We gathered downstairs at 11:30 for the bus to the train station. Made it there with enough time for a quick breakfast.

Sat with the normal crew on the train, but was too entrenched in my guidebook to socialize.

We arrived at the Trakai station around 1:00. It was a fairly gloomy day. Trakai was briefly the capitol of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14the century before it was moved to Vilnius.

Our first destination was ‘Island Castle’. Built in the 14th century by Kestutis (son of the famed King Gediminas), the castle was partially destroyed by Russians in the 17th century and then partially reconstructed by Russians in the mid-20th century.

Surrounded by water, the interior complex reminded  me ‘Winterfell’ from Game of Thrones.

I toured with Daniel, Kristiaan, Robbin and Jan.

Kestutis’ son, Vytautas, died in the castle in 1430.

The castle was frequently used to hold court and host foreign dignitaries.

We had the opportunity for ‘target practice’ after our self-guided tour. It was my first time shooting a gun (albeit with a tiny pellet).

Afterwards, I dragged the group to the Karaite Kenesa (synagogue), which was unfortunately under construction. The Karaites were a Turkic group that adopted a form of Judaism that does not acknowledge the oral torah.

They were invited to Trakai in the 14th century to protect the castle, and their descendants still inhabit Trakai today.

We sat down at a Karaite restaurant where we enjoyed a traditional cuisine- Kibinai (meat stuffed pastries).

The crew graciously followed me to the ruins of another castle of lesser importance before heading back to the train station.

Once back in Vilnius we picked up some food from the market. I still have not figured out how to navigate a Lithuanian grocery.

I spent the rest of the evening writing, talking with family, and watching Narcos.

Met Kristiaan and Robin downstairs at 11:00. Took a bus to the river and then went on a pleasant 30 minute run around it. Really glad to have found some running buddies.

Grabbed some coffee and then took the bus back to Olandu. Showered and then went with the brothers to the food stands in city center. We ran into George and his Georgian crew there.

Met up with Milda at the cathedral at 3:15. We walked to a pub for an Erasmus event. Made plans to pre-game at her home tonight, she turns 21 at midnight.

Traveled back to Olandu to prepare for the evening. Watched some Narcos and then left with the brothers and Robbin for dinner. We ended up taking the bus too far, well outside of the city.

Took the bus back to city center where we grabbed dinner at a pizza place with poor service.

Milda’s was a twenty minute taxi ride away. It was off a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, but her house was beautiful. There were only a few folks there.

We traveled together to a luxurious club in the city- ‘Buddha’. Milda bought Jack Daniels and a table for our small group for quite the pretty penny, but I did not complain.

Showed off my American dance skills before heading home at 4:00 in the morning.

Started the day with orientation at 9:00. Walked to campus with my roommates. The speeches were predictable.

Went for coffee with Daniel, Kristiaan and Robbin. They were exhausted from the previous night, while I was joyfully well-rested.

Picked up some new sunglasses then ate traditional food with Daniel from a stand along the main street. There’s a festival of sorts in the city this weekend.

Walked to the Cathedral (a frequent meeting spot) for a school-sponsored tour of the city, but left after thirty minutes. The guide was quiet and uninteresting.

Caught up on Narcos at Olandu (my dormitory) before heading to dinner with Daniel and Kristiaan. Kristiaan’s pizza fell onto his lap and made quite the mess, but he handled it surprisingly well.

We left for the Erasmus pub-quiz at 9:00. The venue was very nice. My teammates were the brothers, a kid from Argentina, and a flamboyant Israeli (Gal) who had just broken up with his boyfriend of 3 years.

Gal’s friend Amit joined a bit later. My mom had only one hour prior posted an article about Amit on my Facebook wall. Amit is the head of the Jewish Student Union at Vilnius University. Crazy coincidence. I’m really excited to have made this connection, hopefully she can assist me with my heritage explorations.

The quiz was followed by more Karaoke. Gal performed an enthusiastic rendition of ‘Believe’.

