Hello to all. 

We left Boston around six in the evening (June 26) only to find that security could not x-ray Aldona which caused them a big problem. Even though we had all the “legal paperwork” and had gone through the correct channels and double checked with the airport we had to go through “much red tape”, eventually straightened out! Not once did anyone consult the paperwork!

Our flight was the red eye and we arrived the next morning in Amsterdam very tired. After checking into our hotel we slept, went out to eat and returned to sleep on and off for the next 24 hours. Finally feeling refreshed we took on the city, very picturesque. Canals are all over the place and thousands of bicycles are to be found everywhere. You see business men in suits with briefcases and ladies in dresses/skirts with high heeled shoes cycling to work. In the streets there is a side path for bicycles only. It is cheaper to build the houses (built like our townhouses) upward so they are very narrow, therefore the staircases are extremely steep. No way can owners get their furniture up the staircase so it is hoisted up and pulled through a window on the upper levels. There is a housing shortage, consequently there are lots of houseboats along the canals all decked out with flowers and outside furniture. Everywhere there were outside cafes crowed with both young and old and at 3 am these places would start closing. All of this took place around Rembrandt Square which was the location of our hotel. 

Mornings started out rather chilly but by noon it was hot. Apparently ice cubes were hard to come by. If you ordered a cold drink you would get three (maybe four) cubes – the kind with a hole in the center! No ice to munch on! Hotels were air-conditioned (they said) but not by our standards. If you opened a window the noise was too loud and if you kept them closed you sweated to death! Go figure.

We arrived in Vilnius the afternoon of June 29 and were very glad to give ourselves over to our driver, Raimundas. Off to the hotel, the Ramada. Very nice, but again the air-conditioning was not what we are used to, there were no ice cubes to be found anywhere. It stayed light until around 11 pm – this took us awhile to catch onto because we thought that it was the lights from the square and some of the cafes didn’t close till 3 am. The weather is Lithuania was very hot – not the usual, no rain while we were there.

On the 30^th of June our driver and translator (Rita) meet us in the hotel lobby for our drive to Subartonys for Aldona’s funeral. Subartony is part of a small town (64 people) where Aldona’s father was born in a small cottage, with thatched roof. This building is now a museum in his memory. Her dad was a famous writer, poet, novelist, playwright, professor and at one time Prime Minister of that country. Everything was perfect for Aldonas’ fair-well, the flowers, music, singing – after greeting those who arrived (there must have been a hundred or more) and meeting her cousins (two generations) we proceeded about a mile down a dirt road to the cemetery with people from the homes along the way joining us. It was a quaint cemetery with a very small chapel where a beautiful traditional service was held and people had a chance to speak of her and her parents. She was placed between her parents, they closed the grave and placed the flowers and many candles (must have been ceremonial). Everyone returned to the museum and joined us for refreshments. It was an honor to be part of this. On this day Alek was reacquainted with Sniega Jurskis and he met Vladus (head of the museum in Vilnius) among many others. This day alone was worth our visit to Lithuania.

July first was a day of rest. This day of rest gave us the opportunity of meeting Elenute who happened to be a cousin to Alek’s first cousin Katstutis (who lives in Australia) - she reinforced our introduction to the city. A friendship that will last a lifetime. This wonderful, sweet lady showed us around a wonderful city, she is a book of knowledge. The Old Town is all cobble stone streets and brick sidewalks. Some of the streets are closed to cars but all are extremely small in width. Lithuanians do not take down old buildings to rebuild. They restore from what is left of the old buildings. Very beautiful and old buildings that have been restored and many still in the process of restoration. We were surprised to see all that they had accomplished. They have become very westernized. We spent the whole day walking and exploring. It was great.

On the 2^nd of July we met our guide/translator and driver for a formal tour of the Old Town which is one of the largest and most beautiful in Central and East Europe. This town is included in the UNESCO Heritage list. We visited St. Anne’s Church, Pilies Street, the Gates of Dawn, University campus, St. Peter and Pauls’s Church and the KGB museum, an extremely depressing reminder. The churches are absolutely outstanding in beauty and craftsmanship. St. Peter and Paul’s Church is probably the most beautiful located in John Paul II Square. Construction began in 1668 and the inside has thousands of stucco figures and flowers and is a masterpiece by the artist Peretti. This church is one of the most remarkable architectural monuments and is considered to be a wonderful contribution not only to Lithuanian historical and architectural heritage but also to that of the world.

Pilies Street was a wonderful site with sidewalk cafes lining the street. There were also street vendors and shops (many of which included amber and linen). Again, the restoration is outstanding and you come across musicians here and there. Accordians seem to be the in thing.

The Gates of Dawn was in the square where our hotel was, again the beauty was breathtaking. The sanctuary of the Gates of Dawn survived through wars and Soviet occupation. In 1993 Pope John Paul II visited and prayed there. This gate is one of the nine former gates in the town’s defense wall. Of great interest were all the little archways that led to small courtyards. We later found out that these were to make the families and homes safe from enemy invasion. Today these areas house people such as ambassadors. 

July 3 – Today we visited 15^th century Trakai Insular Castle. Again the craftsmanship was outstanding, the building made of bricks. This castle was basically built on a small island. As we crossed the walking bridge and entered the pathways there was a musician playing the accordion and on our way out there was a young girl playing the flute. We found the village quaint, small and picturesque. There were sail boats and paddle boats available to visitors.

