Went for a morning run around the river. It was very nice.

Eventually made my way to the city. Intended to read over lunch for my ‘morality courses’, but procrastinated instead.

Had ‘History of Lithuania (1919-1990)’ for the first time. The professor was quite the eccentric. His attempt at teaching millennia of history in just over an hour failed, but it was interesting to learn about the University’s integrality to the history of the city. The University was built by Jesuits and consecrated by King Stephen Bathory in 1579 to counteract the Reformation.

Watched Bloodline in a coffeeshop nearby until 5:45.

The Yiddish Literary Circle at the Jewish Cultural Center began at 6:00. It was held entirely in Yiddish, no other languages allowed. I was thrilled to hear the language of my ancestors in the land of my ancestors.

The meeting was presided over by Dr. Dovid Katz, renowned expert in the fields of Yiddish studies and Litvak (Jewish Lithuanian) studies. His map of the traditional Litvak territory hangs above my bed in America. He is also known for exposing the ‘double-genocide’ (a term used to describe the Lithuanian collaboration during the Holocaust) and contemporary attempts at concealment. More information can be found on his website. He warned me of the potentially nationalist narrative that I may receive in my history courses at VU.

I also met Mr. Chaim Bergman, a professional tour guide, who offered to take me through my various Lithuanian shtetls.

Bussed home, ate, slept.

Extremely productive day.

(1) Submitted my course registration at the International Programs and Relations Office.

(2) Got a new sim card with a larger data plan.

(3) Purchased a pair of dumbbells and then dropped them off at my dormitory.

(4) Bussed to the New Campus to purchase tickets for the weekend trip. I’m thrilled that I don’t have any courses there- it was a shlep and not as beautiful as the Old Campus. My card was denied at the ATM nearby, so I walked a mile to pick up cash.

(5) Went to the bank to pay rent, but my card was again denied. Spent an hour on the phone with Bank of America.

(6) Picked up groceries.

Watched season 2 of Bloodline until bed.

Left early for my cafe to read for Morality of Patriotism. Finished the first article about 3 hours later- it was only twenty pages.

Found a Mexican place for lunch near my classes. It wasn’t good, but I enjoyed the familiarity.

Got registration signatures for my IR courses and then continued reading.

I expected Professor Girnius to start his lecture by speaking on the complexity of the readings, but instead his talk was equally convoluted. I’m excited for the challenge.

Caught up on my blog before Morality of War. Met a student from Seattle.

Second class was only as dense as the first, but I was significantly more exhausted.

Returned to the Mexican place for dinner, then swung by the market before getting on the bus.

Bus drove right past my stop, I had to walk more than I would’ve liked.

Crept out of bed at 9:00 careful to not awake the others. I journaled by the lake, it was very peaceful.

Cleaned up and paid our hosts- only 8 Euros each. We were offered a complimentary ride to town, we really lucked out with these folks…

Our driver helped us find a bike rental, we ended up at a hotel in Ignalina. Can’t remember the last time I biked. It took a while to get the hang of (not so sure I ever did). Kristiaan was our guide, he organized a path along several lakes in the area. Our journey was initially quite smooth.

Upon reaching a small village along the main road, we journeyed down a trail into the wilderness. It was significantly more difficult to bike along the unpaved terrain.

We stopped by another lake for a brief snack (chips and bread from the previous night) before continuing on.

I was particularly impressed by the trees, which lacked leaves until the very top, thus enabling visibility deep into the forest. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.

We encountered a few dead ends, which evoked anxious memories of the incident in Nadvirna. I voted to return to the main road, but the rest were determined to avoid backtracking. We hit some pretty massive hills with significantly softened earth, which made it impossible to bike up. We tirelessly pushed our bikes up the hill- it was quite the workout (actually much needed considering our weekend diet).

After a couple hours of inexplicable effort the road slowly began to improve, as did my moral. We ultimately reached another beautiful lake.

We hit the main road soon after, and within an hour we were back in Ignalina. In total we biked about 20 kilometers. We sat down to lunch at the hotel. I felt bad for the waiters and folks next to us- even I was disgusted by my stench.

After lunch we sat by the lake and eventually made our way to the train station. The train departed at 5:00 and we were back in Vilnius by 6:40.

It was a particularly special day for me to be in Vilnius. Exactly 125 years ago today, Henry Lapidus and Ida Riches (my great-great-grandparents) were married in this city.

We picked up dinner and then taxied back to Olandu. I took an extremely long shower and then didn’t move from my bed.

Was supposed to meet Kristiaan and Robbin downstairs at 7:15, but I overslept. Missed the bus to the train station, so I called an Uber. Jan arrived with only seconds to spare. There was no available seating so we sat on the floor between cars. Everyone was still very ‘exhausted’ from the night before.

Around 10:00 we arrived at the station in Ignalina, the central station for exploring Aukstaitija National Park. Aukstaitija National Park is both the largest and oldest national park in Lithuania. Formed by receding glaciers about 16,000 years ago, the park is over 70% forested and boasts 127 lakes. Kristiaan organized the trip and had intended to keep it small, but after mentioning it in passing, a few of us invited ourselves.