Kristiaan, Robbin and I took a taxi home while most stayed out.

’twas a slow morning. Went with roommates to the small market at 11:00. Grabbed some bread and butter plus a few toiletries. Apparently you shouldn’t keep anything in the fridge that you don’t mind getting stolen.

Daniel and Kristaan were moved into our dormitory (just a few suites down) by the time we returned. We signed some housing documents with the building administrator and then traveled with George and a gal from Georgia (the country) to the bank in city center to submit our security deposits.

From there we met up with Dimo and a few others at Vinco Kudirko Square and walked together to the start of the student procession. The crowd was divided by faculty, but Erasmus students were placed in front. Erasmus is the student organization affiliated with the EU that coordinates study abroad for EU students. For all intensive purposes, I am an Erasmus student.

We marched the length of the primary city street to the University square. Erasmus students carried flags from their country of origin, unfortunately I did not have.

University students filled the ornate square.

At the front stood a stage with the university band. To my pleasant surprise they played some nice tunes including ‘Valerie’ and ‘Respect’. A terrific Lithuanian artist accompanied them. Various university officials gave welcoming remarks.

Daniel and Kristiaan van Weezep

Dino and George (my roommates)

After the event I went with Dimo, another German guy (Jan), a German girl, and an Italian girl to a nearby cafe. We traded country facts, but talked mostly about America.

Afterwards, I met up with Daniel and Kristiaan at a traditional Lithuanian restaurant (or at least that is how it was marketed). Daniel said the soup was the best he’d ever had.

From dinner we met up with a Dutch girl (Robbin) that the brothers had met at the procession and her friend from France (Enola). We had drinks before walking to the Karaoke event nearby. Big Robbin fan.

The Karaoke bar was beyond crowded with Erasmus students. I was hoping to sing some American classics, but unlike in American bars the performers were very talented, so I did not sing. I had a couple drinks and met some new people before heading home for the night. Most folks stayed out, but I wanted a good sleep before the big day tomorrow.

Woke up at 8:30 this morning, was soon out the door. Took a nearby street to city center, which I expect I’ll do frequently once classes start. Thankfully, it was a very pleasant walk- mostly modern buildings with scattered pre-soviet homes and an abundance of cafes.

I sat down at the first cafe that I saw. We don’t have access to Wifi in the dormitory yet, so I’ve been relying on my phone.

The cafe was beyond perfect. My cappuccino was delicious and the music couldn’t have been better- mostly Beatles and an obscure band from America that just so happens to be one of my favorites (Fleet Foxes).

I wrote for 2.5 hours before deciding that I needed a change of scenery. Continued down the road until I reached another cafe. Ordered another coffee, wrote for another 3 hours. Finally my blog is published. It has been an persistent anxiety, glad the weight is off my shoulders.

Met Daniel and Kristiaan outside the cafe at 2:00. We walked to city center where we met up with Milda. She helped me and a few of her other mentees order a Student ID. Meanwhile, my roommates have not even heard from their mentors.

Took a taxi back to 51 Olandu (my dormitory). I put on my running clothes and knee brace and headed out for the first time since I injured my knee a month ago. I found on my map a nearby park that I figured I could run through. As I made my way out the door I quickly realized that my brace wouldn’t stay on as I ran, so I threw it in the nearest trash bin.

I soon learned that the ‘park’ was a highway through an abundance of trees, entirely uphill. I ran in that direction for about 15 minutes before turning around. My knee gave me no trouble whatsoever. I was so thrilled.

I made it back to the dormitory in time to shower before going out for the night. My roommates and I met up with my mentor and some of her friends in the city center. We sat down to dinner and drinks,and were soon joined by a group about 3 times our size, including my friends from Holland.

We were miraculously able to find a pub that would host all of us (about 20). It was a terrific start to my time in Vilnius.

George, Dimo, and I walked 30 minutes back to Olandu.

