 2011 I was honored to be able to attend the wedding of my second cousin and this year I was able to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary with my father's first cousin - Barbara (Basia), who he & I first met in 2006. Until...
Cakes & Tortes in the Cukiernia (Bakery)We were up and about a little earlier this morning as we needed to go to the bakery to pick up a cake for the 50th WeddingAnniversary for the first cousin of my father later in the afternoon. In Poland the name for a bakery...
BREAKFAST!After the long flight, jetlag is your worst enemy. Your body is not sure what to do when there is a big time difference. I had been awake for about 30 hours as I found myself unable to sleep on the plane. I did manage to catch about 1 1/2 hours...
So, here I am in Toruń again. My relatives live in one of the historic buildings in the Rynek so I am right where everyone likes to see. Friday afternoon we did some shopping to get some suppplies. Here are a few scenes around old town in Toruń.The clock in ToruńBeautiful old...
Airport in Bydgoszcz, PolandIt has only been one year since my last visit to Poland, but I had the opportunity to travel here again because of some genealogyresearch that need to be done in Maków Podhalański. I am taking the opportunity to also visit with family again. As with visits in...
As genealogists we are often asked how we got started & when our interest in researching our family began. I almost always tell the story of how I met Łukasz Firkowski on the internet in 2002. Our research together uncovered over 3,000 in my paternal namesake line.The truth is, I think...
I will be speaking at the Annual Seminar for the Polish Genealogical Society of Michiganat the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, MI, October 15th! I will be giving two presentations:"Finding the Family: Problems, Successes and Rewards" - This presentation will explore researching for family from Poland explaining the process used to locate over...
If you have wondered what words sound like in another language, there are some tools out there to help you. I have found that I like ivona.com the best. Not only can you hear what the words sound like, you can pick a voice (male or female). In order to hear...
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