Author Archives: lkonieczny

It all started about a year ago….

Posted on 3 March 2011 by lkonieczny

….when I received a letter (yes, a real letter, like via the US Postal Service) from my sister, Mary. It was a brochure along with a brief note. The brief note says: Hey, Leon Thought I’d send this brochure your … Continue reading →

Posted in My love of Poland, My Polish Family, Poland Trip Prep | Leave a comment

Learning Polish

Posted on 23 February 2011 by lkonieczny

I am leaning the Polish Language. Well, to be truthful, I’ve known just a few words of Polish since I was a little child. I grew up around Polish people, and they sometime spoke Polish. I knew what bread and … Continue reading →

Posted in language | Leave a comment

Bogurodzica

Posted on 12 February 2011 by lkonieczny

Bogurodzica is tranlated “Mother of God.” It is the oldest Polish religious hymn and was written somewhere between the 10th and 13th centuries. I learned about Bogurodzica today from my friend Jurek who is helping me learn Polish via Skype. We’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, history, music | Leave a comment

Olesko Castle

Posted on 31 January 2011 by lkonieczny

I learned a bit more about Poland and Polish history today, and the topic of this post is not even located in Poland. The Olesko Castle is in what is today Ukraine, a country just to the east of present … Continue reading →

Posted in history, History of Poland | Leave a comment

The Trumpeter of Kraków

Posted on 22 January 2011 by lkonieczny

When I was in Kraków in September, we had a tour of the old city. We stopped near the base of the beautiful and old St. Mary’s Church ( Kościół mariacki) a Basilica, right on the rynek or market square. Then, right … Continue reading →

Posted in history, History of Poland, music, Poland Tour 2010 | Leave a comment

Learning Polish

Posted on 18 January 2011 by lkonieczny

I am learning Polish. Of course, I already knew a very, very little bit of Polish, from my earliest years. I remember the words for bread, butter, milk, and a few others from my childhood. I’ve never forgotten those. And … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, language | 1 Comment

Niedzica Castle

Posted on 16 January 2011 by lkonieczny

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this blog post is going to end up at over 80,000 “words.” You see, I was surfing the web today looking for more information on Poland. One thing led to another … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, history, multimedia, Poland Tour 2010 | Leave a comment

The Polish National Anthem

Posted on 15 January 2011 by lkonieczny

The Polish National Anthem is a song of hope. It was written by  Józef Rufin Wybicki in Italy in 1797. It was written to help general Jan Henryk Dąbrowski organize Polish Legions (Polish units serving in Napoleon’s army). He wrote it … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, History of Poland | 2 Comments

Trzech Kroli

Posted on 6 January 2011 by lkonieczny

Well, here it is, the 12th Day of Christmas and the Feast of the Three Kings, also called the Epiphany, called Trzech Kroli in Polish. On this day people in Poland take small boxes containing chalk, a gold ring, and … Continue reading →

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Życzę ci tylko z najlepszych w 2011 roku!

Posted on 4 January 2011 by lkonieczny

Translation: I wish you only the best in 2011. Yes, Christmas 2010 is history for a lot of people, at least in America, but in Poland it has just started. In Poland, I am told, they really don’t do a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | 1 Comment