Karpaty — The Carpathian Mountains

Posted on 29 October 2011 by lkonieczny

Our morning was filled with a walk to a beautiful waterfall (that’s another post) and a visit to a brand new, world-class ski resort that is still under construction, Bukovel (also another post), but eventually we took off and winded our way through the Carpathian Mountains. We had no se goal, but eventually found a border crossing on the map and decided to cross from Ukraine to Romania and then visit the Romanian Carpathian mountains as well. And so that’s what we did.

The Carpathians in this area are amazing. At this time of year they were green and mostly tree-covered. You can see my pictures from this journey here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Carpathians/index.html.

As you look through these photos, notice that often you can see the mountains in the background, even in the cities. You’ll also see a lot of horse drawn wagon. And hay stacked up on wooden frames. Here in this part of the world, the land is very steep and often horses and work by hand are what gets things done. And so hay is cut by hand and stacked by hand, waiting for it to dry.

You’ll also see lots of bridges and even some tunnels, all for the trains that connect this area to the rest of the country. And yet, there are many vibrant cities, small, yes, but still full of people and shops.

We eventually entered Romania at a small border crossing town whose name I don’t remember and can’t find (for sure) on the Internet. But it was a relatively painless crossing. Once we crossed, we drove east across the Romanian Carpathians. It was very, very cool. Eventually it got dark and we finally found a place to spend the night, the Hotel Eden in Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Romania. They accepted US dollars, so that was a good thing.

When we got up in the morning, there was fog in the mountains, and it was quite beautiful, as you can see in some of the pictures. Eventually we headed off toward Ukraine, and eventually crossed the border back to Ukraine and arrive in Chernivtsi in the late morning. But venturing through the Carpathian Mountains–in both Ukraine and Romania–was an amazing adventure. Enjoy the photos!

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Waterfall

Posted on 27 October 2011 by lkonieczny

I have spent the past several hours on the Internet trying to figure out the name of the spectacular waterfall we visited after we left Yaremche–and before we made it to the Bukovel Ski Resort–without success. Yet it was pretty magnificent. If I remember correctly, we had to pay a small fee (10 Hryvinia, or about $1.25 USD) to go up the very poor road towards it. Road? Well, it was more like a rocky path. Eventually, we decided that our poor little car could not take more, so we parked in an area, and then walked the rest of the way, maybe a kilometer. But it was sure worth it.

You can see my pictures from this adventure here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Waterfall/index.html

So, after paying the exorbitant entrance fee, and driving a ways on terrible roads, we walked the last bit. It really was a great time. The scenery was awesome. Rocks and parts of the mountains at odd angles, the slow flowing river (slow now because it was the dry season) with rocks and logs and the like, it was like the wilderness. Eventually we came upon the “parking area” where the more brave adventurers parked. And of course there were a few “shops”–it’s a tourist attraction.

We walked first to the hill overlooking the falls, then took the stairs down to the bottom. The falls are quite impressive, even when the volume is low. The appeared to be nearly 40 feet (a tad over 10 meters) high. Quite impressive. There were a few dozen people gathered around, taking pictures, enjoying the day.

And then we eventually made our way back to our car, to continue on our amazing journey. Wojtek joked that one day there will be a statue to me there, Krzysztof Kolumb (Christopher Columbus), the first American to venture here and “discover” this fantastic place. And you know, a part of me felt very much the explorer, the adventurer. I’ve seen what very, very few Americans have ever seen. How lucky I am, and thanks to my most excellent tour guides, Alicja and Wojtek!

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Orthodox Funeral Procession

Posted on 26 October 2011 by lkonieczny

We were on our way from Kremenets, where Wojtek and I climbed the ruins of a fortress high above the city, to Pochaiv, a huge and lavish monastery, when what should pull out on the road ahead of us but a funeral procession. This was totally amazing and something most people who don’t live in Ukraine will never see in their lives. You can see my pictures from this event here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Orthodox%20Funeral%20Procession/index.html Note that many were somewhat surreptitiously shot through the windshield of the car–I did not want to appear irreverent at such a solemn event.

