Different Sides of Tenerife

Since my husband’s brother and his wife with two children moved to Spain for half a year we decided to visit them in Tenerife.  We stayed with them for a week in Los Gigantes which is a small resort town in the south of the island populated with older couples and families with children. The impression, in general, was that half of Europe moved to the south of Tenerife to escape the winter on the continent. The hotels, restaurants and shops were mainly catered to tourists and were overpriced and often bad quality.  Nevertheless, if your goal is to sunbathe and to let children play in the sand then it may be better to choose the south since it is colder in the north. In Los Gigantes, the main attractions were a small marina and a tiny black sand beach with a view of Los Gigantes, majestic rocks. Unfortunately, the weather turned out to be worse than usual (around 16 degrees C) and my baby son and I got sick. This is what happens when you expect hot weather and end up wearing sandals and tank tops since this is all what you brought. Besides spending time in bed, I spent most of the time in a main town square in a café where there was an internet connection. There seemed to be a problem with internet all over Tenerife, as many rental properties are not connected.

One day we departed from Los Gigantes’ marina to take our little niece on a pirate ship to see dolphins and wales. We saw a big group of dolphins and wales but the sea had many waves which made our whole group loose our breakfast, except the baby who was content as long as sun was not shining in his face. There was no desire for paella served on a ship after this experience…      

Probably the best trip from Los Gigantes is to drive to a pleasant village Masca taking winding roads with hairpin bends and enjoying views of deep and green ravines. The village was unknown until recently and its small Bay of Masca is reputed to have been a pirate hideaway. To get there, you have to walk in a steep gorge through dramatic rock formations and lush green flora. The tourist information said that the walk will take three hours but our party with children made it in 2hours 10 minutes. It was a record, especially bearing in mind that my husband’s brother carried a 2.5 year-old daughter on his back and a 3 month old in the front and my husband carried our son. In the end of the picturesque walk, we had a picnic on the coast and waited for a boat to take as back to Los Gigantes. We didn’t dare to take the same way back, which would have required a lot of effort on our part and much more time. Only my husband ran up the mountains to get the car left in Masca (in 55minutes!) but he has a high level of fitness.     

During the second week, we explored the north of Tenerife where we discovered more culture, history and green nature than in the south. A real cultural experience was attending the Carnival of Santa Cruz, which is the second biggest after Rio Carnival. We stayed at the hotel Principe Paz located right in the central square of Santa Cruz where all the fun was taking place. The carnival festivities started with a selection of the Carnival queen in an extravagant gala. The nominees were judged by their beauty, grace and costumes.  2012 queen’s dress was called Imperio:

Tenerife Magazine

The carnival, as a non-stop party, lasted for a week.  2012 carnival’s theme was flower power so the streets were full of hippy dresses and costumes decorated with flowers. The Grand Parade on Tuesday was impressive as the queen, queen nominees, salsa and marching bands and other participants floated by. After the parade was over, buses decorated in flowers drove in the main avenue blasting popular DJ music from the 70s. The fireworks culminated the excitement the day was still not over. Discotheques in the street lasted into the wee hours of the morning, as popular DJs played current hit music.

On Ash Wednesday, we went shopping since Santa Cruz offers tax free merchandise. In the evening, we did not expect that the Burial of Sardine would be even more impressive than the Grand Parade.  As we were having dinner around 8pm the streets were empty and we were disappointed not to see any festivities. Nevertheless, around 11pm black creatures started emerging from the corners. Those were black widows, mostly men dressed as women, ready to mourn the death of the sardine. It was quite a show as the costumes rivaled each other and the “widows” shed tears and many had a story to tell. As the “widows” with elaborate costumes marched down the main streets the Sardine proceeded to her burial grounds. 

 

Amazingly, our son slept deeply as the huge noise blasted all around us. Around 2am the fire was lit and the Sardine expired in the flames with fireworks. It was interesting to find a similarity with a Lithuanian tradition practiced during the Shrove Tuesday when a rag doll is burned to symbolize the end of winter. Following the burial of Sardine, the dancing and drinking in the streets lasted until the morning again. We were wondering the whole time how the Canarians go to work the next day, especially if they party like this every night. The carnival ended with Piñata weekend and renowned entertainment and clouds of confetti in the streets of Santa Cruz.

The city of Puerto de la Cruz had its own carnival. We went there on Friday night to see the High Heels Marathon. Again, men were dressed as women and were wearing high heels and platform shoes. They were in teams dressed in costumes reflecting some kind of theme. For example, there was a group, which wore costumes covered in threads and buttons and had sewing machines planted on their heads. The marathon itself was more like a slow walk than a run since the participants were exhibiting their costumes and falling sometimes from their towering heels.  Finally, we escaped the crowds to have seafood at Cofradía de Pescadores, enticing with its contemporary and airy design.

After partying in the carnival, we were happy to rest and to visit less crowded places in the north of Tenerife. For a few days, we stayed in the apartment in a country house which had a nice garden with flowers, cactuses and orange and avocado trees, and even offered a sauna and jacuzzi. The owner was an interesting and helpful German lady who was born in Mexico and decorated the apartment in her handmade art with some Mexican touches.