Woke up at 4:20 this morning, was at the curb by 4:45 waiting for my taxi that I ordered yesterday. 5:00- still no taxi. Buzzed the hostel, new taxi didn’t arrive until 5:15. My flight was at 7:00.

Once at the airport things went very smoothly. Had about an hour to write until my flight departed for Kiev.

Was able to sleep a bit on the plane. Arrived in Kiev by 8:20 and had to go through customs and international security before my next flight departed at 9:25… Was at my gate by 8:45.

I was able to sleep more on the plane, arrived in Kiev by 10:30. Customs took longer than expected, and by the time I was at baggage claim the baggage from the Kiev flight was no longer circulating. I went to the information desk and found out that the baggage system was down across Eastern Europe, and that my bags were likely left in Kiev. I submitted a report, hopefully my bag will be delivered to my dormitory tomorrow.

I walked through arrivals to find my university mentor- Milda. Milda is a grade younger than me, she studies Scandanivistics. We waited for a few more students to arrive, Daniel and Kristiaan (brothers) from Holland, and then we made our way to the dormitory.

The dormitory was soviet-style, a fifteen minute walk outside of city center. I share my small room with two others. Communal kitchens and bathrooms. Surely not the best accommodations, but then again, I’m only paying about fifty dollars a month.

We took the brothers to their hotel and I grabbed lunch with Milda in the beautiful city center. She helped to activate my new sim card, taught me the bus routes and provided a wealth of other practical knowledge. I’m very lucky to have her as a mentor.

I took the bus back to my dormitory where I met my roommates- George from Georgia (the country) and Dimo from Germany (originally of Kazakstan). George is a doctoral student, 25 years old, and Dimo is a masters student, 27 years old.

We went to a market to grab some things for the room, I showered, and we watched the new Captain America. I was so exhausted, I fell asleep watching by 10:30.

It’s hard to believe that today is our last in this beautiful region. After all the excitement of the past two weeks, we decided that we’d spend our last day relaxing on Odessa’s beaches along the coast of the Black Sea.

We started off by attempting to mail the bottle of red sparkling from Cricova to my boss at LC (who had highly recommended it). After being turned away twice we decided to hail a taxi to the beach, which was unexpectedly difficult. It really put into perspective just how useful the car was.

We arrived at Arcadia just after 11:00.

We paid a small cover fee (by American standards) to enter Odessa’s most luxurious resort- Ibiza. We paid for two chairs and a locker and then headed down.

The shore was initially crowded with a relatively older group. Speedos as far as the eye could see.

I stepped in the water to find an abundance of algae, which made the water look black- ‘Black Sea’. Skies were overcast, the water was cool. I enjoyed swimming, but forgot how exhausting it was.

After a couple hours resting we headed to the crowded central part of Arcadia to grab lunch. I had a delicious sandwich.

Back at the beach I immediately fell asleep, and woke up about an hour later with my back dripping. The sun was out in full force, and a new, younger crowd filled the shoreline. I hopped back into the water with a new rejuvenation and it was delightful. I went for another swim. We rested for a couple more hours along the shore and walked the short length of the beach before heading up to the pool.

We ordered a Hookah by the pool and swam intermediately. It was so beyond perfect, exactly what I needed before starting a new chapter in my journey.

After an hour or so we hailed a taxi back to city center. I tried again to mail the wine, to no avail.

We showered before heading out for our last dinner. After a short walk we found a traditional Ukrainian place, exactly what I was looking for.

Following dinner we decided to continue our day of excess by getting desert in the city center. We each had a slice of cake and a milk shake. I felt so sick by the end.

With that, we headed back to the hostel. I packed my bag and ended up having to pin it shut due to tears. I was asleep by 10:45.

Woke up early this morning to the sound of the loudest snoring I’ve ever heard. Thrilled to be done with hostels.

We were soon on the road to Odessa- our sixth trip in six days, our third country in two days. We decided, per Mariana’s advice, to avoid the Russian-backed secessionist region of Transnistria. We exited Moldova after a few hours through the opposite tip from which we entered.