We could do nothing but wait and patiently follow this procession which only went a handful of blocks before it turned down a side road. It was led by some men carrying flags of banners of some sort, then by some mourners–perhaps the family, I am not sure. Next there was the priest, complete with incense and censer. Then there was an old flatbed truck–on it’s bed was the open casket. Yes, that’s right, the open casket, the lid was on the bed of the truck next to the casket. It as too high to see the person in it. The bed of the truck was nicely decorated and covered with some clothes that were fancy and had some words on them. Lastly, there were more mourners following. Some of the mourners carried bouquets of flowers–roses, I think.

The procession itself was amazing, but what I next saw was even more amazing. As oncoming traffic came upon the procession, each and every oncoming vehicle pulled to the side of the road. The occupants got out and stood on the side of the road, heads bowed, hands folded, hats removed. As the procession passed, many said a prayer and made the sign of the cross. They remained until the funeral procession passed, then got into their vehicles and went on their merry way. I was very impressed by this great show of respect and devotion by each and every person. It was an event I was blessed to experience, and one I shall not likely ever forget.

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Warszawa

Posted on 25 October 2011 by lkonieczny

Warsaw (Warszawa in Polish) is the Capital city and the largest city in Poland, with a current population of about 1.7, the ninth largest city in the European Union by population. But the most amazing thing about this marvelous city is it’s history and it’s growth–and both are tied together. You see, at the end of World War II, the population of Warsaw was about 1000 people, living among the utter devastation and ruins of a city that Hitler vowed to wipe permanently off the face of the earth.

In the closing days of World War II, as the Russians were approaching, the Polish Home Army rose up against the Germans. For 62 days the Poles battled valiantly against the Germans, tying up many, many divisions. Eventually, they were overcome, and Hitler, enraged, ordered the systematic desctruction of the city–every last building. Special teams went building to building, blowing them up. And so at the end of the war, virtually no one lived there.

Now, take a look at some of my photos of Warsaw today: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Warszawa/index.html.

The pictures start as we’re entering the city, driving. You can see tall buildings and crowded streets. You can see many familiar American places, too, like McDonald’s and KFC. You can also see many monuments throughout the city which pay homage to the terrible events that were brought to it by the Nazis, among others. And you can see a city that was totally rebuilt, in many cases brick by brick, to look like the Warsaw that existed before Hitler’s attempt to annihilate it. 85% of the city was destroyed–not just damaged, totally and utterly destroyed.

Later on, we walked to the Stary Miasto, the old city. Entering through the barbican, the huge brick and stone gate, we saw the Warsaw of the past. The palace, the president’s residence, various churches, the Bishop’s residence which once hosted Pope John Paul II, we saw many amazing sights and buildings.

You can read more about Warsaw here, and more about it’s history here. I highly recommend you take a bit of time to learn a little more about this amazing city.

In a future blog post, I’ll write more about my visit to the Warsaw Uprising Museum, a very moving experience. It still brings tears to my eyes, but joy to my heart. But that’s a story for another day, because it truly speaks to the heart and resiliency of the Polish people.

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Family Photos

Posted on 23 October 2011 by lkonieczny

So here goes, lots of photos of family. I’ll try to make sense of it all here–if I can. With my notes, some help from my cousin Alicja, and a lot of luck, I can identify the people in these photos and explain their relationship to me. It’ll be up to you to figure out how they are related to you–if they are.

I’ve added captions to the Family Photos in this album, and so will try to describe who everyone is, referring to the picture by its caption. I’ll also try to explain the relationship to me.

All of the family pictured on these photos are the descendents of Antoni (except, of course, for me). Antoni was murdered because he was Polish the late stages of World War II when Ukranian Nationalists (the UPA) were going around doing some ethnic cleansing. But that is a story for another day.

Antoni’s Daugther, Anna, was married to a Ukrainian. He also had a son, Michał, who was married to a Ukrainian. His children Pawel, Jan, and Józef married Polish woman. After World War II when the Soviet Union resettled people, all those not married to Ukrainians had to leave. The 100% Polish branch of the family was resettled to the Gdańsk area–that’s how Alicja and the rest in that area came to be there. Those married to Ukrainians stayed in Ukraine. That’s just how it was.

