Poland Wants US Travel Visa-Free

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President Barack Obama will be in Poland Friday, but people there may not be that happy to see him. Poles are frustrated that the United States still requires them to get a visa to visit the country, something that residents of almost no other European country have to do. Dave McGuire reports from Warsaw. Download MP3

Cycling the World

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We’re trying to track down Somen Debnath in the Geo Quiz. He is traveling around the world on bicycle to raise awareness of AIDS and Indian culture. Somen grew up just outside of Kolkata, India. Back in 2004 he headed off on his bicycle. By his own count, he’s visited 60 countries – where is he now? Download MP3

Video: Somen on tour in Europe

Fat Thursday

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A jelly donut is your first clue for today’s Geo Quiz. Most everyone in the Central European country we’re looking for enjoys a good jelly donut. Except they call them paczkis and today happens to be Paczki Day in our mystery nation… Download MP3

Poland duo Paula and Karol

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A new Polish band is creating buzz on the Warsaw scene – Paula and Karol. They’re attracting attention not just because of their folk-indie international sound and their appealing lyrics – but because the songs they sing are so… nice. Amy Drozdowska reports. Download MP3
Video: See Paula and Karol play live in Karol’s apartment.

Poland’s national cemetery

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For today’s Geo Quiz we head to eastern Europe: Halloween’s come and gone in America but folks around the world are still observing some version of the holiday. In Poland, many families remember the dead by visiting cemeteries. In honor of the day we’re looking for the name of Poland’s national cemetery in Warsaw. Download MP3

Geo answer

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Today’s Geo Quiz sent us in search of a town in north-eastern Poland. Today, this town welcomed dozens of American soldiers and a battery of Patriot missiles. The answer is Morag. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with the BBC’s Adam Easton, who’s following the story from the Polish capital, Warsaw.

Mourning Poland’s leadership from afar

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President Obama and other world leaders are to pay last respects to Polish president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria at their funeral on Sunday. Poland has witnessed an outpouring of grief since the first couple died in a plane crash last week. Karolina Lewestam (pictured) is a Polish doctoral candidate living in the US. She talks with Marco Werman about mourning the loss of her country’s leaders from abroad. Download MP3 (Picture: Andrea Crossan)

• BBC Obituary: Lech Kaczynski
• In pictures: Poland mourns
• On The World: Poland grieves after air crash

Poland grieves after air crash

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Poland continues to mourn the loss of its president, Lech Kaczynski, and the many others who died when the presidential plane crashed in western Russia. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with the BBC’s Adam Easton in Warsaw. Download MP3 (flickr image of Warsaw candle trail by Effervescing Elephant)

• BBC coverage
• In pictures: President Kaczynski’s body flown home

Ted Kennedy, Tracy Kidder, Polish Jews

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On this week’s How We Got Here history podcast we look at Ted Kennedy’s contribution to the anti-apartheid movement, Tracy Kidder’s new book Strength in What Remains, and the construction of a new museum in Warsaw dedicated to the Jewish history of Poland. >>> Click here to join the “How We Got Here” Facebook Group Page.