Vilnius, turning 60 and national identity- in two parts

Street in old town Vilnius (I used to walk home on this street)

Church in Old Town with grafitti

It is a grey Saturday afternoon, the icy snow is melting leaving huge table-tops of ice in the harbor and dirty, sometimes unexectedly deep, puddles of water everywhere. We walk without hats or gloves and our coats flap open in the breeze. Spring is coming and it has been a very full two weeks.  Bruce has already written about his impressions of our return to Vilnius, so I will add a few more detail and photos before launching into other topics.  

Selling dark Lithuanian Bread 

Honey/Medus for sale

Vilnius will always have a place in my heart and memory, just as a first love or crush is always a part of  you. Vilnius was the first time Bruce and I lived together in a location that was 'not American' for 5 months.  At times, walking familiar streets, recognizing words I had once learned and tasting familar flavors make it seem like I was in a waking dream.  I was surprised how easily I remembered Lithuanian (I had been needing an ego-boost, since Estonian is so incredibly hard to learn e.g.  impossible).  We wandered streets aimlessly, finding street markets with local people selling home-made bread and honey (Lithuanian bread is still my first choice for what I would want for food on a deserted island. It come in huge loaves from which sellers cut off large chunks to buyers. It is dense, chewy, sour and sweet and filling all by itself. OK, I might want a few bars of Lithuanian, or Latvian or Estonian chocolate..but definitely Lithuanian bread!!!)  

Indoor covered market (it had been open air 14 years ago

It was inspiring to see what stayed the same and also what has changed in the Vilnius of today. Sleek-glass and metal buildings loomed behind old wooden houses, the cars on the streets are more frequent, and did not spew the exhaust and blue smoke I remeber from 14 years ago. There is much more English spoken (rather than the Russian and Polish from our first time there.)   But not all the changes have been positive. We had several conversations with local young people and heard the down side of this progress- or rather the impact of the global economy. They talked about the challenge of finding work in Lithuania with a college degree, and that they needed to leave the country (usually to England) to make any money. For those with college educations, those foreign jobs meant working in coffeeshops in London or sewing factories in New Jersey.  I also saw several partially started cement buildings covered with graffitti- clearly the builder could no longer afford to finish the construction project. 
In fact, we saw lots of graffitti (which I actually
like- as a form of public and social art) but we were told that the city could no longer afford to clean it up.   

Candles at the Russian Orthodox Church 

Other details that struck me- Vilnius, particularly in the old town, is gloriously and amazingly baroque. Compared to the more solid, medieval feel of Tallinn's old town, churches explode with colors and flying angels and saints. Inside, heaven is pictured as a multi-layered confection of colors, light, clouds and gold and silver ornaments.  (I ask  you, who wouldn't want to end up there?)  In contrast to what we have been noticing in Tallinn, there were almost always people of all ages entering and praying inside. 


Church life seems to be thriving in Vilnius.  On Sunday, the congregation included mothers and children as well as teenagers kneeling next to the normal presence of older women with head scarves, dark boxy coats, black leather shoes and large purses and shopping bags. This is not to say the Tallinn has no spiritual life, but in Tallinn, people are more likely to seek their spirituality in nature or by practicing esoteric or non-western forms of spirituality.  For example, I have been leading some dance/movement therapy groups in a local center and the group members talk about chakra energy, meridians, moon cycles and energy. 

How would you like your pig prepared??? 

Outdoor market across the river 

We also had some great food in Vilnius. (for those of you wanting to hear more food details- here it comes) We went to a spicy Indian restaurant in the old town and shared the room with a large table of Russians (several plump older men escorting younger very made-up women). Each person at the table appeared to be consuming a full bottle of wine plus half a bottle of vodka each. Another day we went to a Chinese restaurant with a fish soup that tasted like the ocean. Surprising since Vilnius is so far inland. We also went to a Turkish restaurant and, after exchanging greetings in Turkish, found out about a nearby Masjid (which we we didnt have time to investigate). As we ate, the table next to us was filled with 8 Arab-looking men (I think they were from several different Middle Eastern countries, including Turkey, since they spoke English to communicate with each other). They sat down and started talking animatedly about Libya and other places where the struggle for freedom is particularly brutal. It was a welcome change to hear the passion and intensity of the conversation as they ate and then drank coffee and tea. And the food was delicious as well. 


Sunday we took the 8 hour bus ride back to Tallinn, so I literally spent my 60th birthday in three different countries. Quite a wild way to start this part of my life. 

St Ann's church in afternoon sunlight

My birthday was a wonderful celebration (thanks for the emails, cards and facebook greetings) At school the next day, I was feted with chocolate and flowers (an uneven number of red tulips, since even numbers are only for funerals) as well as being sung happy birthday in Estonian. Then that evening in class, I got chocolates, sung to again (with drums and musical instruments- as befitting creative arts therapy students) and got tossed in a chair  6 times (quite fun...think Jewish wedding but up and down rather than paraded around the room)  I don't actually know what it means to be 60-other than I keep getting told that I dont look or act 60.  I dont exactly know what that means. Am I supposed to get a cane? Not laugh? Walk slowly?   Maybe someone can tell me what it means to look or act 60!! 

View from Gates of Dawn

The only thing I notice is that I get offered a seat on the trolley more frequently.  (Is that it????) But, I had a great celebration and  I hope to have many more years to figure out what it means to have reached this life mile-stone.  


(This blog is being weird...to be continued on the next blog.)