Trip to Lithuania and visit to the Hill of Crosses

[Irena]

So we went to a National Dog Show in Shiauliai, Lithuania this past weekend. I took our first Latvian Weim, Dominica (LV & EST CH Dominica Silver Ghost z Bobiecinskiego Lasu) and of course my Audry. We travelled together with a GSP, INT & LV & EST CH Cerro Dikendri. The trip was all in all great, were it not for the proper autumn weather. ;D Brrrrrr!!!

Dominica stayed with me the night before the show, and I bathed both of them. The other pics were taken in between our breed rings in the a.m. and the final competitions in the p.m. We had lots of time in between so we took our dogs for a good run in the fields.
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We also visited the Hill of Crosses (Kryziu Kalnas) near Shiauliai - by far one of the amazing places I've ever seen. I had been there as a kid, many years ago, but the tinkling of the crosses in the wind was just like when I saw it for the first time. Lithuanians are Catholics for the most part, and Poland is just across the border too, so the place is very, very popular. I am not sure how many millions of crosses there are.

Here are some pictures of the Hill of Crosses (the dogs of course stayed in the car):
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[Alkemist]

Some beautiful piccies there Irena - great action shots of the dogs, and really haunting ones of the crosses...

Nina and Jensen

[Wetdog]

I thought the weather and the low dark clouds certainly set a mood you wouldn't find in tourist brochures---made some very moody and powerful pictures I thought.
I had to laugh at Cerro and Audry pictured in the rear view mirror. Gave me a mental picture of a married couple car shopping. "What do you think honey? This one smells pretty good to me."

[marjolein]

Can you tell me more about the crosses and where they stand for? Curious!!

[Sylvia]

Nice pictures.
And I am also curious where the crosses are for....

[Irena]

Sorry it took me a while, but here goes. According to one of the websites, the tradition of placing crosses dates from the 13th or 14th century and "probably first arose as a symbol of Lithuanian defiance of foreign invaders. Since the medieval period, the Hill of Crosses has represented the peaceful resistance of Lithuanian Catholicism to oppression."

There is more here: www.sacredsites.com/europe/lithuania/lithuania.html