Hi list, We returned from Poland and Holland at 9:30 p.m. Thursday night. We are still jet lagged - in bed last night at 6 p.m. and awake before 4 a.m. Hope we get back to normal quickly. Our trip was wonderful, all flights on time. The first 8 days we had marvelous weather - shirt sleeves in Krakow! They had had so much rain just before our visit that we wondered what we would find. But we were lucky. We walked our feet off in both Warsaw and Krakow with my young cousins (met on the internet). I'm sure we could have seen more if we had more energy. Our guide in Krakow was Janusz,a second cousin aged 26 who is studying in Krakow. We drove from Krakow to Zakopane where the weather and scenery was fantastic. With all their rain the mountains were covered in snow. From there to Tarnow and Niedomice where my grandfather was born in 1869. We did not plan to do any genealogical research, just meet relatives and see the house where my grandfather was born. Ania, another second cousin, met us in Tarnow and we drove from the Hotel Dunajec to the old town where we met her husband and proceeded to have a very nice dinner in an old Polish restaurant there. The next morning Ania picked us up and we went to Niedomice after a stop in Tarnow to buy some souvenirs. The weather had deteriorated to short periods of rain by this time. We first went to Niedomice to meet Cecylia Ania's grandmother) and had coffee, tea and cake with her. What a lovely lady, she is the widow of my first cousin, once removed. The teacher in her came out and she was trying to teach us Polish. It is hopeless!! She wants me to come back next summer so she can teach me more. When we tried to tell people we spent a night in Szczawnica we had to show them on a map. We can now sort of pronounce it correctly. Then Ania pointed to a sign for Rzeszow - I wasn't even close! So I know it's hopeless. When it stopped raining we drove to the Niedomice cemetery and Cecylia took us to her husband's grave, then to a cousin's. From there we went to the cemetery in Zabno thinking to find relatives graves there. We had a photo from 1979 when my mother visited. But nothing was familiar. Next we went to the cemetery in Leg Tarnowski and looked for more graves. We didn't find any but many were unmarked with nothing but a cross. Knowing from cousins there that this was the earlier church for Niedomice we rang the bell at the priests' home. The one who answered said he knew the old books were there, but he was not familiar with them. So we should try to come back later when the other priests were back from their teaching jobs. We left and planned to return. Then we went back to Niedomice for lunch with Janusz' parents. Janusz knew I was dying for homemade pierogies so he asked his mother to make some. I'm sure she spent all morning as there were two huge platters of meat filled and kraut filled pierogies. I will never buy frozen again! This family live in the same home where my grandfather was born in 1869 so it was quite a thrill for me to be there. After eating and walking around the farm and down to the river, Janusz and I filled in some blanks on relatives charts. Then it was back to Leg Tarnowski for another look through the cemetery. This time Janusz found the grave of my grandfather's brother which had been in the photo mentioned above. No stone or name, you just had to know where to look. We again knocked on the rectory door. This time a priest welcomed us in and took us to his office where the old books were setting on a shelf. Books over 200 years old! He was very pleasant and eager to help us with our search for names. He showed us how to use the index book to find the original record in the baptismal records. After about 30 minutes he had to leave but said we could stay as long as we liked! How lucky can you get? These records go back to 1785 so we found quite a few baptisms. I wish we could have stayed another day to look at all the books there. However, when I got back to the hotel where we had free internet usage I checked the Mormon library site to see if the records at Leg Tarnowski had been filmed. Great news - they had. So now I will order them sent to my local Mormon church where I can study them all day long and with a magnifying glass. I know there are lots more names and dates to check. It really helps to have local knowledge or I would never have thought to look in Leg Tarnowski for my ancestors. I plan to write to the Mormon library and ask them to cross-reference Niedomice - Jurkow - Leg Tarnowski in case someone else needs the data. Cecylia's son Jan (Ania's father) and his wife Barbara had us for drinks and dinner/supper that night. About 14 cousins showed up at different times. We were given such a warm welcome - something we will never forget. Everyone in Niedomice remembered that my mother visited in 1979 - even if they didn't get to meet her. Some were not even born. I wonder if they will be talking about our visit in 2040??? I think that about covers it. We had a wonderful time and accomplished so much more than expected. Regards, Sharon Galitz., Surprise, Arizona PS - With all the great food I was surprised to see I only gained 5 pounds in three weeks! It must have been all the walking.

