It's Saturday 19th, the day before departure, and there's much to be done indoors. Prep work. Testing camping gear. Charging the Motorolas. Assembling the hand-cycle. SIM cards aligned for phones. This is all happening in Jogailos. A luxury Air BnB on the edge of the incredibly beautiful Vilnius old town, and just around the corner from 2 Auku street, a building used by the Gestapo during WW2 and the KGB up until 1989.
Now called the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, it's collection of photographs, documents and exhibits-underground detention cells, torture chambers used by the Nazis and Soviets, present the physical and spiritual genocide that transpired here. A visit overwhelms the senses. Such was the litany of suffering and brutality meted out on the people of Lithuania.
Mark Berger on a visit and a break from ASF production assistant duties says, "and the madness has begun again". Those around him know to what he's referring.
Back outside, and Vilnius intoxicates with its classic beauty. An enchanting city with a haunting history. Certainly a place for the romantic.
The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius
Church of St. Anne, Vilnius
Lithuanian Bishops' Conference Centre. S.Skapo street, Old Town, Vilnius
Presidential Palace with the Spire of The Church of St Johns in the background.
Church of St. Anne, Vilnius
Saturday morning picnic along S.V. Mykolo before the Church of St Anne.
A return to Jogailos, and time to forget humanities wrong doings, and revel once more in goodwill towards others. That's the Samuel doctrine.
It's back to prep work. For the road show will begin tomorrow!!
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ASF has carefully chosen Resolve to be the beneficiary for 2023: Resolve is a charity founded in 2017 that helps create change makers in our community to drive a more inclusive city. Their signature program is a Fellowship that has so far supported over 70 emerging community leaders from diverse walks of life. There have been five cohorts of the fellowship on racial equality, ending gender-based violence, disABILITIES and empowerment, wellbeing and health and (E)quality Education for all.
Visit the following URL in order to support the "I Resolve Challenge" and give:
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