Our final border crossing went smoothly. We were excited to be back in Ukraine, where we’d spent the larger part of our journey. We arrived in Odessa soon after. We had lunch before checking into our lodging.

We cleaned out our car and drove her to the airport where we said our goodbyes. It was a very emotional experience, we’d been through a lot together.

We made our way back to the city via taxi. We were so impressed with the city center, which was flooded with people and performers.

We toured the city again via a mobile map.

Unlike in other cities we’d visited, many of the pre-war buildings in Odessa were well preserved.

We found the synagogue, but were not welcomed in for minion due to our attire.

We walked back to the hotel where I showered before going out for the night. Afterwards we ate at a relatively expensive place along a bustling avenue.

After a brief hookah, the rest of our night was spent shlepping across the city trying to find the rowdy night-clubs that we’d heard so much about. It turned out the clubs were located along the stretch of beach a few miles outside of Odessa proper. We decided to grab some McDonalds instead and eventually we headed back to the hotel. It was a frustrating night.

We were on the road by 8:30, our earliest start yet in order to avoid another border nightmare. Our destination was Chisinau, the capitol of Moldova, which would be hosting celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the nation’s seccession from the Soviet Union. It was a beautiful day, just like every other since Chase arrived.

Alas, just as we were leaving the last Romanian town before the border, a policeman raised his hand for us to stop the car. It turned out I had been going 68 km/hr in a 50km/hr zone, although I didn’t think I was going faster than any other car. I was asked to step out and join him at his vehicle to watch a replay of my traffic infraction, and then I waited in our car as he wrote up a ticket. I was terrified that the encounter would entirely thwart our plan to arrive in Chisinau at a decent hour. It turned out that I simply owed 125 Romanian Leu that I could pay on spot- just over 31USD. Unfortunately, I didn’t have 125 Leu. The policeman directed me down the road to an ATM. I’m not sure exactly how much of it he pocketed, but I was just thrilled to get back on the road. The entire encounter took less than 30 minutes.

We reached the border just after 10:00, and to our amazement, we were back in Moldova in no more than 25 minutes.

After a short drive in Moldova we reached our hostel, which was located just off the city center.

Tourists and locals alike filled the city center, which had been transformed into a market of food and folk art.

On the main road stood a massive stage where Moldovan performers shared their craft.

We grabbed a quick bite, and by 2:00 we were back at the hostel where we met Mariana Harjevschi. Mariana is the director of the municipal library, which is coincidentally located in the same building as our hostel. Mariana is a friend of my boss/mentor at the Library of Congress, who graciously put us in touch. Mariana not only arranged for us a tour the ‘Cricova Winery’, but also a van to take us there.

Cricova was located just a few kilometers outside the city. Our driver was Victor, who had worked at the Library for 20 years.

Our tour was in English, about 25 of us in total. We boarded a tram and headed immediately underground. We were advised to bring jackets as it was significantly colder in the winery.

Cricova is one of the largest underground wineries in the world. Moldova is renowned for it’s wine, and Cricova is the gem of the industry. Tourists and dignitaries from around the globe visit each year to taste Moldova’s historic wine and experience the luxury of Cricova.

The winery has been called an ‘underground city’, boasting over 100 kilometers of winding roads. Streets are named after the particular wine housed there, for instance, ‘Champagne Boulevard’.

It was difficult to refrain from laughing at the ridiculous film that they shared with us, which posed such rhetorical questions as ‘wine- the meaning of life?’

We were given a presentation of their intricate preparation methods.

The tour ended with a tasting, and after only four glasses I was relatively intoxicated.

Victor drove us back to the Library, where we inundated Mariana with questions about her country and the political problems that plague it.

We walked aimlessly around the city for a couple more hours, stumbling upon magnificent federal and municipal buildings along the way.

Around 9:00 we met up again with Mariana, who took us to a traditional Moldovan eatery. We talked at length about a variety of topics, including our connections in the States and the emerging national identity of Moldova.

