Picked up breakfast with the Dutch brothers and their Japanese roommate (Koki) and then taxied to a spa that Daniel found online. It’s a celebratory weekend for Kristiaan’s birthday.

Spent a couple hours there- we swam in the lukewarm pool and sat in the lukewarm jacuzzi. Even enjoyed a steam and sauna, but nothing compared to Nadvirna.

Bussed home, picked up lunch and dinner materials on the way. Napped and showered, meanwhile Koki prepared a delicious Japanese meal.

Blogged for a bit and then left for fireworks with Daniel, Kristiaan, Koki and Dimo. The show was a seemingly steep 15 Euros, but we soon learned it was worth it. Walked a long dark path to reach the arena, in Vingis Park, which was flooded with attendees. Three teams competed- Britain, France, Denmark.

Crummy Lithuanian musicians performed between the spectacular presentations.

We walked the long path back and hailed a taxi to a club in city center.

Spent a couple hours there, Kristiaan turned 22. We taxied home and picked up hotdogs on the way.

Took the bus to city center, ate before class. ‘Minorities’ was again very interesting.

We first learned about the various interwar constitutions, only two of which stipulated specific rights for minority groups. In addition to a declaration on the protection of minorities (a requirement for admission to the League of Nations), these were the only documents that clarified rights of minority groups during the interwar period.

We then learned about public organizations during the interwar period via results of a 1931 census. 820 public organizations existed with over 287,000 people involved. Of this number, 60,000 were Jews (every third Jew). Jews were mostly involved in charitable organizations, as well as the underground Lithuanian Communist Party of which they accounted for more than 40 percent. I found it funny (and appropriate) that of the thousands involved in temperance organizations, only 4 were Jews.

We lastly learned about the various Seimas (parliaments) during the interwar period, all except the last included minorities. There was even a Minister for Jewish Affairs between 1920 and 1923.

After class I signed my Study Agreement at the International Programs office and then traveled back to Olandu.

Rested until the evening. I went to a Hookah bar with the Dutch brothers and others. It was nice.

Went on the long run, averaged 8:10/mile.

Had a terrible shower- pipe’s broken again so no pressure.

Was invited to dinner by Manon, Milda is also her mentor. She lives on the other side of the river, where I haven’t spent much time, so I traveled early to explore.

Found an instrument store. I inquired about renting a keyboard- 50 Euros per day was their best offer. I’m really struggling without a piano to decompress.

Talked to mom as I tried to find a cafe, which was surprisingly difficult. I think it was the business district. Eventually found a place with amazing shakshuka, I blogged there for a while.

Picked up wine on the way to dinner. Manon and her roommate (Morgane) live in a spacious, nicely furnished flat- I was so jealous. They are both from the Lyon area. They made delicious crepes filled with cheese/salami, curd, Nutella, sugar… They somehow managed to endure my questions about French politics. It turns out they were happy to practice their English.

We traveled together to the Erasmus ‘International Gathering 1’ around 10:00. Stumbled upon a large crowd enjoying spooky folk music and burning straw figures by the river. It was apparently a celebration of the autumn equinox, clearly a remnant of paganism.

The event was held at Crazy Bull in city center. Different groups of students presented on cultural aspects of their country. The Germans presented a drinking game, of course. Sat with a group of French girls, easily the cutest I’ve met in Erasmus.

Woke up early and made my way to a cafe in city center. Sat there for five hours trying to schedule the 18 remaining shtetl stops around my unfortunate class schedule. I can accomplish Lithuanian towns on weekends and day trips, but will need to miss class for Polish and Belarusian. Still need to consider things like tour guides and rental cars.

Had history in the evening. The professor has terrible English and is impossible to understand. He argued that Vincas Kudirka (author of national anthem) was not an anti-semite, but simply an advocate for Lithuanian unity.

The Jews… our most terrible enemies… the most vicious wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing
–Vincas Kudirka

Walked home with Robbin, bought dinner on the way.

FaceTimed with Anna Meyers (Northeastern friend) for a while, she moved to Israel.

The temperature has gotten cooler, I’m anxious to see how quickly it declines… Made for great running weather though. Ran right past my normal turnaround bridge- ended up doing 4 miles instead of 5 kilometers.

Watched live as Elizabeth Warren and a united Senate Banking Committee obliterated the CEO of Wells Fargo.

Went to dinner at Charlie’s with Daniel and Jan. Accidentally brought the room key with me, had to take a taxi to and from the dormitory to return it…

Was so excited to run this morning after a weekend of self-indulgence, alas, pipe broke… no water, no shower.

Dressed and went for lunch at the Mexican place near my IR courses. I think I’ll make this my Monday routine.

Of course, on the week I didn’t read, Professor Girnius decided to forgo handouts and use a powerpoint instead. I took pictures of every slide.

Went for a quick coffee and then to Girnius’ office hours to discuss my struggle with the readings. I confessed that it took me about 3 hours per 20 page article. He responded that such a time commitment is reasonable for philosophy, and that indeed his assignments are (verbatim) ‘heavy shit’.

After Morality of War I took the bus to Olandu. Was able to catch up with Majd on the ride- he’d had his first medical school interview (UAB).

Enjoyed another large breakfast at the hotel buffet, I’m going to miss this semblance of comfort.

We were eventually directed towards the bus, but it didn’t leave for another hour. The trip has been a logistical disaster, I forgot how much I prefer to travel alone or in a small group. I used the time to blog and prepare for the forthcoming stop.