In the afternoon we met with Vladus at the Vincent Kreves museum in town. We had a great time with Vladus (head of the museum and Rita our interpreter) – the surprise was seeing a picture of Alek (age approximately 9 years old) sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Kreves at the Clothier’s home in PA. Coffee, chocolate and something called 999 were served. We were told that 999 was medicinal! Alek suddenly needed more medicine. Later that afternoon we visited with Elenute, at her home, for dinner. We had cold beet soup and pigeons for dinner. More talk about the history of Vilnius and history about our family.

On July 4^th we traveled to Kaunas. We only had a day there but wished we had taken more time to explore further. This is where Alek was born. Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania. We visited Rumsiskes Open-air Ethnographic Museum. They moved piece by piece the thatched roof cottages, barns and outbuildings that were build many, many years ago. There was also a small train car that they used to deport Lithuanians to Siberia. All very touching and sad to learn of the experience these people suffered. Elenute and her family were deported to Siberia and till this day does not understand how or why they let them return to their mother land (though she never found out what happened to her father). We also visited the Ciurlionis Art Gallery. What they preserve is wonderful – but so much was taken from them and destroyed by the Russians.

In the evening we visited with Sniega Jurskis. Sniega is the woman (whose first name translates Snowflake) that met Alek at Aldona’s funeral and told him that she met him and his mother one month after they had come to Pennsylvania. She had a picture of herself, her younger brother and mother and Alek and his mother. How small is the world. So you just know that we had a wonderful visit with Sniega and her husband Domas. They showed us their wonderful collections of art and literature we gained more fasinating knowledge about Lithuanian and family history! Alek and Domas had more medicine.

July 5^th – On our way to Klaipeda we stopped at the Hill of the Crosses. What an awesome sight! It is said that when the Russians occupied Lithuania they tried to remove the crosses. As fast as they would take the crosses down the Lithuanian people would put more up!

Klaipeda which is Lithuania’s gateway to the Baltic Sea and the world is the third largest city and its only port. We wanted to see the ocean and we did! Lilija was our tour guide and interpreter and we started in Klaipeda. Apparently during the war this place was torn apart. After the great fire of 1854 and World War II sixty percent of the buildings were destroyed or damaged, very little of the old town remained. This was the first town to be restored in Lithuania. The country’s craftsmen rebuilt using all the “old stuff” and using new where needed. From a hill, overlooking the town, the view was breathtaking. We where the monasteries had been and now it is used as a school, beautiful churches that during occupation had been used for storage (as was the case in all of the country), we saw old buildings and learned that where the Russians had paved over cobblestone the workers removed the tar to expose the stones resulting in a network of streets densely lined with houses. Here and there you could see where there were remnants of barbed wire were still in place to keep people from trying to swim to freedom (and some did try).

On July 6^th we moved on to visit Neringa (also part of UNESCO World Heritage List), the Spit between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. We traveled by ferry because there is no bridge. I know that they need a bridge but hate to see one built! The best view is from the top of the great dunes which give a wonderful view lagoon, Baltic Sea, dunes and forests which mesh with the grey mist in the distance. Of great interest is the Witches’ Hill located on one of the most beautiful ancient dunes. The winding shady path meanders up slopes covered with century-old pines. Visible from the summit is the sea in the other direction the lagoon. The people of Lithuania love lore. An idea that the craftsmen could carve personalities from old legends and stories resulted in the first artist’s camp in 1979. Fold artisans, carvers and smiths came from all over Lithuania and carved the first 25 sculptures. This hill has a light side and a dark side – this is a place where your imagination can run wild which is perfect for these creative talents. The following year a second camp was held, a year later a third. Now practically every year, craftsmen come to restore the old sculptures and to carve new ones. The entire group of sculptures is the gift of the folk artists to Lithuanians and all who visit. Each sculpture has a story (Neringa and the Twelve Brothers, Raining Frogs, Elenute, etc.). Here there is a story for all occasions.

July 7 – We drove to Palanga which has a quiet side and a crowded and noisy side. This is where the people go to catch the sun and get a tan and the young people love to hang out. We spent most of our time on the quiet side walking the beautiful ground of the amber museum with a man made pond and all. The ducks and swans with their babies we adorable (first time I have seen baby swans). After exploring the grounds we visited the Amber Museum where you could see the best Baltic gold and learn its history. We visited the beautiful white sand beaches and finished with a drive through the wild side of town.

Saturday, the 8^th of July, we returned to Vilnius, finished up our shopping, packed our belongings to leave early the next day.

Final thoughts about our visit; I loved the area and our dream would be to return in 2009, renew friendships, and explore more of the country. The arrangements prepared by “Visit Lithuania” and our correspondence with Rimas Chesonis were excellent. A very special thanks to those associated with the ceremonies at Subartonys, they were outstanding. We had the best driver and translators. Thank you Raimundas, Rita and Lilija, for making our visit such a wonderful experience, but mainly for the new friendships which would also include Vladus, Sniega, Domas and Elenute. Lithuania was more than we could have dreamed for.

Aciu,

Aliukas and Lady Grace