Markets and Castles

Our Latvian friend Boriss wonders why tourists seem to love central markets, like the one in Riga or Pike Place market in Seattle. Perhaps we love them because they are nothing like a typical U.S. or European grocery store. Old fashioned markets are personal in a way that grocery stores can never be. Maybe it is the personal element — knowing who cuts the meat or bakes the bread — that accounts for the fascination we have with these markets.

Most of the Vilnius market that we saw is meat, and most of the meat is pork or beef — all parts of the animals. The meat market is in an immaculate hall, with each vendor at his or her area. The meat is in large slabs; the vendor cuts off what you want. Another area of the market is fruits and vegetables. We wish you could smell the lovely, fresh strawberries. Then there is a row of older women selling small amounts of what is obviously produce from their garden.

Tuesday, we took a guided bus to tour Trakai and its island castle. It was the residence of the 14th century's Grand Duke Vytautus, a Lithuanian icon. The castle is in the center of a lake surrounded by water. Many Lithuanians were escaping the heat with a swim, which was tempting. Our guide was a young woman who recently completed her master's degree in linguistics.

One of our tour group members was Enzo, an 86-year-old from Terni, Italy. He speaks no English (or Lithuanian, for that matter). He is energetic, charming and took pictures of everything and every one. Our modest tourist Italian language skills actually came in useful to keep track of Enzo. Note the necktie in the colors of the Italian flag, dotted with soccer balls.