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Italiano (Italian)
I had yet to be the surprise guest, let alone on a trip and in Lithuania. An impromptu trip can be made for many reasons; either because one has a lot of availability or because one has little and takes advantage of a situation on the fly.
Due to work commitments from September to June, except during the Christmas season, it was almost impossible for me to move in 2023. But my desire to shoot is always great and I kick.
I was supposed to take a day off in May, I decided to attach it to a weekend but 2-3 day destinations were starting to become scarce on my lists.
For a few months I had decided to write this blog and also to put as the opening image of each chapter the picture of the magnets of the various countries. But ouch me the one from Lithuania had fallen off by breaking. It was a very simple little vial with amber in it, which is very much collected and worked in Lithuania.
So I decided to return to Vilnius and take the opportunity to see Kaunas (featured photo). But also to try to reacquaint myself with the Couchsurfing world. With covid, in fact, I had not met anyone like that again.
This was crazy because the only solution was to take a Saturday morning flight from Bergamo and return Monday morning via Rome. It all turned out perfectly and really could not have gone better.
Couchsurfer baby sitter
For time, fearing I would find no one available, I moved for hospitality in Bergamo on Friday night and on the 2 nights in Vilnius, again with Couchsurfing. Fearing dudes and unreliability, I had seemed successful that they had accepted my request 2 people with children, somehow it made me feel safer.
In fact, with only a few days to go, neither of the 2 was trusting me. They would not tell me if they were planning to spend time with me, but more importantly, both of them had dreaded their possible absence and the possibility that I might be with their children!
Although I see it mostly as an opportunity to experience moments of sharing with local people, I can also be alone, but the risk of spending evenings with teenagers just isn’t.
I found another hostess in Bergamo and decided to pay for a hotel in Vilnius and propose chats without accommodation. In doing so I was fortunate to meet 2 super travelers and with whom a good feeling was immediately established.
In Bergamo we went to a classical music concert, and the morning before my flight I enjoyed a beautiful tour of the upper city, with the pearls of knowledge that only a local can give you.
In Vilnius on Sunday evening, more chatter about travel; typical Lithuanian dinner (I only managed to eat half of a pork knuckle despite it being exceptional); walk up to meet another friend who was also lovely.
Both acquaintances made me reconsider that there cannot be a person with whom I can have attunement and same passion for travel as I understand it.
Impromptu trip and surprise guest at a family party
From the beginning, I had no intention of looking for my first Lithuanian acquaintance, with whom there had been no further contact even though she had always likened pictures to me in my Facebook profile. So much so that I had promised myself not to post anything so that she would not find out.
With the change of plans, finding myself for a moment without any possible meetings, it came to me to write to her. I got straight to the point and said that I had found her an interesting person but that our meeting had been far too strange, with crying, talk of rape, sharpening knives, and friends who had not had sex in years.
She replied that she did not remember, perhaps it depended on her immaturity phase. I then revealed to her that I would be in Vilnius over the weekend and proposed that we meet. She replied that she was very surprised about that. She would have been pleased but on Saturday night she was going to celebrate her birthday with a home-cooked family dinner. I interpreted that as no and frankly I didn’t even mind it that much, but I was glad I tried.
Just as I was boarding, the birthday invitation arrived. The premise was that for her 12 guests (parents, uncles, brother-in-law, sister, cousins, and nieces and nephews) it would be a surprise. I couldn’t refuse; it was too unusual a situation and therefore tempting for me.
Me surprise guest
Once I landed I headed straight to the hotel stopping only to pick up a bottle of prosecco (a random choice that turned out to be a winner) at a supermarket. Time to take a shower and I went straight to her place where they had just finished the appetizer. The other diners only learned about me when I entered the house! I was really super surprise guest!
Initially some stunned, everyone tried to engage me by returning lots of smiles and exchanging a few words about Italy and Italian cinema, an area where I can always play the card of having grown up in the same neighborhood as Federico Fellini.
The food was Lebanese and a lot of prosecco was drunk! As well as vodka. Her father, who up to that point had been the most taciturn, greeting me wanted to make a special toast with me.
It was really fun to find myself there in the part of the surprise guest. The hostess thanked me for enlivening one of the rare occasions for a very quiet family to meet. After dinner with her, her sister, cousin, brother-in-law and nephew, we went for drinks (their still prosecco) at a bar. It was a memorable evening and I found out that Lithuania is the second most alcohol-drinking country in the world.
Home travel Travel to the Baltic countries, Estonia first
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Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent
Countries visited in my travel stories
Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives
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