Loading ...so full of it!
Transitional Testimonials From Lithuania!
Amazingly, my overland crossing from Kaliningrad to Vilnius the other night went smoothly. I mean, all things considered, isn’t it amazing such a thing operates smoothly in this era?! Well, not according to Darius, the absolutely amazing Lithuanian taxi driver who just brought me to the airport in Vilnius. When I made that comment to him, his response was that what’s amazing is not that the border works, but that so much else that should work and should be, doesn’t or isn’t. Needless to say, Darius and I had a very expansive conversation on the drive to the airport. Forty years my junior, in that too-short ride he exhibited more wisdom than most people I encounter anywhere, of any age. Shaking hands before parting, we both agreed on the obvious, that we are all one. It was pure delight to meet him, to the point I look forward to meeting Darius again at some point when we both have time to sit down and discuss life, just because we can.
So, I’m now at the airport, ready to fly to Paris. This morning at the hotel, a couple more galleries got completed and added to the SmugMug page. Really, there’s not much new in the galleries, mostly more old houses, nice gardens, some forest details and a few more friendly humans encountered. The photos are from the last two days of the road trip to Karelia. Here are the links:
https://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Karelia-Part-4
https://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/Karelia-Part-5
For me, it’s common that each day seems so very long, especially so when traveling and exploring. The time stretches out so much these days, clearly the result of experiencing more details than could possibly fit into ‘normal’ time. So, I stretch with it, sometimes feeling like I might even burst at the seams from being filled to overflowing.
Wishing you much fulfillment, but not too much!
GoldBalloon
PS Some of you might recall the photos of Vilnius I shared in April, showing so many Ukraine flags displayed around the city. There are far fewer now. I asked Darius, my cab driver, about that. He said that was a fad that is now fading. We agreed on the empty-mindedness of it all. I wish I had recorded our conversation, to be able to post it here, as some of you would have found it interesting and even encouraging. This young guy was tuned in. There is hope!
Sounds like a great experience with Darius GB
Where to Now ?
Africa ?
Yes. Now in Paris. Will fly to Chad on Friday.
There is a warm spot in my heart for rural Russia. In some ways it is much like Canada’s north: vast stretches of uninhabited forest peopled with occasional scattered homes and villages, these frequently in various stages of disrepair. That lifestyle, for the most part, is passing into history as the young are drawn like magnets to the city.
Thank you for the tour. It was the highlight of my day.
Glad you enjoyed touring some of these places with me, sf. You’re right in comparing rural Canada to rural Russia. The key differences are the scale and the chronological place in history. Russia is massive, so there are simply more remote rural communities in Russia than in any other country. The Soviet era served to perpetuate and preserve the way of life that was in place when it began, because innovation was so hindered. The USSR effectively stayed in place on the development scale, or even reversed course.
The rural way of life that I’ve documented in my travels and shared isn’t always remote, it is still pretty much everywhere except in the core of the cities. Modern development is a very new thing for most of Russia, with only two or three decades of momentum. Westerners would cringe to see all the incredible ‘historic buildings’ that are being demolished as the cities grow, but cities will do what they have to do in order to grow.
While wandering around the Russian countryside, I’ve often wondered what programs could be instituted to make living in rural communities attractive to young people, to encourage a healthy way of life, close to nature. Reverse migration. I think this will happen one way or another, but the opportunity to be proactive is always there, not only in Russia but everywhere.
Cities and cocaine have many similarities: the attraction, the addiction and the resulting decay, demoralization and destruction.