Update

View from Gediminas's Tower above part of Old Town Vilnius

I've thought of a hundred things to blog in the last month, but I haven't sat down to tell the stories. We're about to hit the two month mark, and it's really starting to feel like home for us. We're also staying busy and having a great time getting to know other folks in the community. Forgive me for the random thoughts and notes, but I just wanted to post a few pictures to catch up, so that then I can get back to a regular weekly (hey - what's wrong with some optimism?) blog.

J participated in a soccer tournament back in April. Sadly, our team didn't place, but they played hard and had fun. Don't their uniforms look great? Check out Jason catching a goal he blocked  (sorry for the fuzzy picture!)!

We've just done a little exploring around Old Town so far, but there are some amazing sights to see. Also, we've found a lot of great little restaurants that are relatively inexpensive. We took this photo from the site of the old fortress/castle from the 1500's, that originally protected Vilnius and the Grand Duchy. The tower that stands there now is a replica built during the last century, but it seems to be built to historical measurements, including the low stone ceiling that yours truly bumped into on the way up the small, winding steps to the top. We walked up the hill this time, but I believe the funicular is the way to ride up the hill in style!

I love seeing the hot air balloons that take off from somewhere in Old Town every clear evening - they are beautiful!!  I'm still getting used to the long days here. Twice this week I've gone to bed before it's dark outside (aka, before 10 p.m.), and let me tell you - that feels weird. I hear that when the weather is nice, people spend the evenings on the sidewalks and balconies of outdoor cafes, and the Old Town is full of people and energy. We've had one pretty warm week already, and I can attest that it is much more comfortable outside than in the apartment. It can get a little stuffy without air conditioning. This week it's been much cooler, and rather rainy (in Lithuanian, the phrase "The rain rains in Lithuania" has quite a ring to it).

We've had our share of little hiccups lately as well. Two weeks ago, we decided it was perfect weather for a bike ride. We put our bikes back together from the move, drug them down the stairs and we were ready to roll, right? Wrong. J's tire turned out to be irreparably flat, no matter how much air we tried to put in it. I managed to find a rental/repair shop who's manager spoke English, so we decided to take it to her to put in a new inner tube. Three hours and two stops later, I declared our mission a success. But sadly, just moments later, all the air had seeped out again. After 4 hours of effort, we gave up that weekend and went for a run instead.

But I'm happy to say that today we took the tire back today and had a second inner tube installed. Even with my poor Lithuanian (and the mechanic's limited English), we got it right this time! And so we were able to take our first bike ride around Vengris Park this evening - this giant park holds a large amphitheater in the center, and all trails through the woods to lead there. The amphitheater opens up into a large, flat grassy area that will hold thousands for major concerts. Today the field was full of people playing, reading, and soaking up the sun, with rollerbladers and bikeriders like us riding along the paved perimeter.