DAYS 30-31 EUROPE TRIP - LITHUANIA – Zarasai

15-16 June 2009

DAYS 30-31 EUROPE TRIP
LITHUANIA – Zarasai

It was still raining as we headed from Jonava back to Grikiškes. On returning we packed small bags for our trip with my sister-in-laws husband’s cousin and his wife to their property in Zarasai. We were told to expect a rustic, primitive setting. Instead it was a delightful place that we will never forget.

His cousin had put a lot of time and effort to plan our fabulous trips in Vilniaus region and to the Zarasai region. We commented that he should be a tour guide. If it weren’t for him we would never have seen some amazing places.

The weather forecast was not promising but we still headed for Zarasai the next morning. One of our must dos for this trip was to visit this northeastern part of Lithuania that everyone kept telling us was very beautiful. Initially the days were coldish but dry. Our first stop was near Moletai at the Etnokosmology Museum. Since we were last here there has been considerable injection of funds as evidenced through the new building.

You can only go through the museum on a guided tour so we joined a school group. Whilst waiting for them we admired the interestingly constructed sculpture in the foyer.

The museum has not been completed fully inside. I felt that the earlier display was much more powerful than that in the new building.

Whilst at the museum it started to pour.

It was not possible to explore the exhibition outdoors due to the rain.

We then went to Paluše – a 1650s church built with rivets but no nails. The words above the doorway say ‘walk out as a better person’.

A beautiful woodcarving addresses the traveller – ‘traveller stop and think’.

The rain really set in so we decided to go straight to the cousin’s place on the edge of Lake Kumpiniškes. We were met with a beautiful vista when we got there.

Across the other side of the lake is Latvia.

The setting was magnificent. The stone by the gate is referred to as the ‘guard’.

It was wet and cold. Soon a log fire was burning in the cottage and a campfire outside.

The steps to the outside loo were very slippery due to the rain. The situation was quickly rectified as wood steps were improvised from the timber on site.

Before long potatoes were peeled, the veg prepared and a pot of soup was hanging over the campfire.

We relaxed on the porch with nibbles waiting for the soup to cook.

The red sunset was seen as a sign of a windy day ahead. And how true that was.

DAYS 28-29 EUROPE TRIP - LITHUANIA – Jonava

13-14 June 2009


DAYS 28-29 EUROPE TRIP
LITHUANIA – Jonava

We arrived to a very warm welcome in Jonava. We seemed to have brought bad weather with us as soon after arriving it started to drizzle and then the rain really settled in. On Sunday it was not an easy task cooking the lituanian version of a shaslick on a special grill outside. It brought back memories of the last time we had shaslicks with the family on a small property just out of Jonava.

Since I was last here the place has changed considerably and the children had also grown up. Due to the weather we spent our time indoors socialising and catching up. There was no shortage of conversation as we indulged in some nikolaškas ( brandy with lemon on top sprinkled with coffee and sugar). Before we knew it the two days had quickly passed and it was time to say goodbye.

On our last morning we saw a van in town with two bullet holes. It had us intrigued.

DAYS 26-27 EUROPE TRIP - LITHUANIA – Kelme

11-12 June 2009

DAYS 26-27 EUROPE TRIP
LITHUANIA – Kelme

From Kaunas we headed west along the Nemunas River to Kelme. For a change it was a lovely day.

We climbed Palemono Hill in Panemunu Region Park.

The views in all directions were just beautiful.



In the car park a van drew up and starting selling chooks, ducks, baby chicks and baby ducklings. It was interesting to see a deserted car park suddenly change into a centre of activity as buyers appeared from all directions.

We continued onto Raudonpile. Originally it was built as a manor. Now it is a school

with beautiful public parklands.

Across the pathway is another part of the original complex now in private hands and being advertised as for sale. We were told that the interior was previously totally stripped. Whoever bought it would have a huge task ahead to make it liveable.

We stopped for lunch at Karpyne – Carp place.

A very beautiful setting for lunch or to stay a day or two.

We continued on to show our fellow travellers Šiluva where it is believed that in 1608 the Blessed Virgin Mary manifested herself on this rock.

A chapel was built on this spot in 1663 with the alter resting on the stone. At a special time during the year people gather here in huge numbers.

Along the way there were numerous stork nests with baby storks. I had never seen so many storks. When I mentioned that there were no storks in Australia I was asked “who brings the baby’s then?” Not an easy question to answer. I thought of saying they are found under cabbage leaves but decided in the end to keep quiet on that.

We took a detour past Vyčiai. We were very disappointed as the site is now very neglected.

Finally we reached Kelme to be warmly met by hubby’s and his sister’s relatives. It was the first time that my sister-in-law met this side of the family. It was nice to see how they all clicked.

I couldn’t get over how beautiful the gardens were. Everywhere we went the gardens were spectacular.

After dinner we drove out to see their strawberry field. They needed to check how soon till picking was to begin.

Row on row of strawberry plants - and what a variety.

As we walked along the rows we tasted and tasted them. They were very delicious. They pick about 500 ton each year and sell them at the market. It is hard backbreaking work.

Hubby’s cousin is also a very artistic. Her Easter egg designs are unique and beautiful. She makes her own dyes and then waxes and dyes the eggs or dyes and then scratches designs on them. I wrote down the dying process so that I could try it with our local plants.

Next day we went to Šauliai to visit the place where hubby’s mother grew up.

and then to the Šauliu University for the opening of Šliupo archive at the university. The archive had been donated and brought across from USA by the son. Šliupas was a lithuanian activist in the early years of Lithuania‘s independence and after the outbreak of WWll hubby’s father had been his secretary.

The function was also attended by hubby’s and his sister’s 97 year old honourary aunt. She was in top form – straight to the point. When hubby spoke to he ron the phone prior to meeting her she stated „last time I met you, you were young, you must be old now“.

After returning to Kelme we went to their cousin’s son’s weekender not far from Kelme. It was a beautiful spot with a wooden cottage set on top of the hill.

Stork nests again were in abundance. Locals here will do anything to encourage storks to nest on their property as it is a good sign if they do.

After dinner a swedish hot tub was heated and the men indulged themelves in it

after acting like kids on the four wheeler.

Whilst the men had their fun, the women had an interesting time chatting about a range of things.

DAY 25 EUROPE TRIP - LITHUANIA – Kaunas

10 June 2009

DAY 25 EUROPE TRIP
LITHUANIA – Kaunas

Another overcast and coldish day today as we set off for Kaunas. It is supposed to be summer. The flowers are blooming everywhere but it feels like autumn in Australia.

First stop was at my second cousins place. We hardly recognised the place due to its renovation.

Hubby discovered some medieval armour and just couldn’t resist trying it on.

After lunch we headed off to the Čiulionis Art Gallery as I had contacted them to ask whether I could see the only surviving art works from my grandfather’s art collection at Misiunai. During the soviet occupation of Lithuania, after my grandparents were deported to Siberia, their house was bulldozed and no one knows what happened to the substantial art collection that was housed there. I was particularly taken by the two bronze cast portraits of my grandparents by Juozas Zikaras.


After leaving the gallery we passed the War Museum and the monument jut outside it.

We caught up with some fellow Canberrans and decided to visit the extravagant Acropolis shopping centre with its huge ice skating ring. I can just imagine the kids wanting to go shopping so that they could go skating whilst mum shopped.

As we hadn’t been to Pažaislis and its monastery during our previous visits to Kaunas we decided to head that way. Due to the long hours of daylight we had lost all sense of time so by the time we got there it was closed. We walked its perimeter and admired it from outside.

We returned to my relatives place for the evening and caught up on all the news.