Publisher's Synopsis
Traveling to Europe is a wonderful experience. Finding long lost relatives who are excited to meet American cousins gives a unique and amazing insight into village life in modern day Poland and the world the ancestors left behind. This book describes the journey to meet cousins who descended from ancestors born in the mid 1800's. There is a saying in Poland: "A guest in the house is God in the house." We found this was put into practice with the most gracious hospitality we have ever experienced. We were welcomed with abundant and delicious foods at the eight homes of cousins who were genuinely glad to finally meet us. They had been planning for our visit for months and also organized a large family gathering at a local school. This colorful book is filled with photos of three villages in Poland (Niwiska, Lutcza, and Trzesn), the town of Kolbuszowa and of a trip to Warsaw. Ancient wooden churches from Blizne and Lutcza and a trip to Blizna, the site of former top secret Nazi research facility and the Kolbuszowa Outdoor Folk Museum are also included. Old photos of ancestors give perspective to the history of this region called Galicia, formerly part of the Austian Hungarian Empire in the 1700-early 1900's. The book also details meeting various families who had been separated for almost a century. A description of how these cousins were found is also included for those interested in finding long lost relatives. This trip to Poland started with a transatlantic cruise to Barcelona, a very pleasant and inexpensive way to travel to Europe. Travel from Spain included using low cost European airlines that provide a high level of service. Norwegian Airlines was used to fly to Warsaw and then a short flight on LOT airlines brought the Gawells to Rzeszow, an hour away from Niwiska and Lutcza.
