Where are...

Lattimer in Lithuania

they now? Yes, once again, where have all the Gentlemen gone? For Chris Lattimer, Sted's 2nd year senior architecture student and world traveler, the summer has been spent in the Baltic as a part of either the biggest boondoggle known to a Notre Dame student or as an attempt (in Chris’ own words) to study how the simpler, vernacular architecture of the area promotes a sustainable, traditional lifestyle. For Chris, this is an interesting and unique way to interpret architecture as a reflection of the values, cultures, and traditions of a society, rather than seeing it simply as a "style" or "decoration" of a building. Okay, I guess it was the latter…

The photo that Chris sent is of him at the Hill of Crosses near Siauliai, Lithuania (pronounced Show-lay) It's a place that speaks to the Catholic traditions of the country. The thousands of crosses on this little hill in the middle of the countryside are placed by people to remember their lost loved ones. Despite the crosses being destroyed multiple times during Soviet times, people continued to place them there. 

Of his time in the Baltic, Lattimer said, ”My journey through the Baltic countries brought me many exciting adventures and left me with many great memories. I slept in the attic in the home of local Lithuanian family, chasing sheep into the barn on a remote farm in Estonia, and I celebrated the Fourth of July with a Russian!"

Oh, to be a student again, and I have a feeling that Chris has a bit more traveling to do before the start of the school in August. Just saying…