Nida is one of four towns that lie within the Lithuanian portion of the Curonian Spit, a sandbar that formed at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Widely considered to be Lithuania’s most prominent geological feature, the Spit is about 60 miles long and 2 miles wide. It has Prussian origins like Klaipeda, but is presently divided between Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia.

In the late 19th century Nida became a popular resort town for German writers and artists including Thomas Mann. It is still a very popular summer destination for Lithuanian and German tourists.

The usual crew decided to recover from last night, so I toured with Pauline, Thomas and other French kids. We started at the harbor, which lies on the Curonian Lagoon (divides the Spit from mainland).

From the harbor we had an amazing view of the Parnidis Dune, which reaches a height of almost 200 feet.

We encountered some lovely homes on the walk to the Dune.

Thomas and Pauline found a swing.

After a semi-strenuous climb we had a breathtaking view of the city and lagoon.

At the highest point stood a belvedere with an unbelievable view of the ‘Valley of Silence’, which divides the Lithuanian and Russian portions of the Spit.

Slowly made my way down the hill to the bus.

The ride home was extremely frustrating. We made two unnecessary stops that took unnecessarily long, and the Italians screamed and sang the entire drive. Arrived at Olandu before midnight.

Had a spectacular sleep. It put into perspective just how crummy our dormitory accommodations are.

Ate a large breakfast at the hotel buffet. Our bus to the beach wasn’t to leave until the early afternoon, so I figured I’d use the free time to explore the city.

Designed a route using my handy-dandy guide book. Kristiaan, Robbin and Enola joined. I’ve become the de facto tour guide of the group. Later, two of Enola’s French friends joined- Pauline (Normandy) and Thomas (Leon).

In spite of its national affiliation at present, Klaipeda (historically ‘Memel’) is of Prussian origins:

1. The indigenous Prussian tribes were conquered by the Teutonic Knights (German crusaders) in the 13th century. Along with their Latvian and Estonian counterpart (the Livonian Knights), the Teutonic Knights were the most persistent foe of early Lithuania.
2. After a series of crushing defeats in the following centuries, the Teutonic State was divided into the Duchy of Prussia (Polish fief) and Royal Prussia (Polish region).
3. The Duchy of Prussia merged with the Electorate of Brandenburg (HRE) in the 17th century to become Brandenburg-Prussia, which would gain Kingdom status in 1701.
4. The Kingdom of Prussia annexed (reunified with) Royal Prussia during the 1st Partition of Poland (1772).
5. Prussia (led by Otto von Bismarck) would become the driving force behind the unification of the German Empire in the 19th century.
6. After crushing defeats during the World Wars, the Prussian territories were lost to the Soviets, Poland, and Lithuania.

Klaipeda is divided by the River Dane. Our hotel, described in my guide book as a ‘massive bulk’, dominates the New Town square.

The New Town square also includes the Old Town Hall, where Prussian Court was temporarily moved in 1807 from Napoleonic Berlin.

We crossed the Dane into Old Town.

Our first stop was the Drama Theater, which dominates the Old Town square. Over the course of its illustrious history, the Drama Theater hosted a who’s who of anti-semites, including Wagner and Hitler. Indeed, it was on the Theater balcony in 1939, that Hitler emphatically announced the reincorporation of Klaipeda into German hands.

From there we traveled along a cobblestone road to the market. The ambiance was distinct from other Lithuanian towns visited, emblematic of the Prussian origins and seaside proximity.

The market was lively.

As the others browsed, I ventured quickly to the old Jewish cemetery. It was (as expected) destroyed by the Soviets.

On the way back to the hotel we walked by the ruins of the castle, which has origins in the Teutonic era.

We boarded the bus for a quick ride to the Dutchman’s Cap, a cliff that lies along the coast of the Baltic Sea.

We slowly made our way down the hill to the sandy beach.

The water was frigid, but we were determined.

The sun eventually made its way out.

Kristiaan, Robbin, Enola and I decided to walk the shoreline until we found food. I used the time to talk with my parents.

After a long walk with no success, Robbin turned around. The rest of us carried on and eventually found a seaside restaurant. We ate Kubdari.

We made the long walk back (almost 5km) and slept on the bus until the group arrived an hour later.

Back at the hotel we showered before heading to dinner at the rooftop restaurant. It was the best meal I’d had in Lithuania.

Briefly attended the pregame before heading back to my room. Didn’t attempt to go out again.

Watched ‘the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ and raided the mini-fridge.

Was supposed to travel with the group this morning (for the weekend trip), but decided stay in Vilnius until after my National Minorities class.

As always, my good intentions screwed me. The class was canceled. I stayed back for nothing. I missed an entire day of travel.

My train didn’t depart until the evening, so I went by Omnitel to activate the Spotify Premium subscription that came with my new data plan.

Had a late lunch at the station. My train departed at 4:30, it was a pleasant trip.

I arrived in Klaipeda at 8:30. Walked to the hotel, which was flooded by 90 Erasmus students. The crew told me all about their amazing day in the beautiful seaside town of Palanga. I was extremely frustrated.

Pregamed with the Dutch kids, Jan, Enola (French girl, good friends with Robbin) and Daniel’s new ‘friend’ Maria (Bulgarian).

Around 11:30 we walked to the club, but I wasn’t allowed in because I was wearing sandals. What kind of beach club doesn’t allow folks in with sandals? To be honest I wasn’t that upset.

Kristiaan and I roomed together. I fell asleep just after midnight.

Ran midway through the day. Best time yet.

Finished Bloodline season 2. Not sure what the critics were thinking, I thought it was great television.