April 2, Day 37, Vilnius

 Day 2 of visiting dentists. But first — a run. The fastest one we did. We clocked in under a 10-minute mile - a good one. Crustum pastry with cheese and coffee was very well deserved after that.

Then we went to Era Dental in Žvėrynas. The team was the most responsive on email and phone prior to the appointment. The office itself felt comfortable and high-quality. Everyone was wearing Era uniforms — and some, like the ladies’ dresses, were done really nicely, almost like designer clothing. Very polished.

Dr. Irma, who works on root canals, spent at least 30 minutes with me, and so did the surgeon, Andrius. They were knowledgeable, confident, and helpful. Both were educated in the US, although both commented that the equipment there is nowhere near as modern as here.

I canceled my last remaining appointment of the day — these guys will be it. Will tell you how it goes tomorrow.

We then went to see Dan’s people, and after that, visited T. Nina and D. Kolya, Dan’s distant relatives. She is in her late eighties, he is in his nineties, and dealing with Parkinson’s. She is a spry one — high-energy, straight-backed, very present. She was a little shaken up because her husband had fallen before our arrival, but she still carried herself with positivity and strength. Incredible memory in both of them. Curious, inquisitive, surrounded by familiar books in their library. Good to see them. They are an inspiration.

Next, we walked back by the river, like we did so many times when T. Lilia, Dan’s grandmother, was alive.

In the city, we checked out the next hotel we’ll be staying at after our time here — we try to vary them to get more experiences.

Then we went back out to look for zeppelins. On the way, we passed by Titanikas Gallery, part of the Vilnius Academy of Arts.

They had an exhibition opening: Adomas Jacovskis — Not a Retrospective. It was the first day, and there were lots of people inside — security staff, some diplomats with little flags on the lapels of their suits, likely professors, students, and an artistic crowd. Even more than the paintings themselves, it was interesting to watch the people. 

They were also giving out wine, which helped with the overall experience. Arted out, we rolled to Vilniaus gatvė and had some OK zeppelins at Etno Dvaras. It’s out of the system solid now — we can go back to Indian.

Then we rolled back to the hotel and called it a day. Good night.