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A horde of jackdaws on the unfinished Russian hotel behind us woke me at 6 AM. So I got in an early run. This time I chose the side streets around our hotel. Gee, there are so many small stray dogs here. And none of them are in the least dangerous, just small and rather skittery. I took the pedestrian bridge (the one Jurgis Kairys -World Champion acrobatic pilot - recently flew under - upside-down!) to Nemuno salas park. Saw several other runners some folks walking dogs (a rotweiller, a St. Bernard, and a doberman - Why are the strays all small and the owned dogs all large?), and some fishermen. It's rather chilly but sunny. I really enjoy these runs - watching a city wake up and just feeling the place.
Another delicious breakfast. I could get addicted to this bread-ham-cheese-butter plate. And today we have blynai folded around orange slices, with sweet cream. I love all these dairy options, but I think I'm getting my year's allowance of fat in a few breakfasts. I notice that the young people are quite thin (a truly healthy-looking thin). The older people are more solid; they seem to sort of settle. The young girls have the longest legs I've ever seen! But I have not seen even one fat person - not like at home, where we have a fair share of "waddlers". I have to admit that I see more people walking than we ever have. The idea of walking several blocks from a bus or trolley to work is anathema at home. And spending your evening strolling Laisves al? What, you don't have a car or a TV? This place is livelier on the street level than even New York!
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Vytas arrives, then the driver, to take us to his and Elyte's house. Wow, it's the two-story, white brick home of Elyte's mother's family. Her father moved it to Kaunas, and they and some of her mother's relatives each have half the house and yard. And what a yard - a real garden. We brought flowers, but felt like we carried coals to Newcastle. Their side is a riot of flowers, with vegetables interspersed. How they find time to maintain such beauty, while each working two jobs, is beyond me. |
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We relax: I harass the cat (Filomonas) while Mom and Elyte go through family albums. Mom is discovering her history. Vytas and I also keep an eye on the opening festivities of the Olympics. This is such a cozy home, filled with antiques, souvenirs of family excursions, the kinds of interesting gadgets my brother Al accumulates, and hospitality. We feel completely at home. To top it off, Vytas makes tea to go with Elyte's current (really much like our blueberries) coffee cake. Yum! |
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Vytas and I go out to the garden. He has this ingenious tool for picking the apples without having to clamber up the tree. I wish I could grow this kind of apple at home. But you evidently have to grow the base tree from seeds (which have to freeze then thaw - a problem in North Carolina), then graft the actual Antininis stock onto the base. It's amazing how quiet and relaxing it is in the yard. This is in the middle of a big and busy city. I expect that those who live here wish the streets were paved better, without the masses of potholes and all. But I find them nature's "speed bumps" that keep the traffic local and slow. They actually make the in-town neighborhoods so livable! Maybe I'll dig us a few more holes. |
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I also get to pet Rudis (Brownie). He is such a gentle and reserved dog. Fergie licks faces, wiggles all over, and tries to climb into laps. Rudis just touched noses with me, although he did let me scratch his ears. He's a real gentleman. Filas is a great, soft, loveable lump of a cat. He sits where you put him, and soaks up attention. He sure know the good life when he lives it. |  |
| When the driver came back, Vytas & Elyte had him take us to the zoo. It's the older, smaller style - not like our new zoological parks. But the staff seems to take great care of the many animals. I got to see European bison, which look almost but not quite like ours, wild boars, European brown bears, lots of tigers.... I'm amazed at how well Mom is doing with the "hot rod" walker. And it's so nice strolling in the fresh air. | 
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But she is tiring, so we decide to head home. I ask Vytas if they can use public transit to get to the zoo. He says they usually walk because it's so close: only 30-40 minutes. I cannot imagine the average North Carolinian even considering walking that far. Even those who run 10Ks drive to the corner store! No wonder there are no fat people here.
We arrange for the driver to get them first tomorrow, for our visit to the Kazlauskai clan.
I leave Mom to rest and head out to find real water. It's bad enough just drinking the mineral stuff. But mixed with Metamucil - YUCK! I find a large grocery store (Media) under the department store. But all the bottles have something about "saltos" or something, and I fear that means "salt" or minerals. So it's back to my little shop and my pidgin Lithuanian. "No gazz, no mineralis" is my best try.
Again, what our ancestors accomplished in coming to American increasingly amazes me. I can't even find water. Without Mom, I'd be eating the menus! At least I got drinkable water this time. And learned that the "saltos" actually had the check-mark on the "s" and was "cold"; druska is salt.
We have wonderful meals at Metu Laikai (seem to be the only "grown-ups" in with a university crowd). I have lamb with prunes; Mom has chicken with cheese and pineapple. The presentation (in what is essentially a pub) is amazing. My fresh vegetables are arranged as a mum; Mom's are a tulip - petals, sepals, stem, leaves, and all. The downer is that I thought all the other alus names had some term like "pilsner" so got the "ledai". Mom was tired and is not up on beer term anyhow. Major lesson: "ledai" is "ice" - and I do not like ice beer! Hey, at least this is one word I will never forget.
Back at Monela, we watched the Olympics. I kind of enjoy watching TV without understanding the words.
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