Handy Quick Links to our Blog Highlights
How We Got Started | How We Do It | Countries and Territories Visited | USA Adventure | Iceland The UK Adventure | Our Travel Club Arrives in Paris | Capitols of N. Europe and Scandinavia | Russia and the Trans-Siberian Railway | South Korea | Japan | Australia | Bali & Indonesia | Malaysia | Singapore | Macau-Hong Kong | Southern China | Zhangjiaije National Park | Central China | Terracotta Warriors | Pandas | Tibet | Nepal | India | Uzbekistan | Kazakhstan | Georgia | The Balkans | Eastern Europe | Italy | Ireland | Scottish Highlands-Outer Islands | England | Norway | The Baltics
We took the long way to the national capitol, Vilnius, by visiting to other cities along the way. We wanted to see more of the coast line so we drove four hours due west and then south along the coast. Sadly, the road never touched the coastline any closer than 1/4 mile and most of the view was shielded by trees. We got into Klaipėda late in the day. We got a surprise when we checked into our apartment where we planned to stay for two days...it has been fully renovated since we have booked and I had not checked the photos. It was a great stay in an old Soviet block building coming back to life. We wandered the seacoast city on a Sunday...bright sun and lots of people. There was a volley ball tournament, a marathon, and it was peaceful and pretty.
Great street art.
German architecture.
The game...in bikinis.
Fresh strawberries.
After two days we headed east to Šiauliai to see the Hill of Crossed...a makeshift memorial dating back to 1837, demolished an bulldozed many times since, and miraculously rebuilt every time...over 10 million crosses, rosaries and other religious medals.
We stayed the night in the town of Šiauliai in a fifth floor renovated unit...possible the nicest renovation so far...and certainly the highest climb up a stairwell since starting our six year adventure.
We departed last morning and three hours later we were in Vilnius. Our host Julija met us at the apartment, a brand new high rise, and showed us around. We settled in for our three night stay and enjoyed the views from the 7th floor. The next day we enjoyed another city walking tour. This was the first one so far that left us a bit wanting. Our guide was very nice, but her English was difficult to understand...and honestly...Vilnius was not that interesting.
A baroque church that was just a bit much...and there were plenty more in a country that is 95% catholic and better than 50% actively practicing.
Then this happened...the Republic of Uzupis. A seperate automous (well sort of these days) area within the city limits, established by artists in the late 1800s, with its own constituion and prime minister. Up until April, they were still issued visas.
On our last day we booked another walking tour, this time into the neighborhoods. Our guide took us to the old wooden house section of town where we toured several streets of hold homes. It felt like we were back in Siberia at times.
From there we walked to the newest part of town...covered in modern skyscrapers.
On the 31st floor we had a grand view of the city.
We ended our tour at a local market, but first we stopped by this radical nightclub with its rather interesting sculptures and murals.
Stalin with a pig nose.
Donny giving a carburetor to Putin.
Great street art.
No comments:
Post a Comment