The location of the house was convenient to see what the north of Tenerife has to offer. The town of Orotava charmed us with its Renaissance mansions, churches, squares and well manicured gardens.  It had an aristocratic atmosphere since it was home to many of the island’s wealthiest and noblest families who settled here after the Spanish conquest to grow sugar, vines and bananas in the surrounding valley. We drove through some of banana plantations to get to a restaurant El Calderito De La Abuela with a beautiful ocean view and delicious and authentic local cuisine.

The well-preserved old town of San Cristóbal de La Laguna is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This historic town served as Tenerife’s capital until 1821 and is a gateway to Anaga Mountains. These breathtaking mountains, covered in lush laurel trees and ferns and intersected by deep ravines, offer many splendid hiking trails. They were surprisingly not touristic and a nice change from the beach scene.

We took a winding and steep road through Anaga to get to Taganana, a fishing village, which offers a spectacular panorama of the ocean. We devoured fresh seafood dinner in one of the restaurants on the nearby point while watching the sun setting in the rocks in the ocean. 

A group of daring Canarians who swam in the cold ocean told us that this hidden spot is one of the best on the island and advised us to stay away from populated beach towns. If you look for another pleasant restaurant with a view of the ocean, just such called La Caseta it is located in a small village Punta de Hidalgo.

No visit to Tenerife would be complete without a visit to Teide National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage site, to see Teide volcano, the highest Spanish peak. The park provides evidence of the geological processes that support the evolution of oceanic islands and atmospheric conditions, which create a unique landscape. 

It also has many walking trails leading through pine trees. After a long walk we were happy to discover a local restaurant near the parking lot. It was crowded with sporty locals who came to ride bikes in the park and the elderly who chatted away and enjoyed the sun by the entrance. The best surprise was the menu of the day. Without an explanation, the waitress just took me into the kitchen and showed huge pots with five different kinds of homemade stews. 

Typical Canarian dishes include varied stews made with fresh fish, vegetables, meats, watercress, and beans. We also recommend to try Rabbit in Salmorejo Sauce with local spices. 

The food is usually accompanied with papas arrugadas, "wrinkled potatoes" which basically are potatoes with peel cooked in salted water and served with green and spicy orange sauce known as mojo. 

In addition to the islands' mojos, another fundamental product to Tenerife's food dishes is what's known as "gofio canario," which is a locally produced flour created by grinding roasted sweet corn and other toasted grains. 

Fairytale like Oberammergau

A lot of things have been happening in my life so unfortunately I abandoned my blog. I have been travelling too often for work and pleasure and this made it difficult to record all interesting experiences on time. I especially regret that I have not been able to write up my memorable trips to Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Ethiopia, Georgia, Columbia and India. Moving to Brussels and commuting to Paris for work and giving birth to my son are other reasons, which made blog posting a challenge. He however turned out to be a very calm baby and now we have no trouble fitting him into our busy lives. At 4 months, he had already traveled to Lithuania, Germany and the Canary Islands. Since I would like him to know the places his parents and he have been to and experiences he had himself, I decided to take on blog writing again. These blog postings might also inspire others to travel more with their children.

The first trip of my 2-month-old son was to introduce him to family and friends in Lithuania during the holiday season. We had a roller-coaster trip to five towns where we visited many restaurants and houses. The baby adjusted to our rhythm super well and smiled a lot at everyone, that is as long as he followed his regular cycles of sleeping and eating. Flying was also a piece of cake since he slept most of the time and take offs and landings did not bother him. So in the end of January, we felt safe about taking him onto a week long trip to Oberammergau in Germany where my husband was sent for work.

Oberammergau is a picturesque village in the German Alps. It is famous for the Passion Play, which was first performed in 1634. The inhabitants of the village swore that if God spared them from the plague then sweeping the region they would perform a passion play every 10 years. The villagers kept their promise and devote a lot of time and resources to the staging of the play and participating in it. Besides Passion Play, Oberammergau has other tourist attractions. It has a long tradition of woodcarving. In its winding streets, one can find many shops selling religious figures and toys. A number of shops displaying Christmas decorations add to the charm of the village. In winter, the village covered in snow looks like a fairy-tale picture. Oberammergau hosts some ski slopes, including the steepest ski slopes in Germany. After skiing, it is pleasant to go Wellenberg, an aqua park which has swimming pools for all ages and even a warm pool outside where we could swim despite the cold.

There are many hotels in Oberammergau but we decided to stay in a nicely decorated apartment in a traditional Bavarian house in the outskirts of the village. Because of the baby we were happy to have lots of space, two bedrooms, a large living room and a washing machine. The owner of the apartment arranged a delivery of fresh Brötchen each morning which was a nice touch. A proximity to the mountains with hiking paths and cross-country skiing trails were useful for walks with a baby. It took about 10 minutes to reach a center of the village so every evening we went to a different restaurant. We tried a few Bavarian food restaurants and found Zur Tini Weinstube to be the best. When we got tired of schnitzels and spätzle (egg noodles), we went to a Mexican restaurant El Puente which did not have authentic Mexican food but nevertheless greeted us with a fun atmosphere and La Montanara which offered a large choice of hearty Italian dishes. S'Wirtshaus Restaurant was our favorite since it had friendly staff and a diverse choice of good quality international dishes.

