Autumn creeps up through the moss. A still-life

Where: Vilnius Town Hall

What: Sostinė Klubas evening

When: October 8th, 2013

There comes a time when white candles become… too white. “Too bright, too decorative too elegant – when all you want is cosiness, warmth and a hug,” – says Audronė, our decorator, as her match lights an aged candle. The silver candlestick smiles back.

Autumn is a time of harvest and plenty. Like a spoiled Baroque, it spills onto our golden tablecloths with ivies and red maple leaves. These tangles themselves around the beautiful crystal glasses and carafe that Jolanta personally found at a flea market in the Netherlands. The carafe is full of cherry liquor. Dalius knows how to make this drink. The cherry garden on his property knows all about Ms Luxury and Mr Abundance. What noblemen’s lips and what feasts have these crystal glasses seen and touched?

Mature people, worthy of this feast, gather around the table. The table is worthy of them as well: mature, understated, and much-anticipated. Pumpkin or king bolete pâté, herring with mushrooms, and beef tongue with chopped horseradish. If any of the guests feel that the table needs more Lithuanian pride, then the host will offer warm mead with apple juice and a sizzling boar ham with artichoke purée. We grew all of the vegetables and fruits ourselves, and he’ll remind you of it. “It’s true,” agrees the soft plum lying in its golden bowl. How are you even supposed to take a bite? The juice will get everywhere!

When the stars come out to replace the candlelight, glass bottles will appear (disguised as plates, until now, under the duck with caramelized pineapple and venison with redcurrent jelly on spits) to ensure that everything isn’t too rich and filling. “Something clear and unexpected rings out in every still-life. Even in the grandest music, you’ll always hear a clear bell,” – Audronė smiled.

An elegant white hand gently lifts a cup of coffee with liquor, thick as love, to her lips, and an elegant gentleman, with one taste of the sweet honey cake, closes his eyes – it’s like a fairytale!