Dear William (and Daniel, Catherine, Michael & Baby Girl Y) (and your parents), (and any future descendants and their parents),
Let me tell you about our trip to Warszawa in Poland.
William, here is a picture of you Mom and Dad in Warszawa (the present-day capital of Poland) (they are the ones on the bottom of the picture; the two on top of the picture are NOT your Mom and Dad).
Babcia Krysia and I flew in from Newark, New Jersey — first we flew on Continental Airlines, from Newark to Amsterdam, where we met your Mom and Dad (who flew in from Washington, DC); and the four of us then flew from Amsterdam to Warszawa on a KLM flight. We arrived in Warszawa at 11:15 am on May 5, 2006. While waiting for our luggage, we heard our name called on the airport loudspeaker system; and once we gathered our luggage and stepped out the door into the terminal, we were unexpectedly met by a man and a woman who had “KOSTRO” written on a cardboard placard. We were not expecting to meet anyone at the airport, and the two persons did not look familiar, but we figured that since Kostro is a relatively rare name, the man and woman holding the sign may be waiting for us.
When we introduced ourselves, the woman told us that she and a driver were hired by Przemyslaw Kostro; and we should go with them. Przemyslaw Kostro is the son of Zdzislaw Kostro, who is one of my Father’s cousins. I had met before Zdzislaw Kostro, when he came for a visit to New York; Przemyslaw, however, I did not know.
They packed the four of us into their automobile, and asked if we wanted a tour of Warszawa — however, we were VERY tired from our trip, and we asked to be driven to our hotel, as we originally intended. The Marriott Hotel in Warszawa was very plush (we did not pay a King’s ransom for the hotel because your Babcia Krysia very skillfully got very good accommodations for a very cheap price; nonetheless, our family in Warszawa was VERY impressed with our accommodations, which they assumed were very expensive).
When I went to take a shower, I encountered my first problem — they did not have shower curtains! You stood in the bathtub, and used a hand sprayer to wet yourself, and you had to be very careful not to spray the bathroom floor. That was very strange.
Piotr Bobrowski
We then telephoned my cousin Piotr Bobrowski, who has a taxi business in Warszawa. After he picked us up, Piotr took us in his red taxi to see a famous statue in Warszawa — Syrena.
Krysia, Piotr, Marek & Kelly
William — Syrena is a sea-nymph – Siren – supposedly living in the river Wisła (Vistula) who became the emblem or coat of arms of the town of Warszawa (Warszawa).
King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław II Jagiełło, located in Central Park, New York City
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warszawa, Poland. Designed by Stanislaw Kazimierz Ostrowski, who also sculpted the statue of King Jagiello, on display in Central Park, N.Y.
After visiting with the Syrena, we went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After that, Piotr took us to his Mom’s place for dinner. My Ciocia Teresa met us with a nice meal, and her cousin, Irena Mossakowska also joined us.
The building where my Father grew up
Close to my Ciocia Teresa’s place is the building where my Father grew up prior to World War II.
Ciocia Teresa, my Grandparents, and my Father
May 5, 2006: Dinner with Ciocia Teresa
After dinner with Ciocia Teresa, Piotr drove us over to his house, where we met his wife Teresa. On one of the walls in his apartment, there is a big portrait, which Piotr told me is of one of our ancestors, but he does not know which one.
Teresa Bobrowska
After that, your Parents went to sleep; while your Babcia Krysia and I met up with Przemyslaw and his Father, Zdzislaw Kostro. They took us to a swanky Japanese restaurant in Warszawa where we ate fancy Sushi, and talked until the restaurant staff finally told us that they wanted to go home; so we did also.
William, such was our first day in Poland.
Love,
Dziadziuś Paweł.
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