Easter in Latvia...and Birch Juice
Last weekend I went to a home in the bordering city of Latvia...which is about a 50 minute drive from Klaipeda. I had the most incredible time. It is one thing to experience culture from the "outsider looking in" perspective...but what a treat to actually be a part of the inside for a weekend! It all started out with a drive to Liepaja, Latvia. A car packed with 5 passengers and their weekend luggage...it reminded me of the weekend road trips I took my freshman year with a select group of five individuals...we decided to visit everyones house in our group. Oh the memories! Anyway, we drop everyone off one by one, and then we travel out of town to a small, country area, where the grass is greener, and the air is cleaner. What a lovely sight! We arrive a home in the country, and immediately life is different! For once, it is quiet. No more hustling and bustling of car stereos, no sirens, and no high heels that are making noise when they walk down my hallway in the middle of the night!
First things first...we enter the house...and we eat. Pancakes are on the menu this early evening...so we load up with jam or sour cream. Yes, sour cream people...it seems that my taste for that smooth, creamy, white goodness has really taken shape, and now I can have it on anything like every other Eastern European! After pancakes, we spend the rest of the night with the family at a local cafe where we learn more about one another.
The next day...BIRCH TREE JUICE!!! Yeah, who knew? Apparently, after the winter months and when the ground thaws...one can drill a hole in a birch tree and then drain out the watery liquid from within. Yes, I had the opportunity to dip my cup in the bag that was catching the lovely liquid, and drink it straight away from the tree. What an interesting experience! It seems that this beverage is a hot commodity in this part of the world, and can be found being served with sugar and lemon. I sat in awe trying to realize how someone figured out that the birch tree can give you a cool refreshment. Who knew?
During the weekend, Easter was upon us. I learned of traditions of cracking boiled eggs against other boiled eggs, and eating salted boiled eggs on Easter apparently saves you from lying for an entire year! Yeah, the salted eggs were definitely on the menu. :)
Overall, Latvia is beautiful, and a place that I hope to visit again in my time here in Lithuania!
First things first...we enter the house...and we eat. Pancakes are on the menu this early evening...so we load up with jam or sour cream. Yes, sour cream people...it seems that my taste for that smooth, creamy, white goodness has really taken shape, and now I can have it on anything like every other Eastern European! After pancakes, we spend the rest of the night with the family at a local cafe where we learn more about one another.
The next day...BIRCH TREE JUICE!!! Yeah, who knew? Apparently, after the winter months and when the ground thaws...one can drill a hole in a birch tree and then drain out the watery liquid from within. Yes, I had the opportunity to dip my cup in the bag that was catching the lovely liquid, and drink it straight away from the tree. What an interesting experience! It seems that this beverage is a hot commodity in this part of the world, and can be found being served with sugar and lemon. I sat in awe trying to realize how someone figured out that the birch tree can give you a cool refreshment. Who knew?
During the weekend, Easter was upon us. I learned of traditions of cracking boiled eggs against other boiled eggs, and eating salted boiled eggs on Easter apparently saves you from lying for an entire year! Yeah, the salted eggs were definitely on the menu. :)
Overall, Latvia is beautiful, and a place that I hope to visit again in my time here in Lithuania!
posted by Chad | 1:07 AM
2 Comments:
Awesome. I wonder if you could bring a bottle of that birch stuff back for all of us to try...
i definitely hear you on how great it is to experience the culture from the inside... i've recently gotten a lot of opportunities to do that here.
oh man, i love pancakes.
praying for you man. grace and peace.
Dude! I remember those road trips... awesome! Too bad we didn't actually make it to all of our houses... Alaska would have been sweet. ;) I totally agree with you and Ryan... those "insider" cultural experiences are always the most memorable. Great blog, dog... keep it up! Once a month isn't enough! ;)
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