We did some sightseeing in Bavaria. With a rental car we went to the Neuschwanstein Castle which was an inspiration for the Disneyland's castle. Unfortunately for us, renovation works are going on a half of the facade which completely ruined the beauty of the castle. Nevertheless, we still saw crowds of tourists heading to the castle and figured that the wait would be too long to see the inside of the castle which has never been finished. So on the spur of the moment we turned around and drove instead to see the Linderhof castle. King Ludwig II, who built the Neuschwanstein Castle, commissioned also the construction of Linderhof, but it was only in this castle that he spent a significant amount of time. His goal was to turn the castle into a new Versailles. He succeeded since Linderhof is quite impressive with its spectacular furniture and decorations.

Back to Thailand

A mission to the UNESCO Regional Bureau in Bangkok with three other young professionals enabled me to travel to Thailand for the third time. This was a great opportunity to meet various colleagues working in different units of the UNESCO Bangkok, the UN Economic and Social Commission for East Asia and Pacific and UNDP; learn about diverse programs at the country level; and reflect on how to harmonize work at the Headquarters with activities taking place in the region. Thailand has a lot of great things to offer: gourmet food, nice people, unique culture, beautiful beaches, great shopping as well as inexpensive beauty/health procedures. If I could I would travel there each year just to get a Thai massage which completely relieves stress accumulated throughout years. There many wonderful Thai dishes but the one I craved the most was mango sticky rice. Unfortunately, it was not a mango season but it was still possible to get it in many places, including on the street.

When in the past I visited Thailand to study culture with a college class and attended the International AIDS Conference, I had a lot of time on my hands to see the main sights in Bangkok thus this time I did not have to run around doing that. The only sightseeing was visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site, an ancient city of Ayutthaya. It was founded in 1350 and was a Thai capital for 417 years until the city was sacked by the Burmese army which destroyed many of its finest temples. Its architecture is a fascinating mix of Khmer (ancient Cambodian style) and early Sukhothai style. Thus, Ayuthaya has many sections that seem to replicate the grandness and opulence of Angkor Wat. For example, prangs, towering corn-cob like structures, representing Mount Meru denote Khmer influence and look something like the famous towers of Angkor Wat. Buddha relics were often housed in a vault in these structures, which resulted in many robberies in recent years following their first archeological discovery. One of the main differences between Thai prangs and Khmer prangs is that Khmer structures often used sandstone and laterite and Ayutthaya prangs were mostly built with bricks and then covered with stucco.




During the weekend, I went to the beautiful island of Koh Samet which was the inspiration for the literary masterpiece of Thailand's most famous romantic poet, Sunthorn Phu. The island, located about three hours away from Bangkok by car, is still not completely spoiled by the tourism and offers some secluded areas. However, a Swiss lady who has been coming to the place for 30 years indicated that it has made quite a transformation from a quiet fishing island it used to be. I ended up staying in a simple bungalow on the Vongduen Beach which was too crowded for my taste so I escaped to the nearby beach. It was easy to walk from there to other beaches and I really enjoyed exploring the island. If you are not looking for the peace and quiet, the Vongduen Beach is a great place to spend time socially since in the evening there is a good choice of seafood restaurants with music and there are fire shows on the weekend. Given that it is popular, the bungalows are overpriced for that reason. From what I observed, the best price/quality is Vongduern Villa and this is where I plan to stay next time.

Back in Paris, four of us went to a Thai restaurant to revive memories of our trip. Some reviews say that Le Banyan restaurant is supposedly the best Thai restaurant in Paris. The food display was beautiful (see below), the meal tasted great and lunch menu had a favorable price. However, Thai dishes were transformed in a way into "haute cuisine" which makes one miss more simple, spicy and home-cooked Thai food.

Exploring Burgundy and Champagne

Following non-stop rain in Paris during the whole August, a weekend escape to Burgundy and Champagne proved to be like a sun ray in the grey sky. On the way to Beaune, a Burgundian wine capital, the clouds started clearing out and the town met us with sunshine and warmth. Beaune charmed us with its stone houses, flower embellishments and wine stores where one can taste various wines. It must be interesting when the yearly wine auction takes place in its historical l'Hotel Dieu, a former hospital with impressive design.


Driving along Cote d'Or we saw many wineries and stopped to enjoy a refreshing glass of Chablis in one of cafes in Nuits Saint Georges. Wine tasting in wine houses there is quite expensive since the area produces a lot of grand cru wines.
It took us some time to find the Chateau de Pont Bernard which I reserved for a night from Gites de France. The fairy-tale mansion was well hidden in the Burgundian countryside. A young family who owns the house renovated it over twelve years and now it looks like a castle from the past. The owners were very hospitable and made us feel at home, especially when they served us coffee and tea with home cooked bread and le pain d'epices, a traditional cake with spices, in a sun kissed terrace by the swimming pool. Besides le pain d'epices, other traditional food to try in Burgundy is boeuf a Bourguignon and Escargots a la Bourguignonne and cheeses, brandy-soaked Epoisses and Bleu de Bresse.

