Helsinki, Finland
Thursday, October 13, 2011

Hi
Grandpa and I miss you very much. We think about you and say a prayer for you every day. I am looking forward to seeing you in the spring time.
Maybe you heard that Grandpa and I went on a big ship not long ago. It was actually a ferry that carried cars and great big trucks as well as passengers like us who did not have a car.

What do you think would happen if they put all of the big trucks filled with cargo at one end of the boat and all of the cars at the other end? Grandpa and I sat and watched the loading through a great big window on the ship. The men directed the trucks and cars so that they were mixed up so that the ship would be balanced. There were two decks at the bottom of the ship for cars and trucks.

What do you think that Grandpa is standing next to in this picture? It is a very small boat on the great big one. If there should be any problems with the ferry, all of the people could get into the small life boats. I wasn’t at all worried that something would go wrong because I knew that the ferry would be safe. It makes the trip from Helsinki to Stockholm and then comes back the next day. It sails every day of the year. Even in the winter time when there is ice in the water. The Ferry was called the Mariella.

If you look at this page , you will see a ferry called the Isabella sailing through the ice in the winter.

This video is of a ship called an ice breaker. It is going to rescue a ship that is trapped in the ice.
While we were looking out the window at the back of the ship, we saw a little tug boat that helped a big barge move. It reminded me of Thomas the train and some books about boats that I have seen.

We love you very much. Grandma and Grandpa Fry

Eating out in Vilnius

Čili Restaurant had an artificial tree in the center of the restaurant with several figures sitting in it. This is just one of the men sitting in the tree. The chickens are real. They are in a glass cage just as you walk into the restaurant.

Business Man's lunch in the cellar at the Narutis Hotel. We had a delicious chicken dish with fresh stir fried vegetables. It reminded me of Thai food that we ate in Washington DC. Everywhere we went the food was good and was affordable. Two of us could have lunch for only about 8 or 9dollars.

Beef Stroganoff with mashed potatoes and pickles

Pork inside Potato Rolls

Pizza made with a potato crust

Castle at Trakai

The area where we were waiting at the terminal in Riga was very small. I finally found a place to sit and Earl walked around. When it was almost time to board, he came to me and told me that he wanted me to meet someone. He led me over to a couple. Immediately I knew what he was talking about. The man was wearing a black missionary badge for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The couple got on the flight to Vilnius with us and I sat with the sister missionary and the professor sat with the Elder. I think that the two men talked about serious matters such as finding work in countries that once part of the USSR. We two women talked about granchildren, what to do when you have too much time on your hands and what to do if your husband applies to go on a mission without telling you about it.


On Friday I went out to a castle on an island with the same tour as the missionary couple. It was fun to have their company while the Professor attended the conference.

The original castle fell into disrepair and disuse. During the 20th Century the Russians reconstructed the brick buildings on their stone foundations. Since there were few places that people in the USSR could travel for vacations, Vilnius and the Castle became tourist attractions.

According to a Karaite tradition several hundred Crimean Karaites were invited to Lithuania by Grand Duke Vytautas to settle in Trakai ca. 1397. A small community remains in Trakai today, which has preserved the Turkic Karaim language and distinctive customs, such as its traditional dish called "kibinai", a sort of meat pastry, and its houses with three windows, one for God, one for the family, and one for Grand Duke Vytautas.

I have come to realize that it would take more of a scholar than I will ever be to understand the movement of the Khazars and Karaites to Lithuania.

Our guide told us that people go to Trakai just to eat the food at the Karaites restuarant. She also told us that if a newly married couple wishes to have good luck in their marriage that the groom will carry the bride over 9 bridges. Just going into the castle he would have to cross 3 bridges; therefore, frequently newlyweds visit.

Of course, we had to go try the pastry while we were in Trakai. Due to my indecision and a misunderstanding I ended up with two orders. Fortunately I was able to take the kibinai and some cake back for the Professor to enjoy.

If you click on a few of the emphasized words above there are some fun youtube videos of the island from the air and making kibinai.

