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Published: September 7th 2005
The center of the center
Vilnius' center is dominated by the huge square that contains the clock tower ahead and a large cathedral on the right.And now the change of plans….I don’t know if I’d mentioned that I was planning to go directly to Moscow from the Ukraine or not, but that was the original plan. However, as I was sitting in Lviv and considering my options, I realized that about anything was a better option than a 33 hour train ride from Lviv to Moscow. Now if you look at a map, you’ll realize that Lviv is incredibly close to Poland; and if you travel north from Poland, it takes you to the Baltic states which then in effect connects to the Western-most part of Russia, namely St. Petersburg. Ah-ha, I think I have hit on something there. So to add a little spontaneity to my mundane traveling life (HA!), I decide to switch things up a little bit and cruise up to the Baltics—next stop Vilnius, Lithuania. And in continuing the transportation quagmire, of course it was not as easy a task as the previous sentence might make you think. The fact of the matter is that it required changing two trains, negotiating a ticket change in Polish (always fun), then switching from the train to a bus which I couldn’t buy a ticket
Talkin' bout a Revolution
Lithuania was the first of the Baltic states to pull away from Mother Russia and her repression. The translation here means the heart of Lithuania and is a memorial to their fight for independence. for because it was a national holiday. Whew—long day that started at 06.00 on Monday and ended at 10.00 on Tuesday morning. I guess there’s not too much demand for Lviv to Vilnius route.
Note: The next few entries will be like a continuing commentary since all of them were written at the same time.
Right, so now I’m in Lithuania. Anyone that knows anything about Lithuania raise your hand. Anyone?—anyone? (If I am insulting your astute sense of history and geography here my apologies) However, I didn’t know a thing about Lithuania really until I met 4 Lithuanians in Kiev who of course spoke very highly of their home which is probably what planted the seed in my mind in the first place. Come to find out Lithuania is an absolutely marvelous place, a perfect getaway for anyone looking for a friendly and serene place to visit. I found myself walking around Vilnius for hours with its never-ending assortment of alleyways that wind their way around the mysterious and interesting backstreets of the old town. In your wandering, you might find a new café, nice shady park by the river, or even the eclectic bohemian quarter of
Bohemian Spirit
This is the beginning of the Uzupis district and posted on the wall is the district's credo. It includes, among many other things, that everyone has the freedom to express themselves, to live in peace with their neighbors, and to enjoy life. Uzupis. On top of all of this, Vilnius is a modern and friendly city. This is quite impressive for a country that has only been independent of Russia for approximately 10 years. Now I must confess, I was not the most active traveler while I was staying Vilnius. I think I spent most of my time with my Lithuanian friend Inga just strolling around the city, drinking coffee, and eating rich Lithuanian food—sounds like I’m on vacation or something doesn’t it? One of the funniest things about Lithuania is the fact that the word Aichu, which has a familiar nasal association for us, actually means ‘thank you’ in Lithuanian; I really couldn’t help but have a little internal chuckle each time I thanked someone either after buying something or for their good service. Really I think that Lithuania is better seen than described so I’ll post some pictures as soon as I get an opportunity.
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hihihihihihihi i love lithuania