On the way to Champagne, we visited a secluded UNESCO world heritage site Abbey de Fontenoy, one of the oldest cistercian monasteries, founded in 1118. Located in a middle of a forest, the nicely renovated abbey radiated the spirit of tranquility and holiness.

The champagne route across vineyards was especially picturesque. Another lucky discovery in Gites de France was a bed and breakfast in the middle of champagne vineyards. It is owned by a family running Champagne Rogge – Cereser business. The stone house with modern design bedrooms and bathrooms started running about a year ago. It was an amazing feeling to sit back and relax and drink champagne while looking at the vineyards from which this fizzy drink was produced. Next morning we had a tour with a passionate account on how the family produces their small scale champagne. Now I will appreciate drinking champagne even more when I know how many various stages and processes go into its production.

In the end of our trip, was a visit to the renowned Reims Cathedral, a crowning place of French kings for many years. From Reims, we brought back light rose biscuits to be had with champagne. We also stopped by Epernay, a capital of Champagne region, where major Champagne houses like Moet and Chandon are located on the avenue de Champagne. The town did not impress us much since it did not have a quaint atmosphere of Beaune.

The Magic of Buenos Aires

Attending the meeting on debt swaps for education provided me with a perfect opportunity to finally visit Buenos Aires. The vibe of the city made me wish that the visit lasted longer. It is strange how many parallels one can find between Paris and Buenos Aires. No wonder the city is called Paris of Latin America. I could easily see that Buenos Aires in Latin America is what Paris is in Europe. Both cities have diverse neighborhoods, beautiful architecture, great shopping, gourmet food, café culture, cultural opportunities as well as fashion conscious and proud inhabitants.

Most of Argentinians have strongly European, including Italian, German and East Europian jewish, origins. Portenos, Buenos Aires inhabitants, like Parisians, are proud, individualistic and stylish but friendlier. Young people follow most recent trends and older people exhibit class and style from old times. Ladies wear fur coats and elaborate hats and men - cashmere coats, silk scarves and sombreros. This pre-war elegance does not exist anywhere else.
Portenos and Parisians are crazy about dogs so there is the same problem of dirty streets. One can see many large dogs around Buenos Aires. It is much easier to afford keeping a large dog in Buenos Aires than in Paris since it is possible to hire a special dog walker. I saw many of them walking ten dogs or so on a leash at the same time! I am not aware of such service in Paris so maybe that is the reason that Parisians tend to have much smaller dogs.

Both French and Argentineans are passionate about soccer so it was interesting to watch the final game of the Latin American Cup between Argentina and Brazil at a local bar. For Argentineans, it was a matter of honor to win so they were cursing and slamming the table when the game was not going as they expected. As a contrast, there was a group of Brazilians sitting quietly and drinking champagne as if they knew an outcome of the game. Unfortunately, I did not get to witness Argentinean victory and see the celebration in the streets. I only saw Argentineans sulking the same way as Parisians were after the final of the World Cup 2006.

Like Paris, the best way to see Buenos Aires is to walk everywhere so this is exactly what I did. It helped to experience the atmosphere of Buenos Aires' diverse neighborhoods. Colonial architecture makes one really feel in Europe. In Palermo Soho, which reminded of Soho in New York, I enjoyed having lunch outside while watching people and explored trendy boutiques. Starting in this neighborhood, avenida Sante Fe was a long street with many shops and crowds of people stumbling out of them. An interesting sight was a huge bookstore El Atheneo (corner of Santa Fe and Callao) which was established in an old movie theater with an artwork ceiling.

Due to a recent economic crisis, shopping in Buenos Aires is "dangerous" since many things, including luxury and designer goods, are much cheaper than in Europe. In one store where I commented that clothes have similar style and quality as the ones in Parisian boutiques, the flattered owner gave me a present. Many tourists buy leather stuff in Buenos Aires, one of the better quality brands being Navarro. A taxi driver took me to a Navarro store even though I said that I have no need for a leather jacket. Apparently, leather jackets, shoes and bags are prepared for the western market so only Argentineans come there to shop. As for souvenirs, I bought mate containers with bombilla, a small metal straw used as a filter, and mate leaves. Traditional mate is a social drink, which tastes like tea and is drunk from the same mate by family/friends anytime throughout the day.

On the way to Recoleta, I tried dulce de leche flavor of the famous Argentinean ice cream El Freddo. Recoleta, an elegant district with aristocratic and luxury houses, is a home to the cemetery where Eva Peron is buried and Plaza Francia which is usually filled with craftsmen, musicians, live statues, etc. The shopping pedestrian Florida avenue with Galeria Pacifico, a shopping center I found interesting because of art pieces on display, led me towards San Telmo neighbourhood. During the weekend, I stayed there at a boutique hotel with an authentic atmosphere, called Lina's Tango House, where people have an opportunity to learn how to dance tango. San Telmo is known for its tango clubs as well as Sunday antiques fair and tango and other street performances around Dorrego Square.




For more prevailing tango atmosphere, it is also worth visiting La Boca neighborhood with its pedestrian street Caminito, the name of which was inspired by a famous tango. The houses on this street are made of metal sheets painted in different bright colors.