From Ignalina we made our way via taxi to Paluse, the epicenter of Aukstaitija. We started at the tourist center where we received a general overview and a guidebook.

After purchasing snacks we began our search for a bike rental. The first place was out, so we continued our walk along the permitter of the lake.

After a lengthy walk we realized that bike shops were not as plentiful as we had imagined. Once we hit the main road Kristiaan suggested that we hitchhike to the nearest town. I was obviously doubtful as I’d never hitchhiked before, but within ten minutes I was in the backseat of a van. We didn’t know where to direct our driver, so when we passed a sign pointing to a lodge, we motioned in that direction.

When we first arrived at the lodge we were greeted by a man who can only be described as ‘rural’. He gave a look of disbelief, something along the lines of ‘how did you find us’ or ‘what in the world are you doing here’. We pointed towards the canoes and he called over a man who spoke impressive English. We explained our predicament and were ultimately invited to join his expedition which was to depart in 20 minutes.

We explored the surroundings in the meantime.

After adorning lifejackets we crowded into a van with other travelers. We arrived at the river about 30 minutes later.

Jan and I shared a canoe, as did Kristiaan and Robbin. The water was cool and calm, but extremely windy.

After 5km (a couple hours) we stopped at an open area for lunch. It turned out that the other travelers were acquainted with the innkeeper. We were crashing a family gathering. They invited us to join their picnic and shared their food and drinks. One young man (Martinas) had just started his first semester at Vilnius University.

Eventually we started back down the river, and Jan and I were soon disconnected from the group. I was afraid that the river had diverged and we had taken the wrong path, but after a few anxious moments we were reunited with the group.

Our journey ended in a luscious lake. The water was the clearest I’d seen. In total, we had canoed about 15km. It was then, while waiting for the van, that we decided to stay the night.

Our driver took us to the nearest town to pick up food for the night. We decided on chips, bread and beer.

We arrived back at the accommodation around 5:00. The village was called ‘Pabirze’. It was located on a beautiful, still lake. We were directed to our quarters, which included a pier and a campfire sight.

Naturally, we were soon in the water. To my amazement I could actually see my feet. It was initially chilly, but we were quickly numb. It was beyond refreshing.

Since we didn’t have towels, we decided to warm up by the campfire. We were supplied with an abundance of perfectly sized firewood. I built and then started a fire using only one match. Thanks Camp Barney.

We sat by the fire the rest of the night.

I briefly turned on cellular data (I’m officially out) to play a song, which is when I received a message from one of my closest high school friends (Will Riley) letting me know that he was engaged. I immediately video called him and we spoke for a bit. I am still in disbelief.

Our night ended with some wholesome stargazing. They were unbelievable. I saw two shooting stars.

With that, we tucked in for the night.

Tried to read before class, but didn’t leave enough time to wade through another entirely incomprehensible article for Morality of War.

The new class is held in the history department, thus another unreal view of the (adjacent) Presidential Palace. The course is titled ‘National Minorities in Lithuania and East Central Europe, 1918-1939’. The professor is Dr. Saulius Kaubrys  a shlubbish man with a difficult accent, but enthusiastic and engaging.

We learned about demographics from the 1923 Census, the first and only during the entire interwar period. Of the 2.1 million residents about 84% were ethnically Lithuanian, a relatively large amount of homogeneity. Nevertheless, the newly independent nation boasted 26 minority groups, of which 6 had populations over 1,000- Poles, Russians, Germans, Latvians, Belarusians, and the largest minority group… Jews!

Jews accounted for 7.6% of the population- 156,000 people. Apparently only 15 Jews (by nationality) did not belong to the Jewish faith. At the same time in Poland, only 75% of Jews (nationality) belonged to the faith. I learned that, in spite of the traditional view of our ancestors being peasants in small shtetls, the vast majority of Jews (65-70%) lived in cities and accounted for over 3 quarters of all traders. In contrast, about 85% of ethnic Lithuanians subsisted on agriculture and lived in rural areas. Jews were also among the most literate in Lithuania (Slavs being the least). It is easy to imagine how these conditions could have bred resentment.

After class I went to another coffee shop and made another attempt at my Morality of War readings, which I still can’t fathom how a non-native speaker could possibly comprehend.

Walked back to Olandu where I showered and groomed before heading to a lonely dinner in city center. The food was boring.

Around 8:00 I met up with Daniel at the suite that he had rented for the night. Kristiaan joined us, and later Dimo, Bashar (Turkish) and Koyku (Japanese)- the brothers’ roomate. We drank and watched music videos on MTV before heading to the event at 11:00.

At first we thought we were at the wrong location because the building was luxurious and massive.

After further inquiry we learned that the event was on the ‘thirth’ floor.

The ballroom was gorgeous, it was a welcome party for Erasmus students. I stayed for a couple hours then took the taxi home.

