Vilnius

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This city was steeped in steeples, literally! From the moment we walked through the gates of Historic Vilnius I was overwhelmed by the sight of churches…Medieval, and Gothic, and Renaissance, OH MY! 15 out of the 20 churches in the old town were actually closed down or turned into warehouses during the Soviet period, resulting in the disappearance of much of the valuable pieces of art, but the facades remain beautiful. Despite this, the old town in Vilnius is one of the largest in Eastern Europe. In 1994, it was declared an internationally significant site and was included on the World Cultural Heritage.

We roamed around the windy streets checking off each significant site as we went along…there really was quite a bit to see. Later, we stopped to sample some traditional Lithuanian cuisine at a local tavern. More so than the food, we delect’ed in the delicious Lithuanian liquors. Before our meal began, we were served six varieties, they were all uniquely distinct but the last was by the far the tastiest. It was made from cherries and it was Yummm-y! Of course, for the remainder of the afternoon we became obsessed with locating this nectar and bringing it back to Warsaw. Mission success; we returned with three bottles.

Ugh! What a day, and what an overall trip! By the end, we were really exhausted, so we boarded the bus, took our seats and mentally prepared for the over-night bus ride (which made the Russian trains look luxurious). Sure, I woke up with pain in my neck from my failed attempts at sleep…but the trip was priceless.

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Photos

The Gates of Dawn
Last surviving defensive gate

Back of the gate
There is a chapel inside the gate

Madonna of the gates
This famous painting, for its miracle-woring powers is housed in the small chapel in the Gates of Dawn. The artist is unknown.

Church
Like Isaid...there were churches EVERYWHERE.

...and another
I walked into this one because the entryway was beautifully painted with frescos. While inside, i caught a bit of the Polish mass that was being held inside.

Best part of Vilnius
I loved this idea...look at all the colors.

Traditional Lithuanian decor
I thought it was really quant and charming. At this point, I needed a break to just enjoy our surroundings

The WORST part of Vilnius
I was not expecting to see this, and was a bit confused on how to actually worked. Where are the western toilets? Emily got a kick out of my shock so i had to take a picture.

KGB building
we went inside and toured the prison...it was really intense

Comments

[Joe]

Eastern Toilet
I had the same shock in India my first time as well as in China...at least this one looked clean!...hahaha...looks like you had a great time here...too bad about the churches