Kay Yankoski
SUMMER ON THE BALTIC
Palanga and Nida
The Sights, the Sounds, the Smells, the Tastes!
Kay Yankoski is a world traveler and an active member of the Washington Lithuanian-American Community. As Kay says, "These are the candid comments of a cranky old maid on her sixth journey to the Motherland. The experiences/adventures are not to be confused with those of a sanitized/organized tour group." We find them quite humorous!
Ms. Yankoski visits Lithuania every two years and brings back memories, photos, and adventures packed with a sense of humor.
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| A wooden sculpture greets café guests in Palanga. |
On this, my sixth trip, geras oras (good weather) prevailed. The weather was about as good as it gets -- hot by their standards, but for a Virginian, positively delightful! I needed a jacket in the evenings and used a blanket every night except one time in Nida.
My usual guide for this trip had chicken fever [pox] and so her 70 year-old mother took me instead. The difference between mother and daughter, albeit 40 years, drastically changed the tone of this trip -- from relatively forward thinking to do it as cheap as possible! With the exchange rate so much in our favor (and me paying for both of us), this was rather disconcerting and not my choice. But that aside...
We took the night train to Klaipėda -- a steal for Americans at $25 for 2 people! We had two lower berths in first class. Our upper berth bunkmates were a young Russian couple. When I saw how they had to get up there, I knew I never could have hoisted myself to an upper berth. For $3 extra, we got clean linen in a sealed package -- fresh and crisp and most welcome.
It was rather stuffy, so I asked the Russian fellow not to close the window completely. However, during the night, the wind began to howl and I ended up wrapping myself in my beach towel in addition to the issued blanket to keep warm since I could not shut the window. Compared to a hot bus ride, it was a good way to get to Klaipėda.
While I was waiting to use the WC, a fellow reeking of beer started muttering to me about the amerikonkos (Americans) on the train. It was an uncomfortable moment.
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A gift shop beckons to people (above) A wooden statue of a drakonas looms in a museum in Klaipėda. (below) |
All Photos: Kay Yankoski |
We stayed in guestrooms at a veterinarian's clinic in Palanga -- tualetas (toilet) across the hall, dušai (showers) right next to our room. It was my first experience sharing either -- not my choice, but not terrible.
The walk to Vytauto gatvė (street) was pretty far and that was not even halfway to the beach. It took us 30 minutes to get there. Conveniently, right down the block was a big supermarket with long checkout lines at all times of day and night. Two more blocks away was a turgus (open market) where every morning I bought a peach and bandukes (rolls) for the next days pusryčiai (breakfast).
The pliažas (beach area) was a mob scene, with Basanavičiaus gatvė being packed like sardines. I remembered Juratės gatvė from previous trips and that became our route to the beach. So as not to burn in the hot sun, we usually went from 3:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon.
Murphys Law -- spend only a little time in the sun the first day so as not to burn. Then, the next day it rains!
We walked up to the Gintaro Muziejus (Amber Museum), taking the path through the woods that is parallel to the pliažas. It is as lovely as ever. Both front and back of Count Tiškevičiuss 19th century mansion look like a fairy tale castle. We only saw one gulbė (swan) in the ponds in front.
By the time we walked back to our namas (house), the sky had darkened and we were housebound for the afternoon -- thank goodness for books! Perkūnas (thunder) roared, the skies opened up, gutters overflowed, and later, trucks had to haul away all the dirt that had washed onto the paved street.
The following day also started out dreary; so, we opted for an excursion to Klaipėda. We went to four museums, including the Watch Museum and Blacksmiths Museum, and an art gallery and sculpture garden. Ironically, the woman at the Blacksmiths Museum spoke very nice English and her commentary made that my favorite stop. She told us that the new Sculpture Garden was built on the site of a cemetery that had been demolished in the 70s. The iron crosses on display in the museum were rescued from that cemetery, some dating back 100 years and with German names because of German occupation at that time.
Our time in Palanga was drawing to a close. We opted for early beach time the next day, then a walk to Birutės Kalnas (Birutė's Hill).
A fellow we met in Klaipėda showed up early Saturday morn to take us sightseeing in Kretinga. We went to a rural viešbutis (motel) where they had thatched-roof pens with all kinds of exotic fowl -- hens with tufts of feathers on their heads, peacocks, and fuzzy ducklings. They also had a suspension bridge over a small creek. The bridge was not very high off the ground, but every step was a shaky one. Across that bridge was a rustic childrens park with all kinds of challenges, including a log about five feet off the ground between two huts, like a tightrope walk. Our guide showed us his balancing skill by walking across it. We walked to the cemetery where our guide showed us the cross he had carved out of a very tall living tree for his family plot.
We went to the lovely Tiškevičius Palace and botanical garden, now a museum. The Russians cut down the tropical palms and put in roses instead. The Tiškevičius koplyčia (chapel) was my favorite site in Kretinga, sitting on a high mound (too many steps to climb although the padlocked door was street level) in the middle of the cemetery.
