VILNIUS AND A FREE LUNCH

Sunday 23rd May 2010

Today I had a free lunch which I thought would be enough for the meal of the
day. The only problem is that the nearest supermarket I know about is 30
minutes walk away. I had discovered a small grocery store round the corner and
thought that would be enough. However, beside the fact that it was old style
with counters and an assistant between the shelves and you, I could not spot
the instant noddle type product I was hoping to find. All I can do in the
apartment is boil water or use a fridge. Nothing to enable you to cook
anything. So I had to go out for dinner and I went to the little cafe in the
road behind the guest house and had, crumbed pork chop which as is the case,
was as thin as a schnitzel. Nicely cooked though and attractively presented
with some fried boiled potatoes and a tiny salad. It did however, fill the need
and it was pleasant sitting in their patio area down an alleyway.

As I tend to write a lot about food; here is another story.
I was once again going to go to Takai. There are supposed to be 40 buses on a
weekend day. Well i missed the 10:40am bus and the next looked like 12:00 until
I worked out the code and found that didn't run Sundays. The next was 12:30pm.
Around about 12:10 I decided to give it a miss and try again tomorrow when the
opening hours are longer, there will be more trains and buses.

Part of the problem was I had slept in! Well it was a Sunday, but it wasn't the
intention. I had woken to voices outside and the daylight with a jump out of
bed, only to find it was 4:45am. I must have quickly returned to sleep and no
one outside woke me. It was 9:15 when I did wake and of course my breakfast had
been waiting since 8am. The egg was still warm and the coffee still hot so that
was ok. Tomorrow I will set an alarm.

So I did pretty well getting to the bus station which must be 40 minute walk
away by just after 10:40am.
So I spent the rest of the day walking around. Which how I got my free lunch. I
was walking up a new (for me) street when I heard loud music down a side
street. I could see lots of people and streamers and ribbons draped around
posts. I went a bit closer and though it could be Hindu, but getting closer I
noticed all the Europeans sitting eating and I clicked. Hari Krishna and they
were having their free lunch. So I went in and had a very nice meal of rice and
several different vegetarian dishes plus a herbal flavoured warm water and a
couple of sweet pieces. It was interesting because the members were so
welcoming of everyone and going around with more food and drink and collecting
empty cardboard plates. They were certainly making a good impression. But you
did have to accept the live music, which was various loud versions of the Hari
Krishna refrain with drums and flutes.

As a contrast, a little later walking down the main tourist street – which can
be narrow enough in places to almost be an alley – I heard the sound of jazz.
Along came a couple of girls holding a banner advertising something at the Kino
and behind the a six piece marching jazz band. They sounded good, but they had
marched past far to quickly to really hear enough of their music.

I also visited two churches. OK what is a visit to a city which is just full of
churches without going to one or two on Sunday?

First I went into the Church of the Holy Spirit. It was one of those over the
top Baroque churches full of statues of Jesus and saints and angels and so on.
However the music of the service was good and it was similar to the service I
saw in the Cathedral yesterday. It involved white clad children going up to the
front and children reading to the congregation.

Later I called in at the large brick Church of St Anne. It is a block away from
the guest house and does dominate the area as it has very high towers and
spires. I can tell you, because I have the City's Tourist Guide the "it is a
nmasterpiece of late Gothic, which has survived unchanged over 500 years. In
fact inside it did look in need of the 500 year 'servicing'. Bits of columns
had broken off and the walls were peeling. Apparently Napoleon is supposed to
have said that he wanted to take it in the palm of his hand back to Paris. Well
in the main church (there is a 'small' side chapel which could seat 100 or so) a
service was getting underway. I was amused by one busy priest rushing around. He
wore worn jeans under his white robe and had a large ear ring in one ear. That
didn't seem very traditional to me. However, what kept me in the church for
quite a while was the amazing choir singing. And adult choir of all or mostly
males, who could sing in the most professional manner. I couldn't understand a
work of it but the music just sounded fantastic – like the angles? In fact I
am sure that one song was a John Rutter composition as I am sure it is on one
of my CD's of his hymn music. He is a top British contemporary composer. I have
one of his CD's on my mp3 player and I often play it as I am travelling along in
a plane bus or train. But not for some reason, ever in a tram.

As well I visited the Presidents Palace – well visit in terms of standing
outside and looking at it. I walked along even more narrow alley ways and at
one stage this evening, I found a great area of art on walls – mostly small
plaques and tiles and such like. It was all along the street by the
Contemporary Art Centre which of course was closed. As I had decided to leave
my camera at the guest house, I am going to have to return and take some
pictures. Fortunately it is only a block from the guesthouse – just in a
direction I had not yet been along.

I seemed to see more statues and more churches not open. These are often turned
into some other use. One was a concert venue while the Orthodox Church around
the corner from the guest house is a gallery of religious art. I seem to have a
lot of churches around the corner from me. At a quick memory recall and
including the cathedral it would be five or six.

Today had been brilliant with clear blue skies – deep blue through the
polarizing filter on my camera lens. However, the evening was not so mild as
the past couple of nights have been. Not so many people around either.