As a genealogist I spend a great deal of time searching for people who lived centuries ago. I marvel at the clarity of some of the pages of documents that have withstood the ravages of time while bemoaning the degradation of ink and condition of the paper for other documents – definitely no consistency. As an aging person my perception of time is that the clock must be speeding up when I’m not looking at it because it passes by so quickly. Unless you’re on a long car or plane trip. Then it drags on, and on, and on. Those 8 hour drives from Santa Fe to Phoenix? The clock wants to keep me befuddled by saying it still takes 8 hours but really? It feels like double that. Plane flights also go sooooo slowly. I arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania today 17 hours after I left Phoenix. That flight seemed endless and changing planes twice didn’t make it go any faster.

Vilnius doesn’t seem to have changed, though. The last time I was here was in 2019, and after checking with the concierge at the hotel to make sure everything was still where I left it, knowing I could easily get around, I ventured out. Well, the cobblestone streets don’t make it easy, but I could find my way around.

I walked outside after collecting my bags at the airport to get a cab. The day was glorious – warm, sunny. Perfect weather. Then the rains came. By the time we reached my hotel, the rains stopped. The sky resumed its bright blue, sunny asspect, as if there had been no disruption.

So I did the sensible thing after checking into the Narutis – I went for a short walk in case the weather decided to do it again.

The weather was glorious, but unpacking, getting on-line, and taking care of other chores was calling me.

The hotel is so charming. The lobby is an interior courtyard and there are plants going up all four floors. I decided I would have dinner at the hotel and since the weather was so nice, I would eat outside. By the time I was done with dinner, about an hour later the temperature had dropped significantly, and I realized that once again, the huge pile of clothes I brought with me, was going to be insufficient. I noticed people were wearing jackets.

I remembered there used to be an outdoor market with all sorts of things not far from the hotel, and sure enough, I found a dark rust merino cardigan! Saved by the wool. I wonder where I’m going to put it to come home – the southwest is still going be be very warm in mid-September. Oh well. I don’t have to try to figure it out now. After all, tomorrow is another day,