Today is a National Holiday in Lithuania (as well as some other parts of the world), Assumption Day. I don't know much about it, but Catholics assume this was the day that Mary went to Heaven (body and soul). Actually, "assumption" refers to Mary's journey to Heaven.
So in honor of that, we took a journey to Palanga today. Palanga is a little resort city about 25 kilometers away from Klaipeda (50 kilometers there and back). The journey was a strenuous one, as a small group of us decided to ride bicycles the whole way there and back. About half the group were regular bikers. Steve and I are not regular bikers (or should I say, bicyclists). We are sore. Very sore. Can feel (but not move) muscles I never knew I had (probably didn't have them before today, that's why). But very glad we went. Steve swam in the Baltic Sea, while I sat shivering on the shore (the weather was not too bad, but it did rain a little when we got there....and some on the way back). The sand at the beach there was amazingly soft. No rocks at all. I might have to go back and collect some in a jar to take back home (next time, I'll take different transportation).
The main street of Palanga is like a fair. Different vendors line the streets...as well as people drawing caricatures and other such things like that. Lots of people. We both got a hot dog to eat, and also some gelato. The hot dogs themselves were "normal" hot dogs, but they were served with tomatoes and cucumbers and ketchup and brown mustard. Pretty good. More so just different and interesting. Gelato was good. Steve got coconut flavor and I got amaretto.
All in all, a fun day. The best Assumption Day ever.
A map; can you find Klaipeda and Palanga?
Here are a couple of pictures. I didn't take very many because apparently it's difficult to ride a bike and take pictures at the same time (we mostly rode on bike paths through nice wooded areas).
A million people walking on the pier.
Grey sky over grey water. Nice to sit and watch it though. Would like to see it during a sunset (when the sun is out).
The softest sand ever. You can also see the raindrops starting the second I took the camera out.
3 comments:
the fact that catholics "assume" something different about assumption day kindof makes me smile. i mean, if i were to make a holiday called "assumption day", the entire point of the holiday would be that you could assume whatever you wanted, and no one would be able to tell you that you were wrong. so, i say, let the catholics assume on assumption day. it's only fair.
Before you explained what assumption day was, I was expecting it to be a day where you were free to assume things. For example, some people might assume they could bike 50km even if they were not bicyclists. But apparently that is not the actual definition. I was just assuming that.
Also, I love the feet picture. Love.
I love keeping up on your blog! The tours of your new life, the chronciles of figuring out how to "survive" in Lithuania, and your great stories. Love the cycling story!! Blessed belated Assumption Day to you both!
Praying for you!
Jeff, Sarah, & Campbell
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