So, here are the pictures: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Family%20Photos/index.html. Each photo has a caption. They correspond to the descriptions below

At Wojtek and Alicja’s

As the name implies these are two photos I took my first day there out on the porch/deck behind Wojtek and Alicja’s house. In the first you see Wojtek and Alicja Bartek, their oldest son. In the second, Bartek took a picture with me in it. Alicja is my third cousin, our great-grandfathers, Antoni and Alex, were brothers. They lived in Faschivka, Ukraine.

Cymski Family, Grabiny-Zameczek

So how did Cymbał, the family name originally, become Cymski. When the 100% Polish descendants of Antoni were relocated to Poland, they changed their surname from Cymbal to Cymski. The word Cymbał in Polish has the connotation of being simple-minded, and is related to the instrument called the Cymbały, which I blogged about previously. And so they used this opportunity to change their last name. Thus they became Cymski.

One of the sons of Antoni who was relocated to the Gdańsk area was Józef Cymski. He had two children, Maria and Jan. The people in this picture are the descendents of Jan Cymski. Jan’s children would be my third cousins. The people here are, left to right in numerical order:

  1. Halina Cymska. She is the wife of Gienek (#5), Gienek is my third cousin.
  2. Danuta Cymsak. Danuta it the wife of Władek (#8). Władek (short for Władysław) is my third cousin.
  3. Veronica is the granddaughter of Władek. She would be the fifth cousin of Emmitt and Mac and Brooklynn Konieczny.
  4. Luke (Łukasz) Cymnski, the son of Gienek (#5).
  5. Gienek Cymski. Gienek is my 3rd cousin and the brother of Władek.
  6. Hania Cymska. She is Władek’s sister and thus also my third cousin.
  7. Klara Cymska. She is the mother of Władek. Her husband, Jan Cymski, is my mother’s 2nd cousin.
  8. Władek Cymski, my 3rd cousin
  9. This is the sister of Klara Cymska (#7) and no direct relation to me.

Our family in Faschivka, Ukraine

The pictures in this series have a number, here’s who is in them:

  1. Left to Right, Alicja, Michał Griciw (second cousin to Alicja and third cousin to me), Ciocia (Aunt) Hania, mother of Michał , and Wojtek (Filip with his back to the camera). This photos is outside of Michał ‘s home in Faschivka, in the back yard.
  2. Alicja and Ciocia Hania. We are outside near the church in Faschivka, on our way to the cemetery, hence the fresh flowers in Aunt Hania’s hand.
  3. Ciocia Hania, Filip, and Alicja, placing flowers at one of the family graves.
  4. Halina, Wojtek and Aunt Hania. Halina is the daughter of Michał. Alongside Michał ‘s home.
  5. Halina and Luba. Luba is the wife of Michał and a very good cook. She (along with their two daughters) fed us well when we visited. Notice the satellite dish attached to the garage in the background!
  6. Taken in the front yard the day morning we were leaving, here are, left to right, Wojtek, Alicja, Filip, Luba, Halina, Michał, Ciocia Hania, and her husband, Jan Griciw.
  7. The same as the previous photo, just another nice photo from Faschivka.
  8. Almost the same, but I have traded places with Wojtek who insisted he take the picture of me with my family from Ukraine. What a great memory.
  9. Luba, Halina, Alicja, and Filip, in the front yard.
  10. Final farewells. Michał led us with his vehicle so we could find our way out. We are in some hills above Faschivka. It was hard to say goodbye to these wonderful people, my family from Ukraine.

Lesia in Podwołczyska, Ukraine

Lesia is the cousin of Michał and lives in Podwołczyska, a city not too far from Faschivka. She is also my third cousin.

  1. This picture is taken in Lesia’s home. It is Michał and Luba sitting at the dinner table.
  2. This is Lesia (short for Aleksandra) and her husband, Bohdan Wołowski, at the dinner table.
  3. Taken by Wojtek, its (L to R) Alicja, Michał, Luba, me, Lesia, and Bohdan. Notice the feast we have in front of us. The food Lesia prepared was excellent, and the vodka Bohdan “forced” us to drink went down very easily, each time!
  4. Taken outside their home just before we left, here is Alicja, Wojtek, Michał , Irenka (daughter of Robert and Lesia and hence a 4th cousin to my nieces and nephews), Luba, Filip, Bohdan, and Lesia.
  5. This time Alicja is taking the photo, with me in it. Of my family in Podwołczyska, Ukraine.
  6. I could not resist, Irenka with Alicja.