Sharon, Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Glad to hear it. I think your intention of not doing research was a good one; just going to enjoy the country and your "new" relatives. The surprise information you obtained was a plus! The only way to not put on weight in Poland is to walk - everywhere. Do you think you'll go back next year? The dollar is up and that means a better exchange rate - right now, anyway. Debbie Sharon Galitz wrote: > Hi list, > > We returned from Poland and Holland at 9:30 p.m. Thursday night. We are > still jet lagged - in bed last night at 6 p.m. and awake before 4 a.m. Hope > we get back to normal quickly. > > Our trip was wonderful, all flights on time. The first 8 days we had > marvelous weather - shirt sleeves in Krakow! They had had so much rain just > before our visit that we wondered what we would find. But we were lucky. > We walked our feet off in both Warsaw and Krakow with my young cousins (met > on the internet). I'm sure we could have seen more if we had more energy. > Our guide in Krakow was Janusz,a second cousin aged 26 who is studying in > Krakow. > > We drove from Krakow to Zakopane where the weather and scenery was > fantastic. With all their rain the mountains were covered in snow. From > there to Tarnow and Niedomice where my grandfather was born in 1869. We did > not plan to do any genealogical research, just meet relatives and see the > house where my grandfather was born. > > Ania, another second cousin, met us in Tarnow and we drove from the Hotel > Dunajec to the old town where we met her husband and proceeded to have a > very nice dinner in an old Polish restaurant there. The next morning Ania > picked us up and we went to Niedomice after a stop in Tarnow to buy some > souvenirs. > > The weather had deteriorated to short periods of rain by this time. We > first went to Niedomice to meet Cecylia Ania's grandmother) and had coffee, > tea and cake with her. What a lovely lady, she is the widow of my first > cousin, once removed. The teacher in her came out and she was trying to > teach us Polish. It is hopeless!! She wants me to come back next summer so > she can teach me more. When we tried to tell people we spent a night in > Szczawnica we had to show them on a map. We can now sort of pronounce it > correctly. Then Ania pointed to a sign for Rzeszow - I wasn't even close! > So I know it's hopeless. > > When it stopped raining we drove to the Niedomice cemetery and Cecylia took > us to her husband's grave, then to a cousin's. From there we went to the > cemetery in Zabno thinking to find relatives graves there. We had a photo > from 1979 when my mother visited. But nothing was familiar. > > Next we went to the cemetery in Leg Tarnowski and looked for more graves. > We didn't find any but many were unmarked with nothing but a cross. Knowing > from cousins there that this was the earlier church for Niedomice we rang > the bell at the priests' home. The one who answered said he knew the old > books were there, but he was not familiar with them. So we should try to > come back later when the other priests were back from their teaching jobs. > We left and planned to return. > > Then we went back to Niedomice for lunch with Janusz' parents. Janusz knew > I was dying for homemade pierogies so he asked his mother to make some. I'm > sure she spent all morning as there were two huge platters of meat filled > and kraut filled pierogies. I will never buy frozen again! > > This family live in the same home where my grandfather was born in 1869 so > it was quite a thrill for me to be there. After eating and walking around > the farm and down to the river, Janusz and I filled in some blanks on > relatives charts. Then it was back to Leg Tarnowski for another look > through the cemetery. This time Janusz found the grave of my grandfather's > brother which had been in the photo mentioned above. No stone or name, you > just had to know where to look. We again knocked on the rectory door. This > time a priest welcomed us in and took us to his office where the old books > were setting on a shelf. Books over 200 years old! He was very pleasant > and eager to help us with our search for names. He showed us how to use the > index book to find the original record in the baptismal records. After > about 30 minutes he had to leave but said we could stay as long as we > liked! How lucky can you get? These records go back to 1785 so we found > quite a few baptisms. I wish we could have stayed another day to look at > all the books there. > > However, when I got back to the hotel where we had free internet usage I > checked the Mormon library site to see if the records at Leg Tarnowski had > been filmed. Great news - they had. So now I will order them sent to my > local Mormon church where I can study them all day long and with a > magnifying glass. I know there are lots more names and dates to check. It > really helps to have local knowledge or I would never have thought to look > in Leg Tarnowski for my ancestors. I plan to write to the Mormon library > and ask them to cross-reference Niedomice - Jurkow - Leg Tarnowski in case > someone else needs the data. > > Cecylia's son Jan (Ania's father) and his wife Barbara had us for drinks > and dinner/supper that night. About 14 cousins showed up at different > times. We were given such a warm welcome - something we will never forget. > Everyone in Niedomice remembered that my mother visited in 1979 - even if > they didn't get to meet her. Some were not even born. I wonder if they > will be talking about our visit in 2040??? > > I think that about covers it. We had a wonderful time and accomplished so > much more than expected. > > Regards, > > Sharon Galitz., Surprise, Arizona > > PS - With all the great food I was surprised to see I only gained 5 pounds > in three weeks! It must have been all the walking.