Lithuania: Vilnius and Kaunas

Gediminas Tower

Before leaving Riga, we decided to visit the Central Market, which is located beyond the railway and a short distance from the river, easily accessible on foot. It is housed within former hangars for airships, and the interior is perfectly organized, clean, and welcoming. These are characteristics that are rarely found in urban markets. The fish area, especially those... goldenly smoked, as well as the stalls selling cheese, meat and flowers are very interesting. Among the vegetables, the bright orange color of peppers and tomatoes stands out, which we have never seen before. There are still few visitors, so we can easily walk around both inside and outside the hangars, where there are also small shops selling crafts and souvenirs. We wonder if during the winter season the fruit and vegetable stalls Now, we are staying outside, and we will move to more comfortable and especially drier locations! We stock up on fragrant and delicious blueberries and raspberries for our lunch, and then return to the hotel for check-out, pick up the car, and leave the city via A7 towards Vilnius. We pass through Bauska again, and in a landscape of soft undulations, we also find fields mainly cultivated with cereals, reaching the Lithuanian capital just after midday. We quickly discover that public parking is practically non-existent, and street parking costs 0.50€ for 12 minutes. The warm sun shines on Vilnius, invigorating both residents and tourists who stroll through the city center, but before we start our activities, we have lunch in a shaded park with the provisions purchased at the Riga market (cured meats, sweets, and fruit). The historic center is compact and easily visitable. We begin with the majestic Cathedral... which reveals itself to be more modest than its exterior, and the buildings located in the same large square (the National Museum of Lithuania and the Granduchi Palace, Lithuania), including the Gediminas Tower from below, since it's not possible to climb up the hill. Of course, a view of the whole area would be interesting, so we challenge the heat and cross the peaceful Vilnia stream that flows under the walkway in a charming park, climbing with a steep wooden staircase to the Three Crosses monument. These dominate the city For centuries, but the Soviet materialist ideology had no eyes for art, culture, and certainly not for religion; it only saw its concept of a new man, deeply believing in communist doctrine. This is how the crosses... were demolished We removed the bulldozers and they are currently found in a partially destroyed state as a warning to the upright structures that were erected recently. The view opens up over the entire city and surrounding green areas, offering a good reward for the short but exhausting climb. Descending, we walk along the left side of Vilnius towards Uzupis, an atypical neighborhood separated from the historic center only by the river. Here you can find a series of monuments dedicated to Tibet, and it was here that the Dalai Lama has been in recent years to draw attention to his unfortunate country. We return to the most historical bank of Vilnius to walk along the main streets with views of its monuments, especially churches of all Christian denominations. Saint Anna, Cathedral of Theotokos, the orthodox St. Parasceva, St. Casimir and St. Teresa), some museums, the town hall square, and the main street. Breakfast at Ausros Vartu and the Gate of Dawn. Returning to pick up the car, we encounter the University again and... Presidential Palace We don't linger because our plan is to visit the Genocide Museum, a collection of atrocities experienced by Lithuania before and after Nazism, and then under communism. Unfortunately, we discover that it is closed, despite having seen the door open in the morning. At this point, we leave the city, noting the stunning skyline located beyond the Neris River shortly after receiving water from the Vilia: tall buildings where glass and metal reign, sometimes with architectural variations almost as impressive as those in the United Arab Emirates. The weather is also perfect today!

Castle of the Island

 With about twenty kilometers south, we reach Trakai, home to the charming Castle of the Island. From the parking areas, it's easy to realize that this is a classic destination for weekend trips by residents of Vilnius and others. Luckily, it's Monday, so we can enjoy the spectacle in its chromatic tranquility, represented by the recently restored red castle, the blue of the lake, and the green of the forest surrounding it.

Flight to Lithuania

Just after 5 pm, all that remains is to cover the remaining 100 km to Kaunas, but it's best to check in for tomorrow's flight immediately, which we can do quickly. Completing the COVID form in addition to the Green Pass to re-enter Italy is much more cumbersome and time-consuming; eventually, we can start crossing the green and soft hills that will take us to the second city of Lithuania and former capital in just over an hour. Here, we find accommodation in a room located in an old building on the main street, reserved for pedestrian traffic, which is very well renovated. The entrance, stairs, and courtyard seem not to have seen any renovation. This doesn't pose a problem given the convenience of reaching the best local restaurant, frequented by locals, where even the young waitress speaks broken English. The food is delicious and represents the best way to say goodbye to Baltic cuisine, the same goes for the beer. It's still warm despite being almost 10 pm, so we take a long walk along Laisves Aleja, which then becomes Vilniaus Gatvé, leading us to the beautiful square where... City Hall. The second part of the street is currently being renovated, and the large blocks of porphyry are about to be replaced by a more "Western" surface, but there is still a way for pedestrians to cross it. A good portion of the street is crowded with people sitting at restaurant tables, young people walking or riding scooters on this pleasant summer evening, and some tourists who, like us, are enjoying the pleasant walk along the pedestrian zone, whose center is filled with green trees that create a truly pleasant shade, chairs and tables for chatting. It's now 11 pm and we are returning tired after the long walks combined with the heat we experienced earlier, so we look for the most direct route represented by the pedestrian street; at the point where the works have begun, a determined woman in a fluorescent jacket is trying to close the entrances by tying together the metal barriers, much to the surprise of passersby. A lively multilingual argument ensues, but eventually a colleague intervenes and we manage to resolve it. A quiet night with the air conditioning providing vital relief leads us to departure from Kaunas.