The view from my bedroom balcony. It was the same all around - totally private. Wonderful!
The duplex we stayed in. Each side has a big family dining room with a kitchen corner downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs, each with a toilet & bath.
We all slept way late. I got up at 8, Kestas & Aldona were up and puttering. But Sharon, Vikki, Mari, & Elena were still sleeping. So Aldona took me out to see the place.
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The view from my bedroom balcony. It was the same all around - totally private. Wonderful! |
The duplex we stayed in. Each side has a big family dining room with a kitchen corner downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs, each with a toilet & bath. |
We walked through a small woods to the dock on the huge lake. I could find one other settlement on the lake. And it belongs to Lithuanian President Adamskas. |
When Aldona & I got back, the others were getting up. Elena sort of wondered where she was that morning. A world traveler at 6 years old. |
Elena and Kestas (on his mobile, as usual) explored. The sauna is to the left. Behind them is the other house- one big room down and two bedrooms up |
Then breakfast. |
Bread & butter, a smoked pork that tasted deliciously almost raw, ham, tilset cheese, boar sausage, boiled sausages, "branches", tomato, Pickles.... Delicious.
Aldona sent us off to Palanga with Kestas so she could clean up and get ready for our trip back to Kaunas. We parked down by the pier into the Baltic, then strolled around a bit. It was quite windy.
The impressive statue of Jurate and the Sea God, who are the source of amber. |
Kestas, Elena, & Vikki on the pier. |
Sharon & Mari at the start of the pier. |
We each tossed a 2-litu coin into the Baltic - magic to ensure that we will return to Lithuania. |
Back to the compound, we packed up ahd headed to Kaunas. Along the way, we had a picnic lunch in the van. With a fair amount of the bottle of Judos Alus. Doing so is legal in Lithuania.
Of course, we stopped at the Hill of Crosses - Kryžiu Kalnas (aha, with cut-and-past, I get that diacritical mark). Because it was Monday, we had the place almost to ourselves. The Soviets tried to bulldoze it several times. It was not only restored, but bigger, immediately. An eerie and powerful experience. It it obvious that there is some kind of real power here.
Approaching the area. It is really a series of small hills. Sharon & Aldona are way to the right, by the huge statue of Jesus. |
The sheer number of crosses: staked, hung, hung on others, laid down...is astounding. |
I showed Elena where I left a cross last time, with a prayer for a neat grandchild. And I got her.
Armed to the teeth with instructions for the palm crosses that we in my Altar Guild make for Palm Sunday, I made crosses from reedy grass for Elena & me. She chose a little shrine for hers, with a prayer for Aunt Erin, which seems to be working, as do most prayers here. |
Kestas, Sharon, Vikki, Mari, Elena, & Aldona. |
Eventually, back to Kaunas. They left us at Metropolis, but just for a short break. We each headed to Internet access. Then Elena and I went for an adventure.
We walked down S. Daukanto gatve and across the pedestrian bridge onto Nemuno salos park - an island in the Nemunas. |
And then back through the square by our hotel. |
Because I knew that we were going to Ona's house for dinner, Elena & I bought a bunch of flowers. But, when we got to Ona's, up in the Birute neighborhood again, I knew that this was "coals to Newcastle": the garden was full of autumn blossoms. And the dining room was full of wonderful food.
Mari, Aldona, & Ona in the dining room. |
Roz^e putting out some of the food. That platter looks like small potatoes with dill and venison cutlets. |
The venison cutlets tasted like veal. We also enjoyed the meatballs. And that carrot dish, and pickles, and blynis with dill. And cherry juice from their garden. Ona & Roz^e grew all the vegetables. And then we had pastries and candies for dessert. Darius & Taurus came over - they are all in the same area - to translate. And to enjoy the dinner. Those tall young guys need lots of food, even in Lithuania.
Vikki, Mari, Kestas, & Elena full and happy. |
Sharon, me, Roz^e, Ona, Vikki, Mari, & Elena. |
We had a delicious meal and a great visit. Neither Ona nor Roz^e spoke any English. And Vikki & Mari know only a few words in Lithuanian. But the four of them had a real connection. Vikki & Ona, especially. Why can't we just do a day's drive to see our family? It's not fair that there's that whole ocean in the way.
And then, sort of around the corner and down the street, to Jona's & Janina's house. While most of us sat chatting downstairs, Vikki went up to the attic with Darius and Jonas and saw all the foods they canned and preserved and "put by" - just as her great grandparents did.
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Tauras, Mari, Elena, Sharon, Jonas, Vikki, Aldona, Kestas, me, & Janina enjoyed currant tea, jam, and pastries. |
Finally, back to Metropolis. Sharon brought the last of the big bottle of Juodas Alus, Vikki had a cola. We took advantage of our suite and hung out chatting for ages.
The next day: 9/30
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