Nereta seniors’ event to be followed by visit to Suvainiškiai
A seniors’ gathering called “Senior Dating in Leišmale” took place at Nereta Cultural Centre, bringing together older residents from several Latvian parishes and Lithuania. Organisers have already received an invitation to visit the Lithuanian parish of Suvainiškiai.
The event “Senior Dating in Leišmale”, organised jointly by the association “Neretas pūces” and Nereta Cultural Centre, brought together participants from several parts of Latvia and Lithuania. Seniors from Pilskalne parish, Sauka parish and Viesīte, as well as from Suvainiškiai parish in Lithuania, responded to the invitation and came to Nereta.
At the opening, Inita Kalniņa, director of the cultural centre, welcomed everyone and wished them a pleasant time together. Silvija Teilāne, representing the association, spoke about the creation of “Neretas pūces”, its goals and what its members had achieved. The senior dance group “Pūces”, led by Ivita Jancukoviča, created a festive atmosphere at the very start.
Members of the association had prepared for the gathering well in advance: they arranged the hall, collected flowers and birch branches, made flower compositions and prepared the base for cold soup. During the event, participants were divided into two groups so that everyone could take part in the workshops. Maruta Blūma led an educational session on hydrolates, while Gunita Leite talked about table-setting culture and making snacks. Guests also had the opportunity to visit the Nereta Tourism Information Point and use 3D glasses for a digital tour of Aizkraukle municipality; the organisers thanked Gunita Gorbačova for this option.
After the workshops, everyone gathered for a shared meal. Cold soup was served, with the base prepared in advance and each guest able to add ingredients according to their taste. Homemade treats and sincere conversations added to the warm atmosphere. In the second part of the event, Anita and Jānis Ostrovski encouraged everyone to sing along and move to the sound of lively songs.
According to the organisers, the meeting demonstrated how shared activity can strengthen friendship across borders. An invitation to visit Suvainiškiai has already been received from the Lithuanian guests, so the next meeting is expected soon. The project was funded by Aizkraukle Municipality.