No classes today, so I figured I’d start on assigned readings. Decided to find a cafe in city center.

As I neared the small market, I read the sign in front the adjacent, decaying, bunker. It read ‘built by tyrannical Soviets using stones from the old Jewish cemetery’, or something like that. I was inspired to find the location of the old Jewish cemetery- it turned out there were three. The first (in Snipiskis suburb) was built in the 15th century- yes, Jews have been here that long. It was active until closed by the Russians in 1831. The second (in Uzupis suburb) was built around the same time that the first was closed. It was active until the end of WWII. Both were destroyed be the Soviets. The third cemetery (in Seskine suburb) is still in use. My ancestors (both paternal and maternal) lived in Vilnius during the time of the second cemetery.

To my amazement, the second cemetery was just around the corner. In fact, it is most commonly referred to as the Olandu Cemetery, as in, Olandu Dormitory, as in, the street where I live…

In front there is a memorial built of headstones that were used for construction during the Soviet era. The cemetery once boasted 70,000 headstones, of which only about 70 remain.

There is no proper trail within the cemetery or even a path to approach it. The few remaining headstones were scattered.

It was, as in Ukraine, oddly beautiful.

I could make out the perimeter that once stood there.

As I kept walking I continued spotting headstone remnants. It was clearly once a very large cemetery.

Somewhere, interred here, was my great-great-great-grandfather, Nathan Riches, along with his brothers and other relatives. His wife and daughters are buried in Birmingham, Alabama. Also, presumably buried here (though without documentation), are my mother’s great-great-grandparents: Michael and Sarah Abramowitz. I said Kaddish before continuing my walk.

Continued my walk in the early afternoon. Passed by the beautiful Church of Saints Peter and Paul, apparently a pearl of the Lithuanian Baroque Style. It was built in the 17th century.

Once in city center I had a quick lunch before heading to the cafe that I really loved from the first day. I ordered a cappuccino, and then eventually ordered another… In all, I sat there for three hours trying to get through a mere twenty pages for my Morality of War class. I am the only native English speaker in the course and I barely understood it (Just War Theory, particularly jus ad bellum) so I can’t imagine how others are going to…

Picked up dinner on the way back to Olandu, talked to Dad.

Woke up around 9:00. Researched family houses in Vilnius using the Lithuania Internal Passports Database (1919-1940) on JewishGen.  Plotted the addresses on Google Maps and designed a run around them.

The run was crummy (along populated streets with frequent traffic lights). Nevertheless, was neat to see the homes, which it turned out I’d walked by many times.

My great-great-grandmother, Ida Riches (later Lapidus), was born in Lida, Belarus. Her family eventually moved to Vilnius where she was married, where her sister was born, and where her father died. Her father (Nathan) had multiple siblings, they also moved to Vilnius. Some of their descendants made it to America and Israel, others stayed and perished in the Holocaust.

Home of Nathan’s nephew, Chaim Riches (son of Kushel): 10 Subaciaus Street

Home of Nathan’s nephew, Eliezer Riches (son of Jacob): 85 Subaciaus Street

After my run I walked to city center where I ate, had a coffee, and spent 30 minutes uploading class readings to the class Facebook group.

My first history class, History of Lithuania (1919-1990), was supposed to be at 3:00. The teacher never showed. Alas, right outside my window was the Presidential Palace, so no complaints.

Robbin and I took the scenic route back to Olandu. Stayed in the rest of the night.

Lazy morning. Had history orientation at 3:00. Lasted less than ten minutes.

Went for coffee with Robbin afterwards.

Headed back to Olandu around 4:30. Taught Kristiaan and Daniel how to use a washing machine.

Picked up food with Daniel from a nearby market. Really not impressed with the groceries here, have yet to figure out a food routine.

Did laundry and watched Netflix the rest of the night. Finished Narcos, started ‘Stranger Things’.

Ran with Robbin and Kristiaan again  this morning. Beat our previous time by a couple minutes.

Immediately went back to Olandu and showered before my International Relations meeting. Was able to sneak in a quick lunch.

The meeting was brief, but we received our timetables and registration information. Turned out I had two classes later that afternoon.

Bought a couple notebooks and had a coffee before class. The course is titled ‘The Morality of Patriotism and Nationalism’. Professor is Kestutis Gurnius, a renowned Lithuanian academic who grew up in Boston and attended Harvard. I found his introductory lecture very interesting, and he touched on questions that I’d considered in the past.

After class he asked who ‘Noah Lapidus’ was. We’d listed our names and home universities on the register, I suppose he was interested by the Boston connection. I told him that he still had a Boston accent, to which he replied that he’d been trying to lose it his entire life.

No point in traveling home before my next class, so I watched more Narcos on my phone. Will need to purchase a couple more gigabytes of data soon.

The next class began at 6:30, titled ‘The Morality of War’. Professor is Kestutis Girnius. Was a little more dense than the first, but I still really enjoyed it.

Took the bus home with two girls who live in my dormitory. Watched more Narcos ’till I fell asleep.