Good quality and delicious food is another reason why Buenos Aires reminds of Paris. The most popular meal in Argentina is el asado or parillada, a mixed grill of steak and other cuts. Traditional parillada includes meat, sausages, chinculines (lower intestines), rinones (kidneys) and morcilla (blood sausage) accompanied by chimichurri, a tasty marinade. In Argentina, some cuts of beef and its flavor are quite different from the ones available in Europe or North America.
The best steak I had was at a restaurant in Las Canitas, a gastronomic neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Lomo tenderloin, one of the best and most expensive cuts, was so tender and juicy that it was literally melting in the mouth. Argentinean Malbec wine and parmesan salad accompaniment made the meal even tastier. I was told that Argentineans themselves prefer Bife de Chorizo, which is sirloin and not as tender as Lomo, but supposedly has more flavor.
We also went to La Chacra, a typical parilla restaurant, where we tried a variety of meat cuts, however, the restaurant was more touristic since it was well advertised. Almost every day, I savored delicious empanadas filled with ground meat, olives, boiled egg and spices. What surprised me was that in Buenos Aires people eat quite late, after 10pm, then have drinks and go out to a party or dancing at 3am. No idea how it is possible to function at work next day. Maybe portenos have difficulty in falling asleep after stuffing on beef cuts :)
Also, the nightlife in Buenos Aires is so exciting that it would be a crime to sleep early. During the national day of the traditional tango instrument bandoneon, we were privileged to see the tango show at Torcuato Tasso Cultural Center performed by most renowned Argentine artists, Seleccion Nacional de Tango and musicians who played in Anibal Triolo's orchestra. An emotional atmosphere was created with older generation musicians from the tango orchestra passing their craft to the younger generation and the crowd singing popular songs along. We had an opportunity to hear Suzana Rinaldi sing, who is a world renowned tango singer and a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
An interesting observation is that although nowadays tango is so valued, its roots weren't so glamorous. In the end of 19^th century, tango music originated in Buenos Aires' brothels frequented by immigrants made up by sailors, craftsmen and working class from Europe who left their families in search of new opportunities. In the beginning, tango was danced by men only and women were added later. At present, tango revival is taking place in Buenos Aires. Young and old portenos take lessons and dance Argentine tango into wee hours in millongas. I was so inspired that when I came back to Paris I started taking tango lessons, which are offered for free on the banks of the Sienne in summer months. Here is another Paris-Buenos Aires connection. It was Paris and not Buenos Aires that made tango popular among higher classes.
Buenos Aires and Argentina really fascinated me so I was eager to learn more about it when I came back to Paris. I went to see a movie Buenos Aires 1977 about military junta which captured and tortured young people who supposedly were in opposition. I was really shaken because a movie, based on a real story, was mostly about what the prisoners were going through daily, their torture and final escape. Following a prosperity from 1880 to 1945 when Argentina became one of the top 10 richest countries in the world and then the presidency of Juan Peron, who tried to empower the working class, the armed forces seized power from 1976 until 1983. Opposition repression, dissident disappearance, cooperation with the US intelligence and Army, defeat in the Falkland War, growing corruption, increase in foreign debt, conditions imposed by creditors and IMF, brought by this military dictatorship caused disastrous economic problems.
Restored democracy in 1983 did not solve them. Hyperinflation, growing fiscal deficit and government policies that did not work resulted in the culmination of economic crisis, debt default and chaotic climate in 2002. Newly elected president Nestor Kirchner in 2003 took positive restorative steps, including restructuring country's defaulted debt and paying off outstanding IMF debt, which brought Argentina back on track of economic growth and political stability.

2007 NBA Championship

It was very nice to go back to visit friends in Washington, DC, where I had lived for three years before I moved to Paris. One of the special moments was that my friend had tickets to watch the game of Washington Wizzards against Cleveland Cavaliers in Eastern Conference during the 2007 NBA Playoffs and NBA Championship. The Lithuanian Zydrunas Ilgauskas was playing for Cavaliers so I was even more excited. What I did not expect was that we will be sitting right in the front! We were so close to the players that we could almost touch them and actually could be anytime hit by the ball (which happened to some spectators in front rows). Besides an amazing game where Cavaliers won and later went to finals, it was very interesting to observe what was happening during time outs and on players' bench from such a short distance (see photos taken above, including notorious James Lebron).

Amiens Cathedral

On the occasion of St. John's Day, my husband and I went to meet my sister, her boyfriend and two friends in Amiens, a quaint town about one hour by train from Paris. The highlight of Amiens is its cathedral, the tallest and the largest classic Gothic church of the 13th century in France, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Recent research has revealed that its principal facade was originally painted. Using laser projectors, those surprising colors are recreated during a bilingual narrated light and sounds show. During middle ages, the materials to produce colors were brought from foreign lands so the colors were considered valuable since they were not easily available. It was fascinating to learn the symbolism of colors. For example, blue used to have the symbolic meaning of virginity or devotion to St. Mary (see more information in French on the meaning of colors).

