The Wedding

Day 4 and 5

I do not have anywhere near the time to do the wedding justice as we are just about to be picked up by family to meet even more family.
In all my life; Irish parties, huge family celebrations, Nebraska week-end long spectacles; I have never experienced anything close to this. It was solemn, joyful, wild, crazy, food, drink, speeches, toasts.....
The actual parties went on from being picked up by motor coach at 12:30 on Sat. to being dropped back off at the hotel last night at sometime after midnight this morning (Monday).

So let's start with the ceremony. It was beautiful in a wooden church built in 1798, and the bride and groom were glowing.

more to follow....

I am therefore I have proof.........

Day: 3 We rented a car and drove to Pete's hometown. We walked around and it was wonderful. Yes we were here before, but it was a fun yet chaotic time, with many people and very little space. Today it was just Pete & I driving into the town, walking, experiencing his home.

We went and spent a little time at his family farm (we were scheduled to do this Sunday), and just dropped in. We were welcomed and spent an enjoyable hour or two visiting and walking through the old orchard and very vibrant garden that his father used to speak of.

Later we returned to the hotel with the Brit side of the wedding. It was fun & we all had dinner.

The groom's dad is named Pete. Both got on quite well with each other & the younger crowd started calling them "The Petes".

I saved the best for last...I pressured Pete into walking to the church; it was locked. He wanted to leave, but I went & found the priest. We were able to get an official copy of Pete's baptismal certificate. He really does exist; its official.

Family, Family, Family....

Day 2: This trip is more about visiting, not sightseeing, so it was a day of meeting in a coffeehouse with a new cousin (well new to us). She is delightful, beautiful, a musician and singer. In fact she travels all over the world singing. We had fun; she speaks a little English, I understand a very little Lithuanian (more facial expressions) & we depended on Pete's translation skills. I think he only turned to translate for me & said it in Lithuanian, twice. This is a big improvement.

Best news; she said we will meet about 40 more members of the Dambrauskas Family, Sat. at the wedding. He is beside himself with joy. He said he may end up with more family than me....I don't think so.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Vilkaviskis. So leaving Vilnius I had to do 2 things; see the Vilnius Madonna and sit at my favorite corner.

I did both. The Vilnius Black Madonna, the Mother of Compassion, takes my breath away. I still can not get over that I saw the original once in my life, let alone twice! She is widely renowned for her healing power and a symbol of harmony. I need all in my life at his moment.

There is a corner in the old town, that I just love. I was standing on the cobblestone last visit & a strange sense of having been there before washed over me. This time, I had. Pete & I had a drink and the rye bread & cheese snack that I love & can not get in Chicago. Well good-bye Vilnius, till we meet again.

mb

Shall I try again????

Ok, I have had a difficult time getting started again. As a matter of fact, I am just as busy as when I was in school...maybe even more so. I have not felt as if I finished, and I am dragging..so, let me try again. I never got back to writing about Lithuania, and now I am back visiting for a family wedding. Maybe this will be a good place to start....2 years later.

So Day 1. I think I may have caught up on my rest. I slept for 15 hours straight! This is just not me & if you had offered me a million dollars, I could not have gotten up. Pete was on his own until dinner. We then walked the city and noticed some differences. Two years of being part of the EU has made good differences & not so good differences.

Here is Pete on the main street (Didzioji gatve) in 2006 ....

Here is the continental gentleman on the same main street in 2008.

Now for the not so good change...

This is the charming street of the hotel we stayed at in 2006...

We are not staying at the same hotel, but we walked by it...check out the modern (?) facade next door.