Day 10 - Wednesday 18/09/2013 Staying with cousin Janek

Janek and his family (son Piotr, his wife, Sylvia, and daughter Julcia) have made us very welcome. We have lots more food to eat, and friendly conversation. MOH takes every opportunity to tell people how hard it is to have to translate everything because STS and I don't speak Polish. He says it's hard on us too, but we wanted to come here. He is definitely enjoying being the centre of attention. On the other hand we have been nodding and smiling for nearly two weeks now. It would probably be better for all concerned if STS and I left them to catch up without us, but we don't want to be rude. I have decided to not be so proactive in wanting to join in the conversations to ease the burden on MOH.

Janek's home

Picking raspberries

Today we will be picking our own raspberries.

Raspberries - yummm!

We have an early lunch because we need to leave with enough time to get to Warzsawa (Warsaw). Janek allows me to get copies of some old photographs, and after a teary farewell, we began our drive to Warszawa.

Piotr must have known that we would get lost in Warsaw, so he arranged for his brother, Krystof, to meet us and guide us to our hotel. Krystof and his son, Kuba, kindly waited for us to check in and then drove us around the city, showing us the sights. We saw the Frederic Chopin statue, Parliament and embassy buildings. We saw buildings that survived the war, and the Football stadium where they played the 2012 Eurpoean championships. He took us to the Old Town, Stare Miasta, which was very interesting with a special energy and atmosphere at night time. The statue at the barbican represents all the children who suffered during the war.

The Chopin statue

Warsaw soccer stadium

Stare Miasta, Warsaw

Stare Miasta, Warsaw

Then we went to his apartment for a drink and you guessed it, more food! We were greeted warmly by his mother, Stasia.

Looking down onto the tram system, Warsaw

After several beers, we needed to get a taxi to take us back to the hotel. Krystof came with us to make sure we were OK, and insisted on paying for the fare. He is a very generous man. I suspect we might see him in Australia one day, and I hope we will have the opportunity to return the favour.

 

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Day 9 - Tuesday 17/09/2013 At Krisha's house

We stayed the night at Krysia's house at her insistence. She doesn't have much room, but wants us anyway, and we are very glad to go.

STS's new best friend, Alain Grobovski

It is wet and foggy this morning, snappy cold, with misty rain. Krysia is taking us to the local ancient church and cemetery. I am interested to see the graves of MOH's grandparents and any other relatives. It is the church that his mother used to go to when she was young.

The church, Slupca

Came back for lunch, talked more and played with the children, before hitting the road again.

We will stay the night at Wturek, about 35km north of Slupca, on cousin Janek's farm. This is a flat farming area. There are lots of corn fields everywhere, but Janek has dairy cows, pigs, rabbits, tomatoes, lots of tomatoes, various and numerous fruit trees and vegetables, and did I mention lots of tomatoes.

Milking time

His son, Piotr, runs the farm now, and Janek helps, especially with the dairy, where they collect the milk from many other local farmers.

Janek with Bruno

We are greeted as usual with a massive feast, incuding all the usual fair, and Janek's daughter, Carolina and her husband, Rafo (please forgive the spelling) join us a little later.

One of the tomato hothouses

We spend the evening talking, eating and drinking. Janek showed us all the letters he has received from us over the years, and says that he will always keep them. He's very sentimental.

We sleep in his bedroom, on two fold-out couches, and we find out that he will sleep in the kitchen. He is a very generous man, and has done everything to make us welcome and comfortable.

 

 

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