Lazy morning for me, breakfast in the hotel and a brief visit with the Australian lady from Rome while she waited for her travel mates. The 3 work for the UN in the Welfare division and were on a girls adventure - no husbands. She has been in Rome for 17 years and I assumed that she had seen all of Europe in that time, but she said she had spent most of her vaction days and dollars going back to Australia to visit her family. That makes perfect sense. We did the same to get back to Va. Del's library conferences did allow us to see some of the country because most of the trip was mostly paid for, and he didn't have to take much vacation.
Del went roaming while I lazed around and after a late lunch, we caught the bus to Kremasti Village for the annual Spring Festival. It was such fun. We stood along the very short parade route and watched groups of children from preschool through high school, school clubs, athletic teams, scouting organizations and dance schools, plus a couple of bands march by. The funniest thing was a basketball goal being towed by a four wheeler with the basketball team walking behind. They stopped in front of the reviewing stand to shoot baskets and some of the pols came down to show their lack of ability. Ballet dancers from about 3 on up marched in groups with the most beautiful wreaths of green leaves and various flowers in their hair. One group had an ingenious way of keeping the little people in order. Two big girls had s ribbon tied around their waists and long pastel ribbons were tied to that ribbon. Each tiny girl held onto one of the long ribbons.. It was like seeing a human May Pole. The little ones were happy as little pigs in mud, completely unaware that they were being herded. A couple of other groups used the big kid hold the little kid's hand method, but it was not quite as peaceful an exercise. Various children in the parade had baskets of rose petals to throw when they remembered. Some of the adult minders threw candy. A little boy standing beside me with his family was quite good at seeing candy that landed on the street. I said to his mom that he had quite an eye. She agreed, and I said perhaps not so much if it had been zucchini. She agreed that he would not have been running out for vegetables or most fruits.
We just had the best time. There were food stands selling popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream, roasted ears of corn, crepes with nutella and various other things. We passed on all of that, but did have wonderful ice cream while waiting for the bus home. Yes, I passed on pop corn. Del was worried.
Del and I agreed that the whole thing reminded us of the firemen's festivals we used to go to when we lived in Lexington, Virginia. Every Friday night for about 6 weeks each summer, the fire department in one of the little towns in Rockbbridge County would hold a fund raiser. Each community would send at least one fire truck and ambulance and there were bands, some of them quite rag tag, and majorettes from about 18 months to way too old. You haven't lived until you have seen baby majorettes, looking confused, wandering along a parade route in their costumes made baggy by saggy pampers, herded by proud mamas One little band with an aged drum major who still sort of had it seemed to appear every week. He certainly had plenty of energy as he led his bunch of old guys along. There were also the required convertibles with local dignitaries and beauty queens.
The other highlight of the evening was the chicken barbecue dinner. Yum! They all used the Va Tech won't burn the chicken clear sauce. I have the recipe at home if anyone wants it later. One town went renegade and served pot roast and all the trimmings. Maybe not the best choice for a sweltery summer night in Va., in my opinion.
We can say that we went because David loved fire trucks, and that is why we started going, but after the first one we were hooked. It was much more fun than when we lived over a dead hardware store in Brandenburg, Kentucky and the Friday night entertainment was watching the town firetruck rush down the street the the river and spew water into it. The bar across the street also had "Do not spit on the floor." signs. Join the army and see the world, don't they say?
When we got back to the hotel, Del sort of taught the desk clerk, pressed into service as bar keep how to make a passable lime and rum drink. She certainly understood the add rum part, but was a little shaky on the lime.
Off to Vilnius tomorrow to meet the family! I cannot wait to see them and show them a little bit of Lithuania.
Del went roaming while I lazed around and after a late lunch, we caught the bus to Kremasti Village for the annual Spring Festival. It was such fun. We stood along the very short parade route and watched groups of children from preschool through high school, school clubs, athletic teams, scouting organizations and dance schools, plus a couple of bands march by. The funniest thing was a basketball goal being towed by a four wheeler with the basketball team walking behind. They stopped in front of the reviewing stand to shoot baskets and some of the pols came down to show their lack of ability. Ballet dancers from about 3 on up marched in groups with the most beautiful wreaths of green leaves and various flowers in their hair. One group had an ingenious way of keeping the little people in order. Two big girls had s ribbon tied around their waists and long pastel ribbons were tied to that ribbon. Each tiny girl held onto one of the long ribbons.. It was like seeing a human May Pole. The little ones were happy as little pigs in mud, completely unaware that they were being herded. A couple of other groups used the big kid hold the little kid's hand method, but it was not quite as peaceful an exercise. Various children in the parade had baskets of rose petals to throw when they remembered. Some of the adult minders threw candy. A little boy standing beside me with his family was quite good at seeing candy that landed on the street. I said to his mom that he had quite an eye. She agreed, and I said perhaps not so much if it had been zucchini. She agreed that he would not have been running out for vegetables or most fruits.
We just had the best time. There were food stands selling popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream, roasted ears of corn, crepes with nutella and various other things. We passed on all of that, but did have wonderful ice cream while waiting for the bus home. Yes, I passed on pop corn. Del was worried.
Del and I agreed that the whole thing reminded us of the firemen's festivals we used to go to when we lived in Lexington, Virginia. Every Friday night for about 6 weeks each summer, the fire department in one of the little towns in Rockbbridge County would hold a fund raiser. Each community would send at least one fire truck and ambulance and there were bands, some of them quite rag tag, and majorettes from about 18 months to way too old. You haven't lived until you have seen baby majorettes, looking confused, wandering along a parade route in their costumes made baggy by saggy pampers, herded by proud mamas One little band with an aged drum major who still sort of had it seemed to appear every week. He certainly had plenty of energy as he led his bunch of old guys along. There were also the required convertibles with local dignitaries and beauty queens.
The other highlight of the evening was the chicken barbecue dinner. Yum! They all used the Va Tech won't burn the chicken clear sauce. I have the recipe at home if anyone wants it later. One town went renegade and served pot roast and all the trimmings. Maybe not the best choice for a sweltery summer night in Va., in my opinion.
We can say that we went because David loved fire trucks, and that is why we started going, but after the first one we were hooked. It was much more fun than when we lived over a dead hardware store in Brandenburg, Kentucky and the Friday night entertainment was watching the town firetruck rush down the street the the river and spew water into it. The bar across the street also had "Do not spit on the floor." signs. Join the army and see the world, don't they say?
When we got back to the hotel, Del sort of taught the desk clerk, pressed into service as bar keep how to make a passable lime and rum drink. She certainly understood the add rum part, but was a little shaky on the lime.
Off to Vilnius tomorrow to meet the family! I cannot wait to see them and show them a little bit of Lithuania.
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