Easter in Lithuania

Painting eggs for Easter is a special Lithuanian tradition. The egg is considered a symbol of life and rebirth of nature since pagan times. The tradition of egg dyeing is much older than Christianity and it was believed that painting symbols on eggs has magic power. In Lithuania, there are different ways of dyeing eggs. Many use a thick needle and hot wax to make patterns, including blossoms, snakes, stars, branches of rue, snowflakes, on a cooked egg. Once the egg is colored and wax removed the patterned areas stay white and stand out against the color (see photo below).

Those who have an artistic flair use a small knife to scratch marvelous designs on dyed eggs. My grandfather, an architect and artist, has turned many eggs into art using this technique. Even though I tried to learn a number of times from him, I am too sloppy and impatient to draw detailed and concise patterns on an egg.
My family uses simpler techniques to dye eggs. Dyeing eggs is an even more special experience when the whole family is participating. Since we cannot be together very often, performing this family ritual brought the family closer. We rolled eggs in different colors of a market dye until the egg was covered with bold color patches, looking like Jackson Pollock's painting. In order for eggs to have natural patterns, we wrapped around them leaves and flowers from the garden and onion skins, held in place by mesh and string. They were then released in a pot filled with onion skins to acquire the reddish brown color (see what came out of our eggs at the top). Since old times, most common dye used in Lithuania is onion skins. However, other natural dyes such as red beet, birch and black alder are being substituted by commercial dyes.
Easter breakfast began with my father peeling an Easter egg, cutting it and giving a piece to every member of the family. This was done so that peace and love would always reign within the family and everyone would live in harmony. Another tradition was that each of us took a colored egg and tested whose egg is the strongest by hitting each other's egg. The egg was held in the fist so that only its tip protruded and the other person hit it with the tip of his egg. Following eating mandatory Easter eggs, we feasted on the rest of the dishes, which were very meat based. The reasoning behind meat dishes is to recover from the fasting during Lent. I don't think many Lithuanians fast these days but the tradition is left nevertheless.
This year we did not play an amusing egg rolling game, which my sister and I loved as children. The eggs are rolled from a ramp made from a piece of wood, bark or carton with a downward incline. They aim at eggs of another player located in the circle on the ground. When the rolled egg hits another egg then the lucky player takes both eggs. In the end of the game, the one wins who has the most eggs left (see more on Lithuanian Easter traditions here).

New Apartment in Quarter Latin

Due to circumstances, I was forced to look for a new apartment. Since 15^th arrondissement where I lived previously was not very "happening" it was time to experience another neighborhood of Paris which would be more exciting. The first time I saw the lovely apartment in Quarter Latin with a view of Pantheon I knew that this was it. Now I feel very Parisian living in this ancient bohemian arrondissement which has been home to intellectuals and the University of Paris. A big comfort is that many places such as St Germain, Marais and Bastille are within walking distance.

Fontenbleau Visit

My husband's Valentine's Day present to me was a necklace from Portugal and mine to him – a trip to the Fontenbleau forest 40 minutes away from Paris. He loves nature and outdoor activities so was very happy to escape from the city. Dinner at an expensive restaurant is not his idea of a romantic time together. There was also another occasion to celebrate – the Lithuanian Independence Day on the February 16^th - so we joined a group of Lithuanians hiking in the forest. The day happened to be very warm for February so jackets were not necessary. We followed well-beaten paths across the forest until we reached the rocks which we climbed until we found a nice lookout point. As the dusk was falling, we made fire and prepared a pick-nick. After filling our stomachs and drinking strong Lithuanian liquor we sang various Lithuanian songs, flames reflecting on our faces. Going back in the dark was quite a test. One of the girls forgot her glasses and could see nothing in the dark and if this was not enough - she had blisters on her feet due to uncomfortable shoes. My husband, being used to helping out his teammates in multi-sport races, carried her on his shoulders. One of the guys from the group could not find his bike in the dark so the search was summoned until it was found eventually. Dying from fatigue, we walked to the train station to find out that the train has just left from Avon. Only my husband and I had a place to stay since that was a part of my present. Nevertheless, the Lithuanians are tough and do not get lost in situations like this - after debating hitchhiking the group managed to find a local man who put them up for a night for a good deal.

My husband and I separated from the group to relax at a local house in Avon where we enjoyed wine and cheese in our charming room which I rented by chance online from a lovely French couple. In the sunny morning, hearty breakfast consisting of coffee, fresh bread and croissants with jam awaited us. Our hostess was a good conversionist so it was interesting to find out more about her life and we were in no hurry to leave. My husband thought this escapade was a great present and I had to admit myself that disregarding the fatigue of the day before I was glad we did not have a usual fancy dinner in Paris to celebrate the Valentine's Day...

