buzz

We left the Posadowa area this morning after breakfast, but I managed to take this photo of the beehives at our hotel earlier in the morning. We've been staying at a Beekeeping museum in the town of Stróże - quite unique surroundings.

After arriving in Jaszczew (home of our Twaróg branch of the family), we paid a visit to Stanisław Twaróg, a man I'd 'met' on the internet but as it turned out is not related to us. Stanisław and his wife Barbara were very welcoming, serving us a delicious lunch and then bringing us to our Twaróg cousins nearby and making introductions.

We received a very warm welcome from this family we'd never met before and who previously knew nothing of us. Edward Twaróg is now in his 80's and is a 3rd cousin of my mother. We met 4 generations of his family, all cousins of ours. And of course, more food! Cakes, tea, coffee and then later meats, peppers, bread and plenty of brandy (no vodka here, imagine that!). Edward showed us the land that his grandfather owned, pointed out family at the parish cemetery, and shared many stories. I think we exhausted our translator Zenon in the process :).

Tomorrow we will return to meet yet more cousins and also hope to meet a local historian who has written a book about the village - she may be interested in our family's story of immigration and descendants in the U.S.