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Sherlock's Genealogical Adventures

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Relaxing Day in Toruń

Poland Traditions & Interest

Tim Firkowski

Sunday, 07 August 2016

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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 of sleep after doing some shopping in Toruń, but was still awake at about 1am.

After an average breakfast in Poland, which consisted of some sausage, cold cuts, bread, rolls, tomatoes & some onions, my cousin Adam Sak with his wife Ania & son Artur went to their garden. They have a small piece of land where they can go and relax which is right across the Wisła river from the side where Old Town is. Their neighbors are Ania's brother and his wife and together they did not put up a fence between the two pieces of land so they can share a big space. I had known we were going there and would cook on the grill, so I prepared for that and brought a few treats to share.

It is difficult in Poland to find BBQ sauce & since I love cooking on the grill when I go to my camp, I thought I would treat them to some of my cooking. When we were out shopping the day before we

Shish kebab & kiełbasa on the grillpicked up everything I would need to make them a special meal. I made some shish kebab with beef, green peppers, onions & pineapples. We also had corn on the cob with baked potatoes. Although you can buy corn on the cob here, no one had ever eaten corn on the cob on the grill. I also brought along some Ranch dip mix to add to sour cream for the baked potatoes. My cousin Adam went crazy for it & after having it on his baked potato he added some to his shish kebab! :D He asked if I would be able to send him some more of the Ranch dip mix so he could have it at home & to his surprise, I had been prepared for this possibility and had brought some extra packets of it! Ania's brother & his wife came over for dinner and were able to share in the treats as well.

It was the perfect day to relax, as you could not have asked for better weather. I remember my visit to Poland last year where Poland had had an unusual heat wave where the temps had been in the 90s for the first 10 days of my visit. This year the temperatures are a lot cooler. The forecast so far is for temps in the high 60s and lower 70s.

Treats for everyone

Everyone is full after all that food

Small cottage

Vegetable garden

Manicured lawn

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About the author

Tim Firkowski

I have been doing genealogy research since 2002 & have worked full time as a Professional Genealogist since 2008. I specialize in Polish and American-Canadian Genealogy. As a member of APG, I was the 2010/2011 President of the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (NEAPG). I have Certificates of Completion for studies in "Foundations of Forensic Genealogy" and "Advanced Forensic Genealogy Techniques". I have been a volunteer librarian at the local Family History Center, and a genealogy research consultant at “Ask the Expert” Ancestry Road Shows. I have traveled to Poland numerous times & researched in churches and archives. At conferences and special events, you may find me dressed up in my Sherlock Holmes outfit, or my Kujawy (the folk costume from the region in Poland where my ancestors came from).

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Comments 2

Guest - Mark Grenzicki on Sunday, 07 August 2016 05:09

Very interesting.... On my bucket list

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Guest - Trudy Krueger on Sunday, 07 August 2016 08:48

I very much enjoyed reading about your trip to visit family in Toruń, what a lovely city. I look forward to meeting you at the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan Seminar October 15th, 2016.

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