The Sights
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| Thatched pens with exotic fowl in Kretinga... |
Palanga is where "Its Happening" -- at least for the younger generation. It was noisy; it was crowded. (I must be getting old!).
The crowds -- Basanavičiaus gatvė was a sea of people, wall-to-wall, including all the way down to the Jūros Tiltas (the bridge to the sea) to watch the sun set.
The tallest girls -- with the longest legs, with the shortest shorts or skirts, or alternatively, long skirts or dresses with slits up to there!
The highest heels or platform shoes -- how do they walk, especially on all of that cracked pavement? (I must be getting old!) Men's shoes -- they are strange colors and styles.
Lots of empty beer bottles on the beach, which was also littered with cigarette butts and lots of other debris. Beer is sold singly on the beach and drinking on the street starts as early as 10 a.m. By contrast, the beach in Nida was almost spotless.
A mime on Vytauto gatvė, in top hat and tails with department store dummy make up, was unblinking and really very good. For a donation he would pose for a photo and kiss the ladys hand in a very courtly, if stiff, manner.
The regulation big snake on the boardwalk -- usually wrapped around the neck of some brave young girl.
A very pretty, very tan, very blonde girl rollerbladed up the middle of Vytauto gatvė in white tee shirt and scanty shorts. She was a real traffic stopper.
Hair -- there is a new hair color in addition to that which God gave you or the dyed orange and bleached blonde. It is black! Usually on younger girls or women clad all in black who end up looking like Vampira or Motorcycle Momma.
More Hair two natural redheaded children; my first sighting in 12 years of travel there.
Hair-Related the extraordinary usage of combs. The great combing of the hair wherever you are, on every possible occasion, and often with no discernible improvement.
Designer Wear in Palanga -- Lots of Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Tommy -- the usual knock offs. Nida fails to make a fashion statement; summer comfort prevails, minus the designer labels.
I am never really there until I see my first gandras (stork).
Paddleboats on the sea with parents and children beyond the pier in Palanga and no life vests! I was a little horror stricken at Trakai in a rowboat without a life vest on a lake 80 meters deep in spots!
The Sounds
The noise -- live bands everywhere, some playing to crowds, some to empty seats. Too many and too close together to really enjoy. (I know, I know; I must be getting old!)
Horses hooves -- the comforting clip clop I heard late at night or early in the morn while still nestled in my wee little bed.
Cell phones -- they are everywhere; there is no escape! Most prominent accessory on the young and mostly female.
In Nida -- the absence of sounds, peace and quiet, and I loved it!
The Tastes
A boiled potato -- how can a plain boiled potato taste so good? What is the secret?
Cooking with lard has given way to vegetable oil -- much to my relief and that of my cholesterol count.
Favorite English translation on the menu in Palanga: frog hips with lemon sauce!
Favorite English translation on the menu in Nida: chicken tights or that other specialty of the house -- chicken string! Why, oh why, dont they get somebody who speaks English to translate for them?
The Sauce for 99 is ketchup -- on your šašlykas (shish kabob), on your karbonadas (sautéed meat)!
Bobelinė a new liqueur made from spanguolės (cranberries), a recipe from Mr. Bobelis, a Lithuanian-American member of Seimas.
Kugelis in a crock at Ritos Smūklė in Vilnius so there's no real crusty top or bottom.
The Smells
Mama Mia, its a Picerija (pizzeria)! My nose told me long before my brain figured it out. At first, pica did not register with me at all.
The stench of urine pervades almost every toilet, including our place in Palanga, which was clean, but nonetheless smelled strongly of urine. Neither of the flats in which I stayed had this problem, thank goodness. (NOTE: We Americans are sanitized to a fare-thee-well and are probably spoiled by a no smell, clean smell.) There are a lot more pay public toilets and they are usually pretty clean -- well worth the small charge.
Refrigerators -- they all smell of oily dried meats or fish. Refer back to my comment about Americans and our love affair with Mr. Clean, Lemon Pledge, Fantastic, Tidy Bowl, etc.
Nida
All too soon our five days in Palanga were over and we were headed to Nida for four days. Somehow all of our connections, though unplanned, meshed; we never waited more than 15 or 20 minutes anywhere. It rained early when we left Palanga, but by the time we arrived in Nida, it was beach weather again.
Nida remains as quaint and charming as ever, a country cousin to Palanga. It is still 72% forests. No crowds, no noise. Not too many young people either; they are all in Palanga, with good reason -- thats where the action is.
We arrived just as the drakonas (the dragon) with whom we were staying came home from church. We were scolded because she expected us the night before and had made all this food. This is the woman who would have you eat blyneliai with varške (crepes with cottage cheese) (previously cooked in lard, this time she showed me the bottle of vegetable oil) and vyšnių kompotas (cherry compote) for every meal. If not kodėl (why)?
The fact of the matter is: I dont drink tea, but she wondered why I drank so much water (my beverage of choice and the smartest choice for me considering the heat); I dont particularly like soup in hot weather (except for cold soup, which was not an option); and, Im not a big fan of varške. If I refused anything, it was always Kodėl?