Henio in Wołoczyska, Ukraine

It was late and we’d eaten a second dinner, and had another round of vodka, so I only took one picture here at the home of Michał’s brother in Wołoczyska, Ukraine, Henio Griciw. Pictured here are Michał, Henio, Oksana (wife of Henio) and Alicja.

Henio and Oksana have three children, Jarek , Julanka, Irenka. We met Jarek when we were there.

Irena in Tczew, Poland

Irena Wisniewski is my third cousin, she and her husband, Gerard, Barbara is Irena’s daughter. These are some pictures from the day I spent with them in Tczew. These pictures have the captions Irena 1, Irena 2, etc.

  1. Teresa (Irena’s sister-in-law), me, Barbara, Irena’s daughter, and Irena. Irena and I are third cousins. We are sitting at the table in the restaurant that Barbara owns and runs.
  2. Me and Irena at the Tczew Cultural museum.
  3. Teresa and Barbara. You can see the famous Tczew bridge in the background.
  4. Teresa and Irena. As you can see, we ate very well.
  5. Barbara, Teresa, and Irena at the table in the restaurant.

Irena’s Old Family Photos

Irena and I spent some time in her home looking at old family photos. I took pictures of some of these. I wish I’d taken some good notes, but here they are. They have the captions Irena Pictures 1, Irena Pictures 2, etc.

  1. This is an old picture of Irena’s. I believe it may be her family, Irena to the left, then here parents, her mother Maria (daughter of Józef Cymski) and her father Stanisław Wilk, and then Irena’s brother, Henryk. Henryk was the husband of Teresa in picture #1 above. He passed away about a year ago.
  2. A picture from some years ago, with Irena and her husband (Gerard) and her brother Henryk.
  3. I am not sure who is pictured here. If you know, let me know. Probably Irena or her parents or her brother.
  4. Irena had a picture of my great-grandparents, Katherine and Alex Symbal. Alex is the brother of Irena’s great-grandfather, Antoni.
  5. I think this may be a photo with the wife of Antoni in the center of it. But I am not 100% sure of who all is in here. If you know, please let me know.
  6. Again, some old family photos of Irena’s. I should have taken some notes!
  7. Again, I am not sure.

Grabarek Family in Pruszcz-Gdanski

These are all photos I took on my last evening in Poland, at the home of Alicja’s brother, Marek, and her mother, Ludwika Grabarek. Ludwika is a second cousin to my mother and her cousins Sonja and Pat (who went with me to Poland in 2010).

  1. This is Ludwika Grabarek, Alicja’s mother. She bears a very strong resemblance to my great-grandfather, Alex Symbal. Her grandfather, Antoni, was a brother to Alex Symbal.
  2. Here we have, from left to right, Bartek, Paulina (daughter of Marek and cousin to Bartek), Marek (brother of Alicja and also my third cousin), Łukasz (son of Marek and brother to Paulina), next is Adrian, the son of Riszard and Iwona (this would be a nephew to Alicja), and finally Iwona the wife of Riszard (Riszard is the brother of Alicja).
  3. Here we have Łukasz, Iwona’s son, Iwona, and Kasia, the wife of Marek (Marek is Alicja’s brother and my third cousin). We are in Marek and Kasia’s home.
  4. A family picture, left to right: Łukasz, Me, Iwona, Paulina, Marek, Kasia, Adrian, and Ludwika.

Final Pictures from the Airport — My Family in Poland

These last two photos were taken at the airport on the day I left. Having spent a wonderful three weeks with Alicja and Wojtek (and Bartek and Filip), in their home and traveling, I felt like one of the family. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people, such wonderful family as a part of my life. I am already longing to go back for a visit, to see them again. And I hope at some point in the future some or all of them may visit us here in the USA.

By now you know all the people in the photo. This is my family, the Grabowski’s, from Pruszcz-Gdanski, Poland.

