Lithuania!!

We have returned! It was an amazing trip. There are so many things we saw and experienced---it will take a long time to write about all of it. Before I even attempt to write any of that, we want to thank a few people. First and foremost, thanks to Mike and Jurate for organizing such a wonderful trip and letting us come along. Extra special thanks to Jurate for being our translator and exposing us to some Lithuanian traditions. Also, thanks to Mom and Dad for financing such a large part of the trip--without which, we all wouldn't have been able to go.

And, last but definitely not least, many, many thanks to Jim and Gustie, my intrepid parents-in-law, for watching Jameson. We were joyfully reunited last night, as Jim and Gustie seemed reluctant to see him go! I think Jameson was as delighted with them and they were with him.


Here's a preview of our pictures. Many, many more to come!!

Alex, handing out the programs before the wedding.

Groom and "Mama" before the ceremony.

Alex and I before the ceremony.

Bride and groom contemplate the Lithuanian tradition of carrying the bride over a bridge. The photographer (who spoke excellent English and was very helpful!) told us that he carried his bride over 4 bridges, one of them 1/2 kilometer long!

The actual event itself! Yes, we were on the equivalent of an "interstate". Everyone who passed by honked and cheered! It was obviously a very popular tradition.

The amazing spread of food immediately before we attacked it! The wedding party is outside enjoying some beer and cheeses.

Alex's favorite thing to do during the reception: the trampoline! We were at a small resort on a lake, which had several things for kids (and adults!) to do. So while we were inside eating, drinking, and dancing, the kids were running around exploring and playing. Alex was the youngest, but the other kids seemed to enjoy him. They could speak some English, so they were able to communicate.

The day after the wedding the Americans drove about 2 hours to the "Hill of Crosses". There are thousands (or maybe millions!) of crosses, all placed by individuals. I'm not sure when it started, but it has been bulldozed several times, only to be covertly "rebuilt" (especially during the Soviet era).

We made a 30 minute stop at a small town and windmill on the way back from the Hill of Crosses. They had a very unique playground.
The three of us at Traikai, a castle built in the middle of a lake. Alex gave the castle "two thumbs up".

Alex had many great quotes during the trip. Here are two of them:

One was right after getting off the plane in Lithuania... "It sure is hard to understand things around here."

The other was during a discussion about having to show our passports when leaving Ireland. We were with my parents. I said something like, "We have our passports to show that we are Americans." Alex responded, "Well, you mean three Americans and two Ohioans."

More to come!

A small addition... my Dad just wrote an email from Ireland complaining that he (still) hasn't appeared in the blog. So here's a picture of my Dad, my Mom and my aunt Marg doing a "table dance". This is a funny Lithuanian-English translation, as "table dance" has a much different connotation in English! However, it was a song where we had certain times to clap, bang on the table, snap, etc, as we tried to sing along. One of the Americans, Sharon, had a brief petrified moment when the band leader told her she had to do a "table dance"... we all relaxed a little when we discovered exactly what a table dance is!