May 4
Our last day in Poland. Mark and I headed out for some shopping while Mom decided to stay at the hotel and rest her weary feet. We walked quite a bit, stopping for drinks at a cafe in the main square. We were fortunate to hear the Kraków trumpeter at noon, even though we didn’t plan it. I found the Bolesławiec pottery I wanted and bought some cups for use at home – they will remind me of this wonderful trip every time I use them.
Back to the hotel and took Mom out for an early dinner. We ate at the Polakowski restaurant near our hotel and finally found the gołąbkis we’d been searching for!
Later in the evening I took a walk along the Vistula river at dusk – the perfect ending to the perfect vacation.
Brian
As you can imagine…..this truly was a trip of a lifetime. The amazing sites and the excitement of meet ALL the new Polish family and friends will be memories treasured forever.
Zen, of PolishOrigins, and his entire team made the trip interesting and informative. His charm and peristance allowed us to gather information needed to add to our family tree. As you see, I can’t say enough about him. So very happy to have met him and could not have communicated with our new family without his help.
Lastly,….my two sons…..Brian and Mark. Words cannot express what this gift has given me.
Not only the most precious gift of finding and meeting my extended Polish family…seeing my ancestors homeland, touching the baptismal fountain where my grandparents were baptized.
I could go on and on. The best part of this all was to see it with my sons and sharing the adventure together. Thank you both……love and hugs !
I truly enjoyed reading about your trip. Brian, you are a great storyteller & a wonderful photographer. I got emotional more than once. I really felt like I was on the trip with all of you. I’m going to miss Zen too! The scenery in Poland is beautiful & I was touched by the cemeteries with all the flowers. The food looked delicious, especially the “lody”. Now I know why I love ice cream so much-it’s in my blood. Thank you for sharing this most incredible time in your lives. Love to all
Thank you so much for sharing your adventures in Poland with us. I read every teency weency detail and felt like I was there. I love family history/genealogy so your adventures were also inspiring as well. Final thought… What marvelous gift to give your lovely mother. I know how much this meant to her and how excited she was about spending time with her “boys”. Thanks again for taking us along via the blog.
That trip was indeed a once in a lifetime experience. A second time would not give you the same feelings of wonderment and excitement. I was trully amazed at the scenery and the shops. So many beautiful things! Brian, you are an amazing organizer! Without Mark and your mother with you, I don’t think this would have impacted all who followed you the way it has. All three of you shared a wonderful trip and in turn gave all of us a little bit of Poland to enjoy!
Stay happy and healthy!
My Mom said it very well so there’s not much I can add… it really was the trip of a lifetime and something I’ll remember fondly forever. Zenon, you were an amazing guide and friend – thank you!
Mom & Mark… I’m so glad we had the chance to do this together! It was ten days that we will relive and talk about for years to come.
“E” and Debbie (and everyone else who followed along): I’m happy you enjoyed the stories and photos. It was difficult to capture the sights and emotions of our trip but I hope I came close. I was inspired by the stories others have shared at PolishOrigins so it was fun to give a little back!
Your beautiful story and awesome photos brought back wonderful memories of our two adventures with zenon. Thank you for sharing
Just got my computer back in order …thanks to my brother….now I finally had the opportunity to visit along with you! I can’t help but keep thinking how much my Dad loved Poland ! He kept saying “you need to go”. Now I can see why. Brian, you actually brought me there with your pictures and commentaries. The country side is so beautiful !! And you went at a great time of year to capture all the splendor. Amazing photographs. It truly is a trip you will always share and remember together. Thanks for all your work in finding the “family”….. I am sure they will talk about your visits for quite some time. Krakow looks just like the pictures I saw in books …..looks like vodka is truly part of our heritage! Thank you.
I just stumbled onto this blog while researching Poland. What a wonderful experience, that I can completely relate to! I had the privilege of taking a journey to Poland with my Mother in 2014 to meet our cousins. Everyone was generous and warm. All of my Mother’s first cousins and their children! Funny that your family name was Twarog. My family stems from the village, Tworóg n southern Poland! One of the best experiences of my life. I now have that connection to the past and present, simultaneously. I can’t wait to return some day.