To the mall again

I went to the mall again this weekend and ventured upstairs where I saw the top of the Bavarian village of the food court below.







And a movie theater.  I don't go to movies much, so I am not tempted to go to see if they are in English with sub titles or dubbed into Lithuanian.

I did have a hamburger at the local joint.  The name of the place is indeed HESBURGER rather than cheeseburger.  It was cheaper than McDonald's though the portions were smaller.  Still a perfectly good early lunch for $2.50.

This is apparently the local hangout for kids, with a small arcade, a billiards hall and bowling alley.  The entrance seems dark and foreboding, but the lanes are well lit and inviting.


After eating, I went down to the Maxima to do grocery shopping.  I had to take a photo of this.  The Lithuanians, along with Britons, know where their food comes from.

Smelt festival in Palanga

This past Saturday I met up with several colleagues and took a bus about 15 kilometers north to the coastal resort town of Palanga for the Stinta or Smelt Festival.

As with any festival, the crowds were noticeable.

We walked down a thoroughfare of booths selling local trinkets

and fish, some dried and some fried, and of course something to wash it all down.

At the end of the promenade was the sea, in all its cold winter glory, where a

number of people were crazy enough to take a dip in the icy waters.

During the three hours we spent in Palanga, the weather alternated between bright sun to overcast to heavy snow. We ended the day at a cozy restaurant. I had a hamburger, served Lithuanian style with a cucumber along with the tomato and lettuce. It was OK, but I think I will go with something else next time.

Dogs in Lithuania

Lithuanians seem to enjoy having dogs as pets. I frequently see all sorts of people walking all sorts of dogs: burly men with their german shepherds, bundled up older women with their little yippers, scruffy men with their loyal pooches that follow without even being leashed and elegantly dressed women carrying their lap dogs.

Society as a whole seems to agree with all these Lithuanians. I have seen numerous small shops that sell only dog related items and on a recent visit to the nearby town of Palanga, I saw dog hitching posts outside a store.

I turned to another store across the square and toward a loud barking. There I saw a dog waiting for its person, fending off

even kindly attempts to calm him.

And then his person came out of the store. I have never seen a dog so excited. He jumped up and almost literally attached himself to his person. What looks like the woman's fur coat cuffs is really all dog.

I then went into a restaurant for something to eat. Walking out at the end of my meal, I saw this man and his dog; not a sight one would see in the States.

I am glad that I can get my dog fix by just walking down the street because right now having one of my own is not an option.