Original Interpretation of Baltic Folklore

The concert of Nympheales was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise to a large audience gathered at a church in the 16^th arrondisment of Paris. Nympheales is an unusual instrumental trio: harpist (French Cecile), soprano (Colombian Marcela) and mezzo-soprano (Lithuanian Birute). Following the classical baroque singing, more impressive was the second part – original interpretation of the Baltic folklore. Three women dressed in Lithuanian traditional clothes enhanced the audience. Birute's emotional singing of Lithuanian ethnic songs was accompanied by the sounds of "kankles", a traditional Lithuanian instrument, and aristocratic sound of the harp. Marcela enriched the performance by singing in Lithuanian and even playing Columbian drums with one Latvian song. This is a lovely example of a harmonized interplay of cultures…

New Year in the Lithuanian Countryside

I went to Lithuania for winter holidays and was keen on celebrating the New Year in Vilnius by watching a bright spectrum of fireworks. However, New Year festivities in the Lithuanian countryside ended up being much more enjoyable. At first, celebrating in a traditional summer house with no central heating and water but only a well and a fireplace did not seem very tempting. While warming up in sauna, I found out that there are no showers so the only option was to jump into the lake with floating ice. There was no way in the world I was going to do that! Eventually, a notion of being sweaty into the year 2007 won over so I rushed to the freezing lake to wash off. Cooling off after the extreme heat in sauna was really refreshing… As a result, I rushed to icy water even more than once!

Following sauna, we all dressed up in traditional Lithuanian clothes.



Throughout the evening, we feasted, danced, sang, played many games, and exchanged little presents. The game with presents started off with all of us sitting in a circle, pilling up presents in a center and rolling a dice in turn. Once someone rolled out a correct dice combination, he could choose any present from the pile. The game got quite passionate, especially influenced by drinking each time someone won a present. After all presents had owners, it was possible to steal a desired present from anyone, either leaving it to yourself or giving it away. Once everyone had a present, the game was over. On top of all this fun, I still had a chance to admire fireworks. At midnight, we went outside to watch exploding fireworks we brought and drink champagne.

Bollywood Show in Paris

Bollywood style show Bharati is very successful in Paris even though Parisians are spoiled with high-class entertainment. This music, dance and traditional extravaganza about India is one of typical love stories, which India is famous for depicting in movies. Nevertheless, what makes it especially entertaining is that hundreds of experienced performers and changing amazing stage decorations and colorful costumes illustrate India's rich diversity and customs. The show had so much energy that it permeated the audience and in the end of the show spectators did not need much persuasion to start moving, contrary to an observation that Parisians are not very much into dancing…

Gourmet food in Paris

One of my friends is giving me a tour of gastronomic Paris. It is her passion to discover best restaurants and write about them in a blog "Luxeat" where she reviews unique experiences in various eating establishments. She introduced me to Laduree, a historical French dessert bakery since 1862, where I fell in love with macarons, light meringue cookies that melt in the mouth. Macarons appeared in Europe in Middle Ages and were even offered to Louis IV for his marriage (see history). Recent movie "Marie Antoinette" by Sophia Coppola showed piles of macarons devoured during wild festivities in Versaille. The best macarons, simply divine, are created by the renowned chef Pierre Herme. His deserts are like pieces of art. In an innovative way, he merges unusual flavors, such as white truffle with hazel nut and olives with vanilla, and decorates macarons with gold, silver, chocolate dust, etc. He constantly invents new flavors and advertises them in catalogs, which a customer receives in all his stores. However, Pierre Herme's desserts are a luxury for many people since they are quite expensive.

One weekend, in Les Clos de Gourmets, my food loving friend and I enjoyed a modern bourgeois brunch prepared by a chef who worked with known French chefs (see review). On the occasion of my Birthday, we went to Chez l’Ami Jean where we enjoyed a sophisticated and modern dinner in a Basque style bistro (see review). Another expedition with my friend was to get a taste of sunny Italy at the Caffe Minnoti with a luxury atmosphere (see review). Probably one of the best dinner experiences in Paris was dining at the Violin d'Ingres, a high-end restaurant with lower prices (see review).

My Egyptian Experience

While attending the High Level Group Meeting on Education for All in Cairo, I caught a glimpse of the ancient culture but will definitely have to come back to have a deeper experience. The main highlights in Cairo were: the traditional dinner in the colorful market of Khan-Khalili, Nile dinner cruise with a belly dancer and excursion to Giza pyramids. The masses of tourists everywhere were ruining the experience but then of course this was expected.