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Yaremche and the Prut River

Posted on 18 October 2011 by lkonieczny

Yaremche (Jaremcze or Jaremcza in Polish) is a small town tucked among the Carpathian mountains in the southwest of Ukraine, amongst some very beautiful scenery. In days gone by–before World War II–it was quite a growing tourist attraction. The war put an end to that, but it is still a pretty area. It sits about 2000 feet above sea level, surrounded by the lush and green Carpathian Mountains. You can see my pictures here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Yaremcze%20and%20the%20Prut%20River/index.html.

Yaremche sits along the Prut river (which also runs past Chernivtsi, another town we visited), which was at one time the border between Romania and Russia. When we visited, we saw a very nice rapids with some shops and even a few boys playing on the rocks. It was a refreshing and fun place to visit and quite scenic. You can see the rapids and the boys playing in the water in the pictures. It looked a bit dangerous, actually, but also like a lot of fun.

Later on we took a drive, basically along the Prut river. We saw some great railroad tunnels and bridges, and went over a very treacherous (it seemed) bridge at a point where they are building a new bridge. It was a very pretty area, as you can see in the pictures. And finally we came across a ski jump. Even in the summer it was a bit of an attractcion.

Finally, towards the end of the day, we took Filip swimming! He enjoyed playing on the rocks in the shallow water of the Prut river. It does not take a lot to entertain a child and he sure had a good time, as did we, in the beautiful setting. It was a very memorable day, and looking at the pictures brings it all back to my mind.

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Chernivtsi

Posted on 10 October 2011 by lkonieczny

OK, so when we were in Chernivtsi for about 4 hours, I took nearly 400 pictures. That’s around 2 pictures per minute. It was hard to condense them down because we saw so many wonderful things. But, alas, I have done so and you can see the remaining quarter of them here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Chernivtsi/index.html.

Chernivtsi (Czerniowce inPolish) is a beautiful city in southwestern Ukraine, near the Carpathian mountains (the Bukovina area). In times gone by, it was sometimes considered the major city of the Carpathians (Bukovina), and for many years it was a city with a majority Romanian population. It is also a city noted for it culture, second only to Lwów in western Ukraine.

It was also an important city militarily, having had at one time a fortress used to fend off the Mongol Invaders. As with so many cities in this area of the world, before World War II it had a thriving and large Jewish population–maybe 33% or more–but nowadays has few if any left. The rest of the population was mainly Romanians and Ukrainians.

So it was fitting that we happened to visit Chernivtsi on Ukrainian Independence Day, celebrating 20 years of Independence–true Independence. You can see the parade and large gathering of folks, some in traditional garb, all celebrating on the day we were there.

There are some other notable buildings in Chernivtsi, primarily the (blue) city hall, the (light green) theater, and the huge red brick University, originally a “gift” of the Hapsburg monarchs. We saw it all and enjoyed it a lot.

Posted in 2011 Poland Trip, culture, current events, history, Ukraine | 2 Comments

Ivano-Frankivsk

Posted on 9 October 2011 by lkonieczny

Ivano-Frankivsk has a relatively new name, but it’s a pretty old city. The city was founded in 1650 and named Stanisławów (in Polish), a name that it held until 1962 when it was changed to honor the Ukrainian poet, Ivan Franko, now venerated as a national hero, though he died in poverty in 1916 (he is, by the way, buried at the Lychakivskiy Cemetery in Lwów, which I have written about in my blog recently. The city of Stanisławów , then was built as a fortress by the Potocki family. After the partition of Poland, it became one of the most important cities in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains.

You can see my pictures of Ivano-Frankivsk (a/k/a Stanisławów ) here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Ivano-Frankivsk/index.html.

We stopped in to visit Ivano-Frankivsk on our way to the Carpathians mountains, having left Lwow early in the morning. We parked near the city center and spent the next hour or so exploring the area. We saw the center of the city with some nice gardens, and a prominent statue of the famous Polish poet, Adam Mickiewicz. We visited several gorgeous churches including the Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection. Beautiful church inside. We stopped by the Ivano-Frankivsk Art Museum which is housed in a building that was at one time the Collegiate Church of the Virgin Mary, a Roman Catholic Church. With the removal of all the Poles from Ukraine after World War II, the building fell into decline and had various purposes until in 1980 it underwent substantial restoration and became the Art Museum. Unfortunately for us, it was a Monday and the Museum was closed. But it is a gorgeous building from the outside, as you can see.

