Cathedral Square in Vilnius, LITHUANIA --- Mouse Mat

The evening we arrived in Lithuania, we met my relatives in person for the first time at our Vilnius hotel. It was a moment for each of us, filled with smiles, warmth, nods, and teary eyes! I could see my grandmother’s facial structure in the cousin who was close in age to me. She and her daughter took us to dinner at an Old Town restaurant known for authentic hearty Lithuanian food. Afterwards, the evening was beautiful, so we strolled to Cathedral Square nearby where a stunning 10 pm sunset lit the Bell Tower, the side of the ancient Cathedral, and the statue of Duke Gediminis (1275-1341), an important ruler who fully developed Vilnius as a fortress capital of Lithuania.