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Wow, I slept 'til 7 AM. Still had time for a chilly and misty run down to the Old Town and back. And another blynai breakfast - I could get addicted to these! We watch some Olympics coverage. Mom can't "hear fast enough" to translate; besides, sports teminology is not quite her vocabulary - even in Englsh. Then Vytas arrived (sadly, Elyte has to work today), and we're off with the driver. We watch parachuutists floating down ove the Nemunas as we drive along.
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We cross the Nemunas and stop to see a church. Or, rather, a parish with an old church of traditional wooden design with the (surprising, to a neo-Southerner) tin roof and a new church of very modern design. This parish now serves as my metaphor for Lithuania: honoring the past while embracing the future. |  |
We drive to Ona's house, in the Birute district (which my Aunt Babs's real name). She is the daughter of Mama's sister Ona Kazlauskiene (third daughter and fourth child of the Kancleriai family). She hops in the car and takes us to visit Tete's half brother, Vitalis. I'm amazed at how they maintain all the family connections. I mean, this is her aunt's husband's half-brother! When my cousin George was moving to Charlotte, his father asked if he was planning to visit his cousin (me). He answered, "What cousin?" And we are a very small family. She introduces us to the family, dismisses our driver, then walks back home.
| We walk through an amazing vegetable bed to the back of a large house, then climb a narrow staircase to the apartment where Vitalis Zukaitis lives with his granddaughter, Saule Malinauskiene, and her children. Saule serves us orange juice, tea, and chocolates while Mom and Vitalis look at old photos. And they and Vytas discuss what he knows of Tete's youth and birthplace (Vitalis was 7 when Tete left Lithuania for the U.S., so they hardly grew up together.) I have a great time talking to the daughter, Ausra, who is 18 and planning to study in Germany. Her older brother, Arturas, is home from his German university. Their younger brother, Sarunas, is 9, models for clothing ads, dances in professional productions, and brings his white rat (ziurke) out for me to pat. |  Saule, Mom, Arturas, Ausra, Sarunas, & Vitalis |
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Vitalis spent 10 years in exile in Siberia, because he was "an intellectual". He weighed 90 lbs when Stalin died and the exiles finally got to come home. I cannot get over how much Vitalis (left) looks like Tete (right). I feel like I'm back in Lawrence, where I always felt safe and loved. But then, I really do feel safe and loved here in Lithuania. I am really surprised at how much I feel at home with these people I have never met before. It is as if I have known them all my life. |  |
| Ona comes back, with Kestutis, to take us back to her house. It's full of relatives and the most fantastic smells. The dining room is filled with a long table, with seats all around, and platters and bowls of traditional Lithuanian food, most of which I have never even seen before. There are beets, salads, cooked vegetables, fruits, even apple juice - all from Ona and Roze's garden. I love the stuffed mushrooms - which they pick in the forests. I did pass on the herring, but loved the pork roast with prunes. Got to try two new beers: Tauras and Birzieciu, both tamsus. |  Ona and Mom, and some of the fabulous food. This is just the dessert! |
The Kazlauskai clan is the family of Mama's mother Ona. Her daughter Ona Kazlauskaite owns this family home, where Roze also lives. They have another incredible in-city garden of flowers, vegetables, fruits, fruit trees - an absolute oasis. Their brothers, Antanas and Jonas, live near-by. They are here, as is Jonas's wife Janina (I understand that Antanas's wife is not well). Antanas's son Kestutis is here with his family. So are Roze's children, Aurija Kalasauskiene (with her family) and Adrijus Razumas. Even Roze's ex-husband Vaclovas Razumas is here. I spend most of my time talking with Darius (Aurija's 14-year-old son), because he speaks English very well. Dalius (Kestutis's 20-year-old son) also speaks English very well. Heck they are better at it than some people at home who don't speak any other language. Adrijus, Aurija, and her husband Laimis Kalasauskas speak English but are not as comfortable with it as the boys. Or maybe they just prefer talking with Mom!
We talk about the Olympics, so about sports, and about cycling. I mention following the Lithuanians in the Tour d'France, and Darius says they won, again. Huh? Oh, they follow the Tour Feminine! The Lithuanian women are the premier women cyclists in the world! Shows how much press women's cycling gets in the U.S. Well, what can I expect? It's only when Greg or Lance have won a Tour that we get coverage of men's cycling (and we all know that only men's sports really count. Also, Darius recognizes Bunky (Danute Bunkaitis) who we knew when she raced for De Oro, because she went on to national and international cycling. In fact, they all seem to recognize the name. And we think we are the cosmopolitans, and that these "little countries" are insular and uninformed. Ha!
Ona, Roze, and Mom in the garden behind the house. |
My most recent picture of Mama. I can see the resemblance. |
Jonas and Antanas in the garden next to the house. |
 Kestutis, his son Dalius, his wife Aldona, and his daughter Rasa. |
 Adrijus. |
 Laimis, Aurija, and their sons Darius and Tauras. |
After lots of visiting, Mom enjoying chatting with all these cousins she never knew, we get into family cars (with a bag of antininis apples from Ona's trees) and drive to the near-by cemetery to visit the grave of Ona's parents. He father was killed in 1941, by invading Germans, I think. Her mother lived until 1995. I wish Mama had lived long enough for me to take her "home". I light candles at the grave, from Mom and me.
In driving, we pass a man in a racing wheelchair. We have not seen any wheelchair ramps or such at all. This area does not appear to be "handicapped accessible". But Mom is able to navigate OK with her walker.
| Then we drive past Aurija and Laimis's huge brick house (and glimpse that of Roze's husband) on our way to Jonas and Janina's house. Although it looks quite modern, he moved it here from Musninkai and must have done extensive work on it. They even invite us to leave the vesbiutis and come stay here. It's tempting, but we rather like being in the middle of the city. We do enjoy our visit, and the tea and pastries. You can see that people do not simply offer a snack; they make a beautiful presentation of everything! |  |
Back on Laisves, I leave Mom to rest and go walking. I wander a bit, then head to the cyber cafe to email Chuck. It sure is handy having this kind of connection. A post card might arrive home when I do. And telephoning would be difficult and expensive - and a hassle with the time difference. Besides, I get to befriend the neat young guy who runs the place. On the way back, I buy more water. Laimis is a neurosurgeon and Aurija is an eye surgeon. As medical professionals, they advise us to use bottled water. Not because there is pollution or anything, just because the natural minerals and such are not necessarily the ones our tummies know and love. At about 15 cents a bottle, it's a smart choice.
We are too full - and had too good a selection of foods, to want to eat dinner. What could we find that would even come close, even if we were hungry? Besides, we still have some of the apples, pears, and plums that Elyte and Vytas brought and some of the bread she gave us, and now apples from Ona's yard. So we nibble a bit, watch Olympics a bit, and fall into bed.
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