We hiked up the road to the kopos (dunes) since my weak left leg could not take on all those stairs. We did come back down the stairs, and it seems to me that they have been replaced from a straight up to a tacking style with lots of benches along the way for rest stops. Everyone we passed going up as we were going down was panting -- with good reason. The kopos have shrunk significantly since I last saw them two years ago, and it is a cause for concern.
One day at the beach I looked down to see gintaras (amber) rushing past my feet in the waves. Others soon caught on and we were frantically grasping at outgoing waves trying to catch some. Still others were pulling up handfuls of seaweed and twigs to look for more shards. I was lucky enough to grab a piece about 2x1 inches that the drakonas was convinced I had bought, not found. I had it polished by the man who works on gintaras outside in the centras (main street area). I found another piece about the size and shape of a grape that was rough on the round side but glassy and smooth on the flat side. Lots of little crumbs too. This was my favorite beach activity. This situation did not repeat itself, and I had to content myself with finding tiny crumbs. It was fun, nevertheless, and I consider it a pastime unique to this area.
I met a young German couple who was fascinated by this search for gintaras. His theory was to keep his back to the sea; mine was to face the sea and try to grab some as it washed back to the sea. I think my method was more successful. I bumped into this same couple several more times and was delighted to have extensive conversations with them in English.
We also exchanged theories about all the big, expensive cars in Lithuania. He thought they were stolen; I thought gangsters drove them.
I looked forward to eating a karštas šuniukas (hot dog) in Nida, but there were none to be found, although dešrainiai (hot dogs) were all over Palanga. The lettuce put me off. On a hot dog? No way!
Geras oras prevailed; air 27C, water 20C!
Soon Nida was behind us as we boarded the Raketa (hydrofoil) for Kaunas. I knew from previous experience that they do not sell all the seats because it is expensive by their standards, but rather cram you all together like sardines in a can. So, I waited to be seated while my traveling companion dutifully sat in her assigned place (across the table from a greasy, dirty threesome -- our travel mates for the next four hours). Ultimately, we sat in an empty row of three seats, with a little room to sprawl.
We hit a sandbar once and had two ports of call, also some rainsqualls. But despite some strange churning noises, we kept moving toward Kaunas.
I met a charming Englishman on the Raketa; he, too, was a second generation Lithuanian who had come back to see from whence he (or rather, his grandparents) sprang. It was an enjoyable opportunity to have a relatively intelligent conversation, since my Lithuanian is very limited and I was not currently in the company of English-speaking people.
The captain of the Raketa was a žebenkštis (weasel) and the biggest thing about him was his nose. He strutted about to impress us with his importance. There were two passageways to the outside: one crowded with people, the other blocked by this weasel and his cohorts smoking and lolling about. They moved one time when I asked to pass by, but when I returned, he told me to go the other way. This is Service with a Smile in Lithuania!
The door of the WC would not close, so it was a balancing act to go. I knew that from experience and because I walked in on a man who could not close the door either. When I had to use the facilities again, I asked my companion to hold the door for me. I heard an ominous click and found that I was locked in the bathroom -- I hadn't touched any buttons, locks, or doorknobs. I banged on the door until my companion got the message, and she summoned my good friend, the Captain! Imagine his delight (and my amusement) when he found me inside. He motioned how the lock worked -- but I never touched anything, it just locked when the boat lurched. At least I did not spend four hours locked in a foul tualetas.
It had been a long day, beginning with no electricity at our namas (house). But, not to fear, the electricians, drinking beer at 10 a.m., were on the job. Then the four hours on the Raketa, a taxi to the autobuso stotis (bus station) in Kaunas, the bus ride back to Vilnius, then a taxi back to our respective flats.
Old Wives Tales and Other Oddities
Dont send us soap [dish detergent], it has chemicals! [So, we wash our greasy dishes in cold water and wipe the grease off with a linen tea towel.]
Eating mayonnaise is like putting a knife in your stomach! [Results of a scientific study!]
There are microbes in Coke!
Cell phones are dangerous -- rays!
Beware of preservatives (i.e., canned tuna); eat only fresh (like the fish I saw being pulled from waters with raw sewage floating in it)!
Dont order balandėliai (stuffed cabbage) in a kavinė (café), they use old meat!
Attention! K-Mart Shoppers! Except for one street vendor in Nida, every shopkeeper/vendor gave me at least a 10% discount. Even the finest and most expensive amber shop in Vilnius offered 10% for cash and 5% for credit card purchases. Even small purchases, such as 25 litai came down to 22 litai when asked. As I said, only the vendor at the kopos in Nida said no discount, and as a result, he made no sale (at least with me).
In Summary
Its a hard trip and Im not getting any younger. I keep saying this was my last trip. My friends respond: "Dont say that, our circumstances may change (improve)." Traveling there by public transportation is grueling for me. I thought the trips to and from the Baltic Sea would never end. Call me a cream puff or, as I said previously, I must be getting old.