We came across a flea market near the Potocki Palace. You can see the gate and walls of the palace in my photos, it’s a big white stone structure with iron gates. The palace was ruined in World War II when a bomber crashed into it. However, it looks like there are some plans to restore it, as there is a brand new and not-yet-opened ticket center on one wall (you can see it in the photos). I’m sure some day (soon) it will be a tourist attraction.

Otherwise, Ivano-Frankivsk (often called simple “Franyk” by the locals) is a very nice city, a somewhat large city (almost 1/4 million population), as you can see from the photos. But remember that it played an important part in Polish history because it was built to defend Poland from the Turks and the Russians–and it did. You can read a bit more about it’s history here.

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Skala Podilska

Posted on 9 October 2011 by lkonieczny

Skala Podilska (in Polish, Skala Podolska or Skala Nad Zbrucze–Skala [cliff] on the River Zbrucz) is a town that for many years in history was on the line between tradionally Polish territory and Ukrainian territory. The river Zbruch (Zbrucz in Polish) was the border for many years. Because of it’s position, it has a history of ethnic diversity as well as particularly susceptible to turmoil and invasion.

On the top of the hills/cliff over the river Zrbruch is the Skala Podilska Palace, the ruins of the palace of the family Gołuchowski. These pictures are of that ruins: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Skala%20Podilska/index.html.

You can read a bit more about Skala Podilska here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skala-Podilska, and you can see some more pictures here.

By the way, if you take the link above and read a bit more about the Goluchowski family, you’ll see just what an influential family this was and it’s importance in the 18th and 19th centuries in Polish history.

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Lwów Churches

Posted on 8 October 2011 by lkonieczny

When we toured Ukraine, we stayed in Lwów two nights, so we had ample opportunity to see some of the highlights of that city. I’ve written about some of them previously, but one of the (many) highlights was when Alicja and I visited two famous old churches near the center of the old city of Lwów. You can see my pictures of these churches here: http://poland.leonkonieczny.com/Poland%202011/Lwów%20Churches/index.html.

The first was St. George’s Cathedral. The present church (a cathedral, seat of the bishop) was built between 1746 and 1762, but it is actually the third church to be built on this site. The first was built around 1280 and the second was built after 1340 for the Eastern Orthodox Church. Eventually, the present church was built and in the 1800s, it became the mother church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC)–the UGCC is actually a branch of the Roman Catholic church, though that history is a bit complicated for me to cover here. Under the Soviets after World War II, the UGCC was heavily persecuted and this church became part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Following Ukrainian independence in 1990, it once again became a part of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the major seat of that church. That seat was moved to Kiev in 2005, but this church is still a major part of the UGCC.

St. George’s Cathedral has been undergoing quite a restoration since 2005. It sits on a hill overlooking a large area of the old city. The architecture is a mixture of western and traditional orthodoxy. In the tomb underneath are buried some of the major figures of the UGCC including some Cardinals and Metropolitans. We saw their tombs. You enter the complex through a large and ornate gate. The church sits on one side and across from it is the residence of the bishop, a place where Pope John Paul II stayed when he visited Lwów in 2001. While we were there, we witnessed a baptism going on. It was an amazing sight as well.

A second historic church we visited is the Church of St. Olha and Elizabeth. It was originally built as a Roman Catholic Church (maybe now you can sense the complicate religious history of this part of Ukraine–which was part of Poland at one time–with its mix of Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic and Russian/Eastern Orthodox). It was built in 1903-1911 in neo-Gothic style and was named St. Elizabeth’s. It was envisioned as the first Lwów landmark visitors would see when they arrived by train at the nearby main terminal.

The church was damaged in World War II and, after the removal of all Polish (and hence Roman Catholic) people from Ukraine by the Soviets, it was used as a warehouse. But, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the rise of a newly independent Ukraine it was returned to the church, the Greek Catholic Church, and reconsecrated as the Greek Catholic church of Sts. Olha and Elizabeth. While there, we saw yet another baptism. Take a look at the pictures, it is an amazing place as well.

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