Day 2

I guess I may as well start at the beginning. I got up early, before my alarm. I imagine my system was a bit “off” from the previous long day and the time shift. But eventually I made it out to the living room and was joined by Wojtek, Alicja, and Filip. We visited a bit (and Filip, being 4, entertained), and then sat down to breakfast. Well, it was more like a feast. Alicja really made a wonderful Polish breakfast. Bigos, a polish hunter stew, was excellend. The galeta (?) which was pork in a gelatin and formed was not only beautiful, but tasty too when topped with a bit of vinegar. There was a salad that was mixed fruits and vegetables including corn, onions, maybe apple, and a bunch of other flavors, all blended well and it tasted awesome. Of course we had some pickles and bread. And then there was pierogi–who doesn’t love pierogi? And ham and kabunosy. It was a great meal, and big meal, and certainly fit for a king.

A bit later, Ludwika, Alicja’s mother, came buy and “picked me up.” Well, actually, this 77-year old mother of my third cousin walked me back to her son’s house where Marek was ready to show me his farm. He has a big farm and he recently expanded. He grows a variety of grains including wheat and peas (like in split peas) and some sore of bean that’s made into a popular European cooking oil….he did not recall the name in English. We saw the granaries and some of the machinery. And we drove out in the fields and saw more. All the time, we had Marciek as a translator, a family friend who teaches English in the nearby school. We even stopped for a while to visit another relative, Wladek, who owns an implement (farm machine) dealer. While there we did have to drink a couple of require shots of cognac. Yet, it was not even noon yet!

Later, I had my first lunch. Ludwika make a traditional Polish dish, Flaki. It was excellent. Such exquisite taste and seasoning made it really good. And there was cake and tea to go with. I’ll call that my first lunch.

Later we went to the cemetery in nearby Pruszcz-Gdanska and saw many family graves, including that of Ludwika’s husband, Alicja’s father, who died last November. We paid our respects, lit some candles, and of course I took some pictures.

After that we had the second lunch. Patricja, Marek’s wife, made chicken, carrots, potatoes with dill and an excellent pork dish topped with cabbage–it was really delicious and had a great flavor and nice tang.

In between all of that, we talked family history. Our common family history is quite complicated, and I know that Marciek who was translating for us found it difficult at times to grasp. But I learned an awful lot. And I learned some of it in Polish as well.

Eventually it was time to return to Alicja’s, where Bartek and Paulina were waiting to take me to downtown Gdansk, to the famous St. Andrew’s Fair which just happened to be going on. We wandered around there a bit and had some oscypek with cranberries, it was wonderful. Then we went to a local brewery that I believe brews their own beer. It is a German place, but the beer was good nonetheless. By the time we left it was pretty well dark out, and the temperature dropping–did I mention that it was a gorgeous sunny day with temperatures in the 70s?

Once back here we had a beer and then some supper. Alicja had made some golubki. Wow, was it every good and flavorful. I have to find out how she does it. They are more or less steamed with water, not baked in tomato. Then they’re served with some butter-fried onions and another sauce that had just a hint of tomato. The flavor was outstanding.

So I had a long but fun day, seen some real polish life first hand, eating authentic food, better than restaurant food, just excellent and real. And talking to (often with help of an interpreter) family about family and Poland. It really was a wonderful experience.

But now it is late (here) and time to go. But there will be more tomorrow as we’re heading into Gdansk!