Vilnius with the Professor

Elaine and I were in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, October 6-9. I made a presentation at the Baltic Conference on Canadian Studies held at the University of Vilnius. We flew Baltic Air from Helsinki and the airline was actually better than I expected. We had intermediate stops both ways at the airport in Riga, the capital of Latvia.

The weather was very nice for the first couple of days, followed by some rain and cooler temperatures.

The old part of Vilnius is gorgeous and very walkable. Almost all of the photos below are in the old city and at the University of Vilnius, which is also in the old city. Lithuania's population is only slightly larger than Utah's. However, it suffered great devastation and massive loss of life during WWII and then had to endure being absorbed into the Soviet Union until 1991. Until the Great Recession which began in late 2007, the country was doing quite well economically. However, it has recently had a significant economic downturn and it will take time for Lithuania to get back on its feet.

What stands out about Vilnius is the large number of churches scattered around the city. We came across several weddings on Saturday as we walked around. Notice the old caddie and buick which were used by one wedding party. Many of the restaurants in the old city also have downstairs' caverns, and we enjoyed several meals in these caverns. We stayed in a small B & B and Elaine shot some scenes of the courtyard in front of the door heading up to our room. We didn't have a TV, but the wifi worked so we could watch some programs on the Ipad.

With such a limited population, it is also amazing that Lithuania has one of the finest national basketball teams in the world. U.S. players are fine athletes and great at dunking, but Lithuanian players are very good at teamwork on offense and defense, and superior in shooting free throws and 3-pointers.*

We met some very nice people at the conference, conferees who came from Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Canada, and Poland. Most of the panels dealt with Canadian literature, while I spoke about Canada-U.S. relations since 9/11. In effect, our topics and areas of interest tended to be quite different. Nonetheless, we had a great time and enjoyed this very historic city and the fine people whom we met there.

*Note from Elaine: The guide on our tour told us about the heated rivalry between the teams of two cities - Vilnius and Kaunus. She mentioned that there were 3 million people in Lithuania and there were 3 million basketball fans. In fact she said that the Religion of Lithuania had 3 Bs. Bible, Beer, Basketball. At a reception that evening, I met a woman from Canada who had immigrated to Lithuania and become a citizen. She teaches at the university in Kaunus. I casually mentioned to Milda that I had heard there was a fierce rivalry between the two cities. With a very serious voice and a straight face, she told me that Vilnius did not have a team. I had been misinformed. Kaunus was the only city in Lithuania with a basketball team. Obviously the tour guide had it right.

Visiting Lithuania

On Thursday morning, October 6th, the professor and I flew to the capital city of Lithuania. Until we visited Vilnius, the only thing I knew about it was that Captain Ramius (Sean Connery) in The Hunt for Red October was from there. We flew Air Baltic for the first time and it turned out to be a positive experience. It seemed as if it is a well run company. We flew from Helsinki to Riga in Latvia, changed planes and flew to Vilnius.

When we landed in Vilnius, a very charming couple met us at the airport. They drove us to the hotel. Her English was so good and she said it was self-taught. I was so surprised. She had all of the idioms and slang expressions just right. Her husband was a physicist and spoke hardly any English. She told us that she was no longer teaching at the University of Vilnius. She had to drive her car to the university and parking was so difficult. Finally her parking tickets became so numerous that she decided it was not financially worth it to teach in the city. She was so delightful. But we never got up the courage to ask her what her name was. We still don't know. A young woman named Ruta with an impossible last night was Earl's contact before and during the conference.

Is it Finnish or Swedish?

The above signs say: Thanks for putting your used containers on the serving trolley. Notice how similar the Swedish serveringsvagnen is to a serving wagon in English.

Hair Cut in Helsinki

I have been feeling old and worn out and as if my hair is usually flat and wet from sweat. Yesterday, I decided that instead of feeling glum, I was going to do something about it. I walked past a hair salon on our street and noticed that no one was in there getting her hair done. Not long after that I was the one there getting my hair done.

Fortunately the woman who cut and blew dry my hair spoke English and she had no trouble understanding and seeing what had to be done.

And I have to admit, that my spirits have been lifted dramatically. All from a hair cut. Thank goodness.