We saw lots of storks and other animals on the trip, and came up with a point system for those who see the most unusual animals. Storks were only 1 point, but the grey cranes and moose that I saw helped me win the game! :)
We saw several "castle mounds" which were hills built by Lithuanians many years ago to be able to view invaders from far away. There are not many hills in Lithuania, so we were delighted with a change of elevation.
The other castle mound we saw had ancient tombs in the side of the hill, and of course we wanted to climb inside...
Next we went to the "Hill of Crosses", which is a place where Lithuanians and people from many other nations have placed crosses as a sign of their Catholic faith.
When the Russians occupied Lithuania, it is said that they tried to destroy this hill many times, but overnight the Lithuanians would come and put up the crosses again. This is a powerful illustration to me of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.
There have been efforts made to count the number of crosses on the hill, but the number changes every day, so it is virtually impossible.
Next we went and walked around a nearby city, Siauliai, and found a HUGE metal fox which was placed by the town river. Apparently the city did not want to display the fox, but the artist placed it here in the middle of the night, and since the city didn't want to pay to have it removed, it is still here. It seems that people really enjoy it, actually!
And it wouldn't be a blog post without a picture of food, right? This is the dish we ate at a Lithuanian restaurant for dinner. It was mashed potatoes, covered with bacon gravy, with pickle spears on the side. Delicious and filling!
What a great day with friends!
What a great day with friends!
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