So much to report, so little time!

(partial) GLOGOWSKI REUNION

That's right - I was introduced to my grandfather's brother and his kids/grandkids/great-granddaughter, which means I've located other Glogowskis!
Today, we got the big group of those of us that were in/near Bydgoszcz together for dinner at my Wujek Jurek's apartment. Everyone is SO nice. Dinner was great, and I was in the company of a few willing English speakers (my cousins Agnieszka and Joanna), which was great. Before we left, I insisted on getting a timed group photo (note me running in at the last second) - in part for my own memory (and blog's) sake, in part for my Ciocia Ela. Aren't we such a good-looking group (I'm a little biased, of course:)?

Left to right: 

Top row: Tomek (married to Agnieszka), Babciu, Mateusz (Jurek's son), Ela (Jurek's wife), Henryk (Marian's late wife Irka's brother), Marian, Urszula (Henryk's wife), and Dziadziu

Bottom row: Joanna (Jurek's daughter), Jurek, Iwona, Agnieszka (Iwona's daughter), Zuzia (Agnieszka's daughter), Monika (Jurek's daughter), Olek (Iwona's husband), and me

Also noteworth: I FOUND A BABY TO HOLD. My cousin Agnieszka gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Zuzia, last month. She is such a good, smart, strong baby! At only a month old, she is already able to turn herself over if placed on her belly and was in good spirits while at dinner with a ton of (admittedly somewhat loud) people! And she fell asleep while I was holding her. Love her!

Here's a pic of her with her grandfather Olek, who is perhaps one of the best cooks I've ever had the pleasure of visiting! If memory serves me well, he cooked us 3 meals in the past 2 days. He's very welcome to visit us in Connecticut anytime he wants:)

 He and his wife, Ciocia Iwona, were also very good tour guides. Here's a pic of them and my grandparents in Bydgoszcz's main square (I believe they were captured laughing at me for having finally learned to count to three in Polish):

Also, we stopped by my Ciocia Terena's well-decorated apartment. She's not a Glogowski but one of Babciu's cousins, she just happens to live here in Bydgoszcz. She's very sweet and reminds me exactly of her daughter Ciocia Iwona from Gdynia:

In other news: Obviously, this blog is a testament to the fact that this has been a week of "firsts." First time officially leaving the country, first time in Poland, etc etc. 

But here's a story of a "first" that I couldn't ever have imagined experiencing: running around a cemetery with a handful of extended family members in search of a grave during a thunderstorm earlier today!

That's right - #3 on my grandparent's list of family members to pay tribute to - my Babciu's late cousin Andrzej (husband of Ciocia Terena, mentioned above) and his parents. Understandably, it's very important for my grandparents to visit the graves of their late family members to say a prayer, light a candle, and leave some flowers. But because it's been seven years since their last visit to their native country, we had some trouble locating the one we were looking for today. Considering how important it is for them to visit family, the three of us and my Ciocia Iwona and Wujek Olek literally ran around looking for it as it began to thunderstorm for about half an hour... it seemed metaphorical, but of what I'm not sure. 

Finally, after a few quick words to St. Anthony (so-called patron saint of lost items) and getting soaked, I found it. Thank goodness.

Anywho, as I said, we've spent the last few days staying with my Wujek Marian - my grandfather's brother. He's so sweet and is very worried about us being comfortable staying with him - surely we are!

He was the new first person I've met in a while that shares my last name. It was good to walk into his apartment and immediately see pictures of the familiar faces of my Ciocia Ela and cousin Tim from back home (side note: they all still call you "Timmy" here, Tim:). Oh, and my own (how strange to think people from halfway across the world have a picture of me when I was little!) The family here has been asking if my grandparents and I keep in touch with Tim. My answer? We're best buds (although apparently there's no exact translation of that in Polish, darn):

Also best buds - my Dziadziu and his bro, reunited after seven years: 

Love that pic, and here's another I absolutely adore (except the cars bother me). We do a lot of walking around here...

... Here being Bydgoszcz of course. It's a smallerish city kind of near Torun, and it's very cute! It also happens to be the place my grandmother insisted on giving birth to her first child, my Ciocia Yola. 

Well, we're heading out again tomorrow, so I'd better get some sleep. Babciu laughs at how just when I get used to the house, bed, town, food, and people, we're on the move again! I only hope the next city treats us as well as Bydgoszcz has!

Pokój,

Rach