It may be the middle of June on paper but in Lithuanian reality, it feels more like the middle of September. It's rainy, chilly, and grey outside. Bad for people who were expecting to wear season appropriate clothing and packed away their layers but great for me since I am way overdue for a blog update and this is the perfect weather to cozy up with my computer in a local coffee shop and type away for hours.
Back in January on an ordinary weekend, a gaggle of us ladies ventured onto a mini-bus to brave the cold and icy weather conditions in order to make the seven hour road trip from Vilnius to Warsaw. We went with one very serious objective in mind: to purchase as much Polish Pottery that would fit inside the mini-bus. Yes, we were able to see a few of the sights in Warsaw and had delectable Polish traditional meals and delicacies in addition to amazing Mexican food (should label that one as 'things not expected to find in Warsaw'), but we were really there to drop serious money on coveted kitchen items. Polish Pottery is known both for it's beautiful aesthetic appeal and long lasting durability. The hand crafted pottery is great for cooking, serving, displaying and is strong enough for the microwave, oven, and dishwasher. In other words, it is the work horse of the pottery world. On our trip, we went to two different pottery places and each of the thirteen ladies who came on the excursion left with no fewer than one large box filled with pottery. That stuff is truly amazing! I mean, they make pretty much anything for the kitchen, from serving dishes to plates to tea pots to platters to even doggie bowls. I came home with amazing loot!
Shortly after the Polish Pottery adventure, a friend in Vilnius suggested that a group of us try out a unique restaurant. Once a week, a local Russian restaurant offers a dinner in the dark dining experience, where guests eat in complete darkness (but not in complete silence!). Since your sense of sight is removed, this experience is supposed to enhance your other senses such as taste, touch, and smell. At first I was a little hesitant but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was really curious to try the sensory deprivation eating experience. We arrived at the restaurant and were hand-led in groups of three by the night goggle wearing hostess into complete and I mean complete darkness to our table. Food was brought to us as were drinks and we all had to listen to the hostess' voice and feel for the plate of food. The knives on the table were rendered useless since we could not see what to cut, so we mostly employed the shovel method of eating by using our hand and either a spoon or fork to assemble the food and then place it in our mouths. We were not told ahead of time what the menu would consist of but we knew that it would be 'safe' food and nothing exotic. As we ate, we had to guess what kind of meat was on the plate, what the garnishes were, and what ingredients were used in the preparation of the food.....all from taste and smell, and a little bit of touch. That part was a little harder than expected! Other senses were definitely heightened with the removal of sight but we managed to figure out what the menu consisted of in the end. This was a truly unique experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone else to try it if they have the opportunity!
One of my goals from the beginning of this Lithuanian adventure was to finish reading the Leo Tolstoy classic, 'Anna Karenina,' by the time we left Lithuania. Well, thankfully, with two weeks to spare I finally finished the 800 page book a few days ago! Now, it should be noted that I received this book as a gift nearly nine years ago and have been reading it, bit by bit, ever since then. Part of the reason that it took me nearly a decade to finish the book is because I was also reading other books in the mean time and 'Anna Karenina' was always on my nightstand for a few pages before heading to bed. Thankfully, I had a decent grasp on the characters and the plot and was always able to pick up where I left off. I was so determined to finish the book before leaving Lithuania that I self imposed restrictions and wouldn't allow myself to watch the movie or see the play. As silly and perhaps crazy as this sounds, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and now I can't wait to see the movie! Phew!
With just a few days remaining in Vilnius, I find myself lounging in coffee shops and reflecting on the past two and a half years here. What a great and fulfilling journey! I will miss Lithuania dearly but know that I will be back to visit sometime in the near future. Viso from Lithuania land!
Back in January on an ordinary weekend, a gaggle of us ladies ventured onto a mini-bus to brave the cold and icy weather conditions in order to make the seven hour road trip from Vilnius to Warsaw. We went with one very serious objective in mind: to purchase as much Polish Pottery that would fit inside the mini-bus. Yes, we were able to see a few of the sights in Warsaw and had delectable Polish traditional meals and delicacies in addition to amazing Mexican food (should label that one as 'things not expected to find in Warsaw'), but we were really there to drop serious money on coveted kitchen items. Polish Pottery is known both for it's beautiful aesthetic appeal and long lasting durability. The hand crafted pottery is great for cooking, serving, displaying and is strong enough for the microwave, oven, and dishwasher. In other words, it is the work horse of the pottery world. On our trip, we went to two different pottery places and each of the thirteen ladies who came on the excursion left with no fewer than one large box filled with pottery. That stuff is truly amazing! I mean, they make pretty much anything for the kitchen, from serving dishes to plates to tea pots to platters to even doggie bowls. I came home with amazing loot!
So much pottery, so little time.
Shortly after the Polish Pottery adventure, a friend in Vilnius suggested that a group of us try out a unique restaurant. Once a week, a local Russian restaurant offers a dinner in the dark dining experience, where guests eat in complete darkness (but not in complete silence!). Since your sense of sight is removed, this experience is supposed to enhance your other senses such as taste, touch, and smell. At first I was a little hesitant but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was really curious to try the sensory deprivation eating experience. We arrived at the restaurant and were hand-led in groups of three by the night goggle wearing hostess into complete and I mean complete darkness to our table. Food was brought to us as were drinks and we all had to listen to the hostess' voice and feel for the plate of food. The knives on the table were rendered useless since we could not see what to cut, so we mostly employed the shovel method of eating by using our hand and either a spoon or fork to assemble the food and then place it in our mouths. We were not told ahead of time what the menu would consist of but we knew that it would be 'safe' food and nothing exotic. As we ate, we had to guess what kind of meat was on the plate, what the garnishes were, and what ingredients were used in the preparation of the food.....all from taste and smell, and a little bit of touch. That part was a little harder than expected! Other senses were definitely heightened with the removal of sight but we managed to figure out what the menu consisted of in the end. This was a truly unique experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone else to try it if they have the opportunity!
Night vision goggles. The real deal.
One of my goals from the beginning of this Lithuanian adventure was to finish reading the Leo Tolstoy classic, 'Anna Karenina,' by the time we left Lithuania. Well, thankfully, with two weeks to spare I finally finished the 800 page book a few days ago! Now, it should be noted that I received this book as a gift nearly nine years ago and have been reading it, bit by bit, ever since then. Part of the reason that it took me nearly a decade to finish the book is because I was also reading other books in the mean time and 'Anna Karenina' was always on my nightstand for a few pages before heading to bed. Thankfully, I had a decent grasp on the characters and the plot and was always able to pick up where I left off. I was so determined to finish the book before leaving Lithuania that I self imposed restrictions and wouldn't allow myself to watch the movie or see the play. As silly and perhaps crazy as this sounds, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and now I can't wait to see the movie! Phew!
With just a few days remaining in Vilnius, I find myself lounging in coffee shops and reflecting on the past two and a half years here. What a great and fulfilling journey! I will miss Lithuania dearly but know that I will be back to visit sometime in the near future. Viso from Lithuania land!
I will miss this view from our apartment!
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