Along with the Fife poet Eleanor Livingstone I was invited to take part in the 4th International Poetry Festival
in Utena, Lithuania, in June 2008. We were part-supported by the Scottish Arts Council, and given hospitality,
accommodation and transport
by our Lithuanian hosts.
The itinerary
Thursday
We arrived in Vilnius airport, and met Egle Paskevisciute, one of our hosts for the Festival. She's a terrific
person, just returned from training at the American Naval Academy and about to join her ship
in the Lithuanian Navy. After a late lunch we drove to the hotel "Alausyne" on the far side of Utena,
at around sunset. It was one of those cabin complex hotels, situated on a lakeside, with sports facilities
and a restaurant.
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| Hotel 'Alausyne' | Sunset on the lake |
Friday
The following day we drove to the border of Anyksciai province, then for a picnic at Romuva Park,
where we followed 'ancient' tradition of poets bathing their feet in the river. There were several biting
insects here, of which more later.
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| In 'Romuva' Park |
Then off to read poetry in the open air at Troskunai. Here we got our first chance to meet the majority
of our fellow poets. Apart from the Lithuanian poets, we were 1 Latvian, 2 Georgians, 1 Russian and
1 Australian-Lithuanian, later joined by an American. This was also the first chance for Eleanor and I
to meet our translator, Sonata Paliulyte, who was delightful.
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| Eleanor and Sonata at Troskunai |
A late lunch in Anyksciai then a reading outside St Matthias' church. Before we read, we were
entertained by a historic dance group. Into their programme, they were interrupted by a wedding party
leaving the church. After some moments of charming confusion the dancers were able to finish, and
then we could read. After our reading we were all crowned with the traditional Lithuanian Midsummer
garland of fresh oak leaves.
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| Dancers outside St Matthias | The dancers meet the wedding party |
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| Me with garland | Two Georgian poets |
Then dinner at the wonderful 'archaeological musuem restaurant' at Niuronis. Here's where we discovered
the brilliant combination of fresh set honey spread on slices of chees (it's delicious), baked our own bread
in the traditional wood stove, and tasted little potatoes baked in it. I'd have to say that these spuds were
the best I've ever tasted. We also discovered the local vodka, or 'dektine' - smooth and strong.
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| Making our own bread . On the right, the Latvian poet Liana Langa. |
Saturday
After breakfast the next day we travelled to Utena, then on to Ignalina province. Over breakfast it had
started to rain, and we all noticed the smell of first rain on warm earth. I said there must be a name for
that phenomenon, and Eleanor came up with it - 'petrichor'.
Petrichor
for EleanorHarsh cries from the trees, troll and ogre visions,
idylls, nightmares, signless tracks, waterbirds, frogs
pumping grunge for a zippy dragonfly.The wind drops; sky is painted colourless;
woods fill with sudden mosquitoes
a nearby smoker’s fumes don’t dispel.Sound of coalescing drops on plastic roof,
monoblocs darken. There must be a name
for the smell of first rain on warm stone.Soil absorbs the early drops,
liquid films particles, begins to flow
through interstitial space.Plant roots extend tentative hairs,
probe initial water, test its extent,
uncommitted, pending proof of shower’s half-lfe.Everybody says it’s needed, s’been too long dry,
but there’s a sense of something ending:
not summer, but sunny certainties.Copyright © Colin Will 2008
We were taken on an excursion round the National Park at Paluse, climbing the second-highest hill
in Lithuania (altitude 200m). Then on to a 'Bee Museum' in a forest clearing, with amazing wood
sculptures, and rustic beehives shaped like coffins. We saw a 'Bee Wedding', with a couple and family
being blessed (we think) by the beekeeper, who seemed to have some kind of historic authority to
conduct the marriage, much as the village blacksmith had in Scotland. I'm reminded that the sytematic
name for bees is Hymenoptera, and the Greek root 'hymen' means wedding.
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| The wedding party arrives |
Apiculture
The bees land on the lower lip
of a carved giant, spirit protector of the hive,
bring blessings from cow parsley,
Queen Anne’s lace, other umbels,
figworts, rosaceous subjects
in the meadow’s multiverse,
enter his dark hollow heart,
his comb-filled secret nectaries.
His forbidding grimace
is no menace to these
million sweeteners.The clearing is consecrated
to the religion of honey,
a subset of animism
which gives grace
to marriages. The bee-keeper,
guardian, priestess, licensed
solemnist, pronounces stern admonition
on each couple, to be sweet hearts
to each other, to husband the land
and bear the broods.We snack on a sugar-waxy sacrament,
on bread, on cheese, on cucumber slices
shared with friends and guests,
the traditional hospitality
of hearth, history and honeypots.Copyright © Colin Will 2008
Our reading that evening took place in the town of Paluse, this time inside the church, because
of the rain. The insect bite I'd received on the Friday, just above my wedding band, was really
troubling by this time. I couldn't get my ring off because of the swelling, and the rest of my
hand had started to swell up.
Sunday
I had a bad night, and woke to find I couldn't even put my watch on because of the swelling. Egle
drove me to a chemist in Utena for some anti-histamine gel, but I wasn't confident it would work.
Anyway, we then drove to Juknenai, quite a long drive, where we arrived at the A & M Miskiniai
Museum. for another open-air reading. It was wonderful to find the Saltire flying, alongside the
flags of Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Georgia. One of the readers this time was the Lithuanian
Culture Minister, Kornelius Platelis, a fine poet. Off to lunch in a school at Daugaliai, then in to
the centre of Utena, and the opportunity to look round. By this time I was seriously concerned
about my hand, and I asked the organiser, Vida Garunkstyte, if I could get medical treatment
after the reading. She and Egle drove me to the hospital, and Egle accompanied me into the
consulting room. The doctor examined the hand, and decided I needed intravenous and
intramuscular
injections of antihistamine and anti-inflammatories. I'm enormously grateful
to Vida, Egle, and the Lithuanian health service, not to mention the EU Health Insurance Card -
it was accepted immediately and without fuss.
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| Alexander Belyaev | Kornelis Platelis |
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| Lidiya Simkute | David Robakidze |
Monday
A drive to Vilnius, a tour conducted by a Scot working in Lithuania, then off to the airport.
Later, waiting in Amsterdam, I finally managed to get my ring off, and the swelling started
to go down immediately. Home just after midnight, in time to get up very early on Tuesday
to catch a train to Elgin, for two Poet Partner sessions.
The country was beautiful, the people hospitable and charming, the poets were great, and
I felt we had made a contribituion to the connections between Scotland and Lithuania.
It was an enjoyable festival, and a great experience.
Thank you Lithuania.
As a postscript (August 2008) , I'm very distressed by the situation in Georgia, because the two Georgian
poets, Yuri and Dato, were charming and friendly, as was the distinguished Russian poet,
Sasha Belyaev. Also, I visited Abkhazia in 1982, so I feel linked to the place.