Vilnius, Lithuania, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as I enter one the many baroque cathedrals, I see a church choir rehearse for an upcoming performance. I am so moved by the music I sit and listen for 20 minutes.
I use the music to underscore images from the KGB museum, The Vilnius Cathedral, Old Town, the Hill of Three Crosses in Kalnai Park and more. It’s a gem of city, and like all places of deep trauma, the vibe in the video changes from the holy to the surreal.
I think about the resilience of these people who, since 1900, have experienced, slaughter and occupations by Poland, Russia (twice), and Germany (twice), and are at risk of being attacked again by Russia yet again, because of Putin’s demented world view of Eurasian purity and his inability to accept the demise of the USSR in 1989. It’s more complicated but in a nutshell, those are two of his key themes.
My grandfather fought in France during World War I, where he met my grandmother who was serving as a nurse. My father, at 18-years old, flew more than 23 missions over Germany as a gunner in the 8th Air Force. I was too young for Vietnam and too old for Iraq/Afghanistan. I did witness the AIDS epidemic where I saw many friends not make it to 30 and I am a 9/11 cancer veteran as a civilian living in downtown New York. War continues to impact our family, now with a fourth generation family member, Max.
It’s incomprehensible that our leaders are not backing our troops, and traditional European allies for more than 80 years, and siding with Putin. For people who have any illusions of who Putin is read Navalny, Alexei Navalny’s book published after his death, that Putin ordered. Fortunately, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has committed permanent German troops, not seen since World War II. Ironically, The Nazi Party occupied Lithuania from 1941-1944, but is now a staunch ally and supporter of the nation on NATO’s eastern flank, bordering Russian ally, Belarus.
What brings me to Vilnius is to spend the day with my nephew, Max, in Vilnius, Lithuania where he is managing 80 U.S. Army troops. He has a eight-pass away from his base on his one day off. I jump at the chance for a visit and book flights from Madrid, via Norway and Sweden (return).
I haven’t seen Max since his wedding almost four years ago. Since then he has had two lovely daughters with his beautiful wife, bought a house in GA, earned his masters in International Relations from American University, yet since January, he has been separated from his beloved family as he lives in harsh conditions to put his life on the line everyday, not just for the US, but to keep the EU from the grips of Putin’s authoritarian regime.
We meet at church in the heart of Vilnius. As an infrequent churchgoer I asked him about his return to church. He said he started going 10 years ago when he joined the army. Because life is so uncertain in the military, and his home changes every few years, he said he needs something more permanent to anchor him in the midst of the consistent uncertain chaos.
What a hero my nephew is to me.
As we ate our way through a myriad of Vilnius cafes and restaurants, I loved every minute of our nearly eight hours talking about life, death, family, God and so much more.
It is a day I will always treasure.
Vilnius Must See, Eat, Stay
Hotel Vilnia: Clean, charming, quiet, central location, fantastic breakfast and staff.
Kitchen Coffee: Terrific latte, eggs, avocado toast, cinnamon buns, etc. Perfect brunch setting and vibe.
Grey Resaurant: Fresh local food, terrific chef and staff. Make reservations in advance for dinner.
Beigelistai: A fun eatery for a quick snack and bagel. Really cozy, and as a former New Yorker for more than 40 years, can attest to their fantastic bagels.
Museum of Occupations & Freedom Fights (KGB Museum): Wrenching reminder of how history is now and what a danger Russia is to its neighbors.
Lukiskes Prison Tour: I met a Lukiskes tour guide, Lukas, at the KGB Museum. He was smart and funny, and his girlfriend said it was the “must see” place in Vilnius. I didn’t have time to visit but definitely will when I go back. When I asked Lukas what he and his friends thought about Russia invading, he said, with a shrug, “we have been preparing for it since I was 11, (he is now in his early 20’s,) it’s going to happen. We just don’t know when.”
Vilnius Cathedral (Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius): It’s the heart of Vilnius and the square is breathtaking. Grey Restaurant is across the street. Eat before or after you walk through the square and Old Town.
St. Anne’s Church: Stunning red brick church. The most beautiful structure in Vilnius and a hub for outreach and people in need. They have an English mass on Sundays at 9am and a 12-step meeting, also in English at 4pm.
Kalnai Park: Just behind the Vilnius Cathedral hike the thousands of stairs up Kalnai Park for the sweet views of the city and old town, and of course, see the Three Crosses. During the last Russian occupation (1944-1990) the crosses were taken down because communism doesn’t recognize religion. The old crosses are still at the foot of the hill of the new Three Crosses sculpture. We humans just can’t have nice things.
Trakai Island Castle: My taxi driver from the airport told me to go. I regret to report I didn’t make the trek but I will when I go back.