My apartment here is 'bohemian' in the genuine sense of the word. I do believe that this is the first time I have had an actual divan to myself. See picture below. The weather has been pretty darn hot, to the extent that some of my long walks have been curtailed due to sweat-related chafing. (Just thought I'd share.) And for the first time on this trip I've taken a proper interest in the local food. The classic Lithuanian dish is cold beetroot soup: it's nicer than it sounds. Also, when I saw 'potato zeppelins' on a menu, there was no way I could refuse. Again, see picture below.
The journeys from Tallinn to Riga and from Riga to Vilnius cost €28 each and both took about 4 hours, courtesy of an individual 'lounge' seat on a Lux bus. Naturally there are cheaper options on pikey buses, but I'm older than I used to be and no longer willing to tolerate annoying strangers sitting next to me unless it's absolutely necessary.
In truth there isn't a whole lot to see on those bus journeys, other than large expanses of flat farmland and the occasional small town. I can't help but imagine what it was like just one lifetime ago, with German tanks rolling east, or Soviet tanks rolling west. It seems to me that the various national monuments and memorials in the Baltic countries are admirably restrained, taking into account the struggles and suffering they've undergone to get to where they are today. But of course it's hard to travel anywhere in Europe without stumbling across an old grievance of some kind or other. Anyway we're lucky to live in happier times, where a free and independent Lithuania has the confidence to advertise its capital to the world as the 'G-spot of Europe'. You might think I'm kidding, but I'm not (check out the advert here). Bless 'em.
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| Central Vilnius, pictured from the top of Gediminas Castle (see next picture) |
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| National Museum of Lithuania Gediminas Castle (see previous picture) in the background |
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| Vilnius has a museum dedicated to amber (of which the Baltic area is home to the world's largest known deposits). |
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| Military parade outside the cathedral. I don't know what for. Maybe it was National Amber Day or something (see previous picture) |
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| Vilnius Cathedral and the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Again this was taken from Gediminas Castle. |
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| Trakai A short bus ride from Vilnius, it hosts Eastern Europe's only island castle. Hot air balloons float overhead at dusk. |
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| My Vilnius digs. Note the divan. |
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| Edd vs Food #79 Potato 'zeppelins' at the Stikliai Tavern Washed down with 500ml of Dundulis Humulupu IPA |
