Thursday, June 15, 2017 First blog posting, fresh from my first live Polish television interview....
Thursday, June 15,
2017 First blog posting, fresh from my first live Polish television
interview....
The UK. My friend Lucy pulled out all the stops and it was Downton Abbey and then some (in Bath). Her garden is a show piece, and though she did not have an open garden tour this year (as she’s done in the past), we spent Sunday June 4th going from exquisite “cottage” gardens in the countryside to urban ones right on her street. I loved meeting people who work very hard to create beauty. Enjoyed a full week of jet-lag adjustment, with visits to Oxford to see journalist Jonathan Luxmoore --who charmed us with his access to places most people don't see because he had an alumni pass; to Newbury to meet best-selling author Mary Craig, graciously showing us photos and gifts from Jerzy, who she had interviewed in October 1983. She shared two of her books with us: "Blessings" and "Voices from Silence" – both full of wisdom, like she is. She had written me that her hearing was not good, and Lucy occasionally translated my gringo English for more proper UK phrases, but we chatted for an extended, enriching time. The next afternoon I took the train into London to meet with Grazyna Sikorska. After the London Bridge terror attack, this was an outing Lucy had qualms about me doing alone, but she gave me the most detailed, full “what if” contingency briefing I’ve ever had. She got me on the train to London, and I made all the tube connections with one transfer. Grazyna and I enjoyed a long, wonderful conversation over wine and Italian fare. She was more than generous in her praise – not just for the book but for me putting my faith into action. I got back just after midnight with Lucy waiting at the station, no doubt relieved. I am a failure as a tourist – “You’re my first guest who didn’t take any photos!” -- plus I didn’t go to the famous thermal baths in Bath. But I did everything I dreamed of, and more. Lucy is an excellent tour planner as well as a techno whiz: she refined my powerless point presentation problems for this weekend’s PIASA conference, gave me some very valuable feedback on my presentation text, and reformatted (and sharpened) my proposal for the “Poles in America” conference. So, so grateful for such a positive start to this adventure, and maybe I’ll get a bath next time.
The UK. My friend Lucy pulled out all the stops and it was Downton Abbey and then some (in Bath). Her garden is a show piece, and though she did not have an open garden tour this year (as she’s done in the past), we spent Sunday June 4th going from exquisite “cottage” gardens in the countryside to urban ones right on her street. I loved meeting people who work very hard to create beauty. Enjoyed a full week of jet-lag adjustment, with visits to Oxford to see journalist Jonathan Luxmoore --who charmed us with his access to places most people don't see because he had an alumni pass; to Newbury to meet best-selling author Mary Craig, graciously showing us photos and gifts from Jerzy, who she had interviewed in October 1983. She shared two of her books with us: "Blessings" and "Voices from Silence" – both full of wisdom, like she is. She had written me that her hearing was not good, and Lucy occasionally translated my gringo English for more proper UK phrases, but we chatted for an extended, enriching time. The next afternoon I took the train into London to meet with Grazyna Sikorska. After the London Bridge terror attack, this was an outing Lucy had qualms about me doing alone, but she gave me the most detailed, full “what if” contingency briefing I’ve ever had. She got me on the train to London, and I made all the tube connections with one transfer. Grazyna and I enjoyed a long, wonderful conversation over wine and Italian fare. She was more than generous in her praise – not just for the book but for me putting my faith into action. I got back just after midnight with Lucy waiting at the station, no doubt relieved. I am a failure as a tourist – “You’re my first guest who didn’t take any photos!” -- plus I didn’t go to the famous thermal baths in Bath. But I did everything I dreamed of, and more. Lucy is an excellent tour planner as well as a techno whiz: she refined my powerless point presentation problems for this weekend’s PIASA conference, gave me some very valuable feedback on my presentation text, and reformatted (and sharpened) my proposal for the “Poles in America” conference. So, so grateful for such a positive start to this adventure, and maybe I’ll get a bath next time.
Warsaw. On June 9, I took a shuttle bus from Bath to
Heathrow for the afternoon flight to Warsaw.
I did not know how I’d manage to get into the city and considered a
taxi, but knew there were buses and trams I might be able to take as well. No sooner had I gotten out of passport
control when I heard a friendly voice call out “Judith! Welcome to Chicago!” -- grinning ear-to-ear,
the wonderful Marek Popieluszko (who’d arrived on the 7th). The day before, June 8, he’d been at the presidential
palace with his parents, aunt, sister, and other supporters, and now here he
was, collecting me, offering to stop at Jerzy’s apartment en route to Dom
Amicus at Kostka Church. What a
Cinderella feeling, getting such royal Jerzy-like treatment. At the Chlodna apartment, I photographed
Jerzy’s Yugoslavian map, his Gandhi and Merton books (with some marked
passages), the booklet from the Eucharistic Congress in 1976, and yes, that mysterious Detroit Tigers 1984 baseball
covered with player autographs. I had stepped
back onto Holy Ground, and loved every single second (again!).
Marek worked his two phones, making some calls to promote
the book and me. We got back on the bus to Amicus – stopping at Jerzy’s grave
first, of course – to give thanks for this great opportunity. After we got my stuff stowed, I found the
Smarter-Than-Me phone that my friend Rafal Freyer had ordered and left at the Amicus
desk before he left on a quick trip to Brussels. My number is +48 883 750 648. Marek helped me
get it up and running. We went out for pizza after, and I saw him the next day
when he brought by his newly-arrived spouse Urszula and their nephew Max, for
three weeks of vacation in Lomza. They
all left for Bialystok on Sunday. Marek is working on the 70th
birthday conference that will be in Jerzy’s hometown in September. He goes back to Chicago this Sunday, the 18th. All his help has been an unexpected pleasure and
rather brilliant start of the Warsaw week.
On Sunday I walked to the Warsaw zoo and had a private tour
of the villa depicted in the “Zookeeper’s Wife” film. The filmmakers took some liberties and I will
share those details someday. But it has lifted up the story of the Zabinskis to
the world, and that’s a good thing.
I have seen a number of my favorite people, but I’m missing
several who are on holiday. Today
(Thursday, the 15th) is Corpus Christi and the whole country is off for
four days.
Yesterday I had time in the Jerzy archives, trying to check
his original trip diary for Yugoslavia.
I am also hoping to connect with a doctor who has a busy practice in
Warsaw who I hope will share some details about Jerzy’s time on the Black Sea
coast of Bulgaria. While in the
archives, I got a call from an editor of a television channel, asking if I’d
come in to be interviewed this morning.
Yup, I just did it. And when I have a link I can share, everyone can see
two hosts (one in Polish, the other translating) and me, doing my best in a
LIVE interview for maybe 10 minutes. They were cordial and I hope they got what
they wanted. I’m all about Jerzy
promotion, and that’s what I’ll be doing in Krakow, too, when I present this coming
Sunday afternoon. I’ve been invited to
another conference, in Warka, towards the end of the month. And I’ll be sharing
that venue with Mary Beth Sowa, from DC, who arrives on June 27. Soon after we will both go to Lublin as we
both work on Polish language studies in July.
I’ll be on the train tomorrow (Friday) and hope to see my
dear cousins and friends in Krakow. We shall see what other wonders appear….
