DAYS 33-34 EUROPE TRIP - LITHUANIA – Zarasai

18-19 June 2009

DAYS 33-34 EUROPE TRIP
LITHUANIA – Zarasai

The weather finally turned and we had a lovely sunny day. We decided to go to Rokiškis to see the manor there. On the way through Obeliai we passed a windmill now operating as a café.

The town of Rokiškis dates back to 1466. The Rokiškis church façade was quite different from other churches in te region.

The manor is in line with the church down a narrow laneway. The manor is currently under restoration but the museum within it is still operating. The foyer boasts a brown bear. In the olden days people claim there were bears in some forests. Today there are no longer any wild bears in the country.

The museum was interesting. The highlight was the old bike with wooden wheels.

Of particular interest to me was the needle holder dated between 1861-1918

the moccasins between 1861-1918

and the national costume.

There were interesting visual records of the manor and those that lived there. The doors were awesome.

There was a section with traditional wrought iron crosses. Traditionally the cross is considered to be a very ancient symbol, predating christianity, that creates the link between earth and sky, whilst the cross bar interaction symbolises the interaction between life and death.

In one of the outbuildings there was a display of wood carvings by Lionginas Šepka.

In the other building was the most incredible collection of woven saches. Photos were not allowed unless you bought a special ticket that allowed photography of objects. As it was outrageously priced I did not buy it.
We returned to Degučiai as there was another walking trail here. After a quick lunch

we went through a forest that was different again. It had a network of paths so we had to make sure we followed the signs.
At times we had difficulty finding the markings on the trees to know which track to take. The scenery varied as we walked



from swampy areas

through glacial valleys

and burnt out forest. As we walked up a forthill we hit an ant trail. There were so many ants and they quickly got onto our shoes and legs. It was not pleasant fighting off biting ants. We got to the top and relaxed before facing our foe again on the was down.

We moved very quickly down the hill and then strolled back to the car.

When we got back we had an opportunity to go rowing out on the lake. So hubby and I jumped at the chance.

We rowed out through the water lilies

past the reeds

along the shoreline

to go past the border post indicating that this sde is Lithuania

followed by the Latvian border post a bit further on.

Whilst here it really hit me how open Europe has become. Open borders between countries, no patrols, no fences. Europe really is as one economically and defensively but each country maintains its own strong cultural identity and traditions. We decided to row to the island on the Latvian side and to get out and see it.

After rowing around the lake we returned to find a welcoming party on the jetty

as the sun set and lit up the whole area .

The frogs were out in full force. It is amazing how many and how often one sees and/or hears frogs in this country.

As dinner was prepared

the men sat in contemplation.

Before we knew it, it was our last morning and time for us to pack and clean up. We had just spent several glorious days in a most picturesque place in great company. Cooking over the fire and dealing with basic necessities within a primitive but comfortable setting served as reminder of how reliant we have become on mod cons.

Before we left we picked wild strawberries for the little granson back home in Grikiškes.

After the rain, flowers were opening up

and snails were out in great numbers.

I thought this was a lovely flower and was surprised to learn it was a weed.

As the day became more overcast we said goodbye to this paradise and headed back to the real world.

A very special thank you to our hosts for this wonderful experience.