Tacomawa: Ron & Nancy in Europe

Nancy & Ron in Eastern Europe

Ginger's parents took at vacation to Poland, Slovakia, and England last summer. They've written about it- Ron details the trip here, and Nancy shares more about visiting the Roma here. This post shares a few highlights of the trip. (Click interactive map!)

First they went to Poland, to research family history. The Kapalkas immigrated from a little town in Poland in 1882. Visiting a local cementery, they found a gravestone of a Kapalka. Perhaps he was a brother to Ron's great-grandfather Matthus. 

Ron and Nancy had fun visiting a famous salt mine.

Next, visiting the Roma People in Slovakia. Their lifelong friends Bill and Nona Baker are Christian aid workers to the community in Slovakia. We've heard about the prejudice and poverty in the area for many years, but got to hear true personal stories this time.

 "We heard many faith stories and stories of the hard life they have. He got very serious and said, “Don’t let people tell you we are lazy. That is a lie. I want to work, but no one hires us. I go to England to work. I have to come back when the Visa runs out, and then go back again. I work in the Netherlands. But I cannot get a job here. I travel thousands of miles to work!” His home was very nice. It spoke of a man who works."

Leaving Bill & Nona, they continued on their own to Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, Vienna, Berchtesgadan and Frankfurt. (Germany is the ancestral home of Grandma Pearl's family, the Witts.)

Ron and Nancy ended their journey in England. They last visited that country in 1980. They stayed with Nancy's friends Jakkie and Peter, and got to tour the countryside.

They had a wonderful trip, visiting seven different countries, walking everywhere, riding many trains and seeing sights!