After the meetings were over, I traveled from Cairo on a bus to join my husband at the resort El-Gouna by the Red Sea. By mistake, instead of getting on a tourist bus I managed to get on a local bus! Thus, I really stood out being foreign and blond as well as one of the few women on a bus. Later on, I heard that only few years ago no foreigners were allowed on local buses since it was not safe. I did not know any of this then so was quite shocked when at different check points throughout the trip armed men came into the bus and started checking the luggage and identity cards of the people on the bus. I was glad when a man seated by me explained that as a foreigner I am immune to any check-ups and therefore am not obliged to show my ID. The search was supposed to identify any explosives and ensure the safety of the passengers. He told me many interesting things about his country and his life. He finished university education but due to a shortage of jobs in his field, instead of becoming a teacher he had to become a fisherman working far in the south near Sudan's border. Nevertheless, since his family lives in Cairo he often has to travel a long way with many connections on a bus. There were times that for unexplained reason he along with other Egyptian men was checked in the street in Cairo and even taken to prison.
When we arrived to Hurgada, he helped me to get on another bus to El-Gouna since taxis were too expensive. However, once the bus became empty, suddenly the bus stopped and the conductor declared that the last stop is in Hurgada and if I want to go to El-Gouna I have to pay a special price. Since the asked price was higher than for a taxi and I knew that a fare for a local bus is much lower, I argued that I have to pay less. After some haggling I was afraid that the driver would take me god knows where so I agreed to pay the price. On the way, suddenly some men stopped the bus and gave money to the conductor. I was supposed to be the only one on the bus so got really scared and started asking who these men where. The conductor said that they were his friends. Then why were they paying him? Just in case, I was pretending to call my husband and stressing that he is waiting for me in El-Gouna. When we arrived to El-Gouna and the driver was taking me to the hotel, the men on the bus started shouting at the driver. Then the truth started dawning on me…. This was a bus for El-Gouna hospitality workers living in surrounding areas and they were late for work because the usual route was changed. Before going to Egypt, I promised myself that no one will be able to cheat me but unfortunately it didn't work….
After my crazy experience on the bus, El-Gouna seemed like a paradise with colorful Arabic style buildings and little bridges over numerous lagoons. However, after a few days we started missing authentic Egyptian experience. The resort is mostly full of English and German tourists, who come there for sun-bathing, snorkeling and diving. The only Egyptians are the ones working in the hotels and shops. Available entertainment is adjusted for tourist taste. Dressed in traditional clothes we had barbeque on the beach while watching African dances and, at the "oazis," a traditional beduin village in the desert, dined while watching belly-dancing and other local dances, smoked shisha and drank sweet tea and coffee cooked over the fire.

The most memorable sight was witnessing a traditional dance tannoura on a few occasions (photo above). In Cairo, the performer whirled non-stop in a circle while putting a sword on his head, making various arrangements using colorful drums. The skirts the man was wearing became full displaying the richness of colors. In the end, the top of the skirt is taken off and whirled by the hand. The explanation of the dance is that moving in circles, the dancer alleviating his wordily burdens and reaching ecstasy in a symbolical attempt to approach heaven. In El-Gouna, this dance was amazingly performed by a little boy, a growing star. The gorgeous belly-dancer who performed on the same occasion was also unbelievable – her costumes were exquisite and her moving belly seemed to make music sounds.

Opera Garnier

Attending a performance at the Opera Garnier is a beautiful experience. The building inside and out is a piece of art. While watching ballet from a balcony covered in red and gold, one gets easily carried into the past. Having a glass of real champagne over the break makes the whole experience even more complete. Just do not watch any performances from the very top rows since the seats there are made for torture. One will be crammed to the neighbors and his knees will be pressed hard into the back of the person in front. There is no way one can enjoy music and sights in such a position.

100th Anniversary of Shostakovich

Moscow Symphony Orchestra's concert at UNESCO to mark the 100^th Anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was a rare treat. It was not well advertised and the audience came with invitations so as a result the sale was half empty. A pity since some Frenchmen would have paid a tidy sum to be able to listen to this homage to the renowned composer performed by the world class orchestra.

The concert exceeded our expectations as modernist, sharp contrast and grotesque elements were heard in the music. The musicians played with immense energy and encore even five times! Unfortunately, this creative work of Shostakovich was not appreciated and even punished during the Soviet times as it did not conform to the standards expected during those times. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians describes external influences on Shostakovich's music as the following: "Amid the conflicting pressures of official requirements, the mass suffering of his fellow countrymen, and his personal ideals of humanitarian and public service, he succeeded in forging a musical language of colossal emotional power.

Villages around Nice

Since there is a short and inexpensive flight from Paris to Nice, we decided to take an advantage of this one weekend. A lot of tourists spend all their holidays in Nice but I do not see where the attraction lies. Nice seems to be just a big city with a lot of traffic and conveyer food in uniform restaurants for many middle-class tourists outside of France. In order to have a more authentic experience in the south of France, we went 15km from the airport of Nice to stay in a villa owned by a French family, with a view of Gattieres, a beautiful village, on a hill. It was like a dream come true waking up in a sunny room and having coffee with a croissant on a terrace while enjoying a marvelous view.

The villa was a convenient location to visit many places around. St. Paul de Vence with sweeping vistas of both the mountains and the sea was quite a sight to behold. The town is filled with various art galleries if one is looking to buy interesting art. Close by, Vence is another slightly larger town where one can find many nice restaurants hidden in courtyards.


I am glad I got to see Monaco but I would not go there again because it seemed kind of commercial and boring with not much to see. If you are a millionaire and can party on one of the huge boats in the harbor then you would probably have a much better time. Eze, a medieval fortress village between Nice and Monaco, had a much nicer atmosphere. Walking along narrow cobblestone road up the hill draws you into the past. Petite cafes with a striking view on the way invite you to have a drink. The most amazing view is from the exotic botanical garden on the top of the cliff. At an altitude of 400 m, the summit of the cliff overlooks the sea. And you never know what kind of event you might catch at the village. Standing on the top of the cliff allowed us to have a nice view of a wedding party leaving the church below. Also from the village it is possible to take a path of Friedrich-Nietzsche who lived there for some time.