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| I went for another early run, in a light rain. Although the two other runners barely nodded, several people on the street smiled and said something. "Labas rytas" I know is good morning. But I think they were also curious about my shorts and T-shirt. It is a tad cool. |  |
Another great breakfast, too. The plate of bread, butter, ham, and cheese seems standard. Today, we had blynai, buttery crepes wrapped around a soft cheese.
Back in the room, the phone is dead again. Oh well, Elyte Kancleryte(daughter of Mama's brother Tomas) and he husband Vytas arrived with bags of fresh fruit: little pears, the sweetest plums I've ever tasted, and apples from their own trees - which Elyte's father planted when they moved to Kaunas. I can pop those plums just like candy! And the Antininis apples are as crisp as Macs but sweet. Gee, I love food.
We spend the morning chatting and planning how to arrange visiting the relatives and seeing specific sights. There are the Kazlauskai and Sipaviciai families (children of Mama's sisters Ona and Juze) here in Kaunas. Regina, daughter of Mama's brother Ipolitas, is in Druskininkai, to the south. Liuda, another of Juze's daughters, is in Vilnius, to the east. And there is the family meeting and requiem mass in Muskininkai, north of Vilnius. I also want to see Neringa, the barrier peninsula on the Baltic, the area around Marijampole and Suvalkai where Tete was born, and some of the museums and such in Kaunas. There's a lot to get into 16 days. Vytas speaks English, but the planning is in Lithuanian with asides to me. You know, it's actually tiring not understanding and trying to.
After we finish our plans, we take a stroll on Laisves al. Those just might be Lime trees behind us (I know Vytas pointed some out on the mall), as in Coleridge's The Slime Tree Bower. OK, that was what I though the professor was saying; wondered about slimy trees. It's really This Lime Tree Bower It's wonderful how Mom and Elyte make such a pair. Mom is the oldest of her generation; Elyte (2 months older than I) is the youngest. And they act as if they grew up together and have been close cousins all their lives. I only wish that could have been true. |
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The souvenir shop has a ton of amber at low prices. Mostly short necklaces of yellow irregular beads. But I could make a fortune if I just loaded my suitcase and sold the goods back home. Unless I got arrested. There is quite a lot of linen, too. Of course, no one speaks English, so I'm lost.
An attractive kavine lured us with pastry and alus. Vytas and I have alus; Mom and Elyte have huge cake-creamcheese-cream pastries. They aren't sweet, but they sure are rich! While Mom and Elyte chat in Lithuanian, Vytas and I talk. He was curious about our wearing our wedding rings on our left hands. They put the ring on the left hand when they get engaged, and move it to the right hand during the wedding. I had been wondering why no Lithuanians I saw seemed to be married - and they were obviously wondering about our lack of marriage!
He also explained why I had the time difference wrong. Lithuania is not on European time, but they are also not on Daylight Savings time. How neat! I hate this having to "spring forward and fall back".
While Mom and Elyte checked out a bookstore (knygynas), Vytas takes me to a cyber cafe, where I can email Chuck and the kids. It's really convenient to our hotel, so I' can do this regularly. I could be on for an hour for 6 lt., which is $1.50. As we regroup and head back to Monela, a young panhandler hears English and accosts us. Vytas sends him packing. I have noticed a number of beggars, some elderly. After our driver's comments, I wonder how things really are.
When Elyte and Vytas left us, I left Mom to rest and went for my own stroll on Laisves al., to get some more cash and more water. I couldn't find the same bottle as last time (which had some English on it) so had to guess. Turns out I guessed wrong and got mineral water. Outside the market, a group of people was complaining to 2 policemen about a panhandler outside the door. They clearly do not feel begging is justified. I'm noticing that lots of places are being renovated, and there are very up-scale shops all along this mall. And I return to a nice little electric heater that the landlady brought for Ponai (madam).
Two blocks back down Laisves al., we find a cozy kavine, with no name. We each got a chicken fillet, mine had mushrooms inside, breaded and sautéed. Mine came with fries, tomato, cole slaw, and cuke; Mom got orange slices instead of cuke. Of course, we had alus.
Back at Monela, we watched something about the Olympics, which start tomorrow, until we headed for bed. These beds may be small and low, but we sure are sleeping well.
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