Winter Retreat

Even though we’ve had a mild winter, it has been cold, dark, and dreary since the end of October. To help cheer us up, the Cultural Affairs Officer in Minsk organized a weekend retreat (2/15–2/17) for all the visiting Americans. We spent two nights at “Homestead Above the Neyman River,” a bed & breakfast located outside a small town called Berezovka. I made the 2-hour trip alone and waited for the rest of the group who were traveling from Minsk. They were caught in Friday afternoon traffic and then a nasty snow storm. When they finally arrived, we had a nice, Belarusian-style dinner and stayed up late talking and drinking wine.

On Saturday we visited the Neman glass factory in Berezovka. When Belarus was part of the U.S.S.R., this factory was the second largest in the country. I’ve seen a lot of Soviet-style factories, but this was my first experience seeing what was hidden inside. The factory is 125 years old, and once we entered its belly, it felt like we had traveled back in time. I was amazed that the majority of the products are still made by hand and that they let us get so close to the work stations. After our tour, we stopped at a small cottage to visit a local wood worker who, like most people in the area, used to work at the glass factory. I bought a small wooden vase made from local drift wood.

After a rest and another tasty meal, we drove to Lida, which is about 30 minutes from Berezovka. We tried to visit the Lida Fortress, but the gates were locked so we visited an Orthodox bazaar at the local community center. It was really crowded so we didn’t stay long, although I did manage to buy a scarf and listen as a few monks tested some new church bells. Next, we wandered around Lida and ended up at the Лидское (Lid-ska-ya) Brewery. I was happy as this beer is very popular in Grodno, and over the past few months I've come to know it well. Unfortunately, it was too late for a tour, but the bar was still open so we went inside to warm up. After a few beers, we walked back across town and returned to the bed & breakfast.

Later that evening, I had my first баня (banya/sauna) experience. It didn’t take long for someone to grab a bunch of wet birch leaves. The idea is to beat yourself, and each other, with the leaves to improve the circulation. It doesn’t hurt at all, but it sounds awful and leaves red patches all over your skin. I drank plenty of water and herbal tea, and when it got too hot I stepped outside to cool off. It was fun to watch the steam come off my body, but I don’t think it was very smart as I started to get dizzy from the extreme temperature change. I was saved by the dinner bell, and after a quick shower we all sat down for yet another big meal. Everyone was so relaxed from the sauna, and tired from the day's excursions, that right after dinner we called it a night.

When I woke up Sunday morning it was snowing, but after a few cups of coffee we decided to go for a walk. No one wanted to waste our last few hours trapped inside the house. We walked through a small neighborhood and then along the banks of the Neyman River. After our walk, we asked the owner, Valery, to play his гусли (goos-lee). This instrument is about 1,000 years old and sounds like a cross between a harp and a guitar. He was trained to play in St. Petersburg during Soviet times, and then traveled across Europe giving concerts. He saved his money, bought some land in his hometown, and eventually built the bed & breakfast with his wife Oksana.

After lunch, it was time for us to go. I took the bus back to Grodno and everyone else headed back to Minsk. The snow continued all afternoon and when I finally got home, everything was covered with a soft white blanket of snow. (Look under "Winter Retreat" for more photos.)