After parting ways, Chase and I headed back towards the celebrations. We picked up a couple brews and enjoyed the sounds of Moldovan rock- ‘Zdob si Zdub’.

With that, we went to sleep.

I insisted that we wake up early so that I could have a full day in Vaslui.

My great-great-grandmother, Celia Altman (later ‘Eidex’, affectionately known as ‘Big Mama’) was born in Vaslui in 1885 to Yehudah Hirsch Altman and Sarah Rebecca Goldstein. Family lore has it that, at a young age, Big Mama watched her mother die at the hands of local officials. Big Mama hid in a closet to avoid the anti-semitism that, as we have learned, was once rampant in Romanian society. She was orphaned at age 9, but found refuge in the home of her loving uncle, Harris Goldstein, who eventually sent for her from Birmingham in 1904.

The drive to Vaslui was beautiful. The landscape lies in stark contrast to that of Moldova or Ukraine. The roads are nicely paved, the fields are wide open, and the hills are rolling.

I found a phone number online for the cemetery caretaker who was needed to unlock the gate. I called as soon as we arrived in Vaslui.

Ruso Ioan arrived fifteen minutes later. He was probably just a few years older than my parents. Ruso did not speak a word of English and he was fairly incapable with Google Translate. His daughter, however, was relatively fluent.

She was able to translate over the phone. Ruso surprised us with an old notebook filled with grave locations, names and dates. We spent a good while looking through for family names, but most indexed headstones were from the mid 20th century. The older stones were not legible.

I said Kaddish for my Altman ancestors.

We later found out that Ruso was not Jewish, but that his ancestors had been caring for the cemetery ever since the Jewish community left Vaslui. There is one Jew in the city of Vaslui today. Unfortunately, his lawn mower is broken and he lacks the funding to care for the cemetery properly.

Ruso offered to show us the one surviving synagogue and take us to the city hall to find family records.

The synagogue stood in the corner of parking lot near the center of the city. The gate was locked and the windows were boarded.

We walked to the city hall, where a wedding was taking place. We found out that the Jewish records were recently transferred to a different municipal building.

Ruso graciously agreed to direct us there. He sat in our passenger seat while Chase kindly moved to the back seat. Again, we found out that the records had been transferred to a different municipal building. Again, Ruso directed us there. The archives were located in a quaint building. We were able to communicate with a representative in English, but were informed that I would need to write them in order to receive the records I was looking for.

Nevertheless, it was a nice overview of Vaslui’s municipal buildings.

Chase and I drove to the hotel on the outskirts of town, which hosted a beautiful view of the city from our balcony. We were finally synchronized with the original itinerary.

After settling in we drove back to the city center where we walked aimlessly until we found a place for lunch. As we had at other meals, we used the down time to plan our route. As I read off sights I was interested in visiting, Chase plotted them on the map.

The city was almost entirely rebuilt by the Soviets, making it difficult to connect with the city emotionally, as I had in Boryslav and Ilnyk.

If statues of Taras Shevchenko were the most popular in Ukraine, Stefan Cel Mar was surely the equivalent in Romania and Moldova. Stefan was one of the first Kings of Moldavia.

We visited the only museum in the city, which boasted a plethora of historical artifacts. Unfortunately, as in Lviv, we could not read a word of the descriptions.

We visited a few more remnants of Vaslui’s pre-soviet society.

We walked a good bit to the city’s prized central park. It was gorgeous, but lacked the view we were hoping for.

We meandered our way through the city back to our car.Chase directed us back to the hotel, but allowed me to briefly stray in order to find a nice view of the city from the mountains that surrounded it.

Back at the hotel I took the opportunity to call my Aunt Sue, Big Mama’s granddaughter. She was very excited. I also briefly spoke to Dad who encouraged me to update my blog. I informed him that I’d simply not had the time.

We ate dinner in the luxurious hotel restaurant around 8:00.

I blogged briefly, but chose to tuck in early for the long drive to Chisinau tomorrow.