After two wonderful days in Riga, I decided that it was time to head south so I could visit Lithuania. I woke up at 0600 (before alarm) and spent some time packing, reading, doing puzzles and working on Duolingo exercises. I also had time to purchase the bus ticket (LUX Express) for my trip. At 0830, I was ready to depart the hotel - while I was checking out, I asked the young clerks for a recommendation for a breakfast venue and they seemed very pleased to be consulted. I've noticed that the younger people are very friendly and comfortable with language shifts while the older ones area much more guarded (perhaps because they speak less English). As I walked east across Riga (towards the bus station), temps were in the 50s the sky was overcast. Still, it was a pleasant morning and I was happy there weren't more people walking the streets yet. Following the recommendations of the hotel, I stopped to get breakfast at Big Bad Bagels (0835). My order consisted of a Turkish bagel sandwich with mix of OJ, apple & carrot juices to wash it down - the food was great! I finished eating at 0855 and then walked the rest of the way to the bus station. At 0905, I boarded the LUX Express bus (Line 1888) and settled into another business class seat. The route ended up being much busier than on my last trip and I actually had someone sitting next to me. We departed Riga at 0935 (a bit late) and made our way out of the city on some cobblestones (ugh...) - we eventually crossed the Daugava River at 0945. Unlike my last trip, the internet was very slow (probably because of more people). Our route towards Lithuania was punctuated by huge fields of yellow flowers. We drove through Bauska(s), a pretty town, and then crossed the border of Lithuania at 1045. I passed the time by listening to music and catching up on reading. The route had lots of roundabouts and traffic lights for some reason. Outside my window, I noticed that the locals seemed to be paying the equivalent of $8/gallon gas (yikes). Another observation: there are Circle K Stations everywhere! At Panevezys, we made a long and arduous trip through the middle of town (rather than on the beltway around it). This only added more bumps (including actual speed humps) to the already rough ride. At 1140, we stopped at the bus station (one person, possibly a company employee, got off) but were on our way again five minutes later. Back on main road, the ride continued to be very rough except when the bus got in the left lane to pass. Overall, Lithuanian road conditions were horrible (especially compared to Estonia and Latvia). Sadly, the day was also dampened by significant rain - on the other hand, this was only the second time in over three weeks that I've had to deal with nasty weather. And I was on the bus anyway... Regardless, I didn’t let the conditions dampen my mood! At 1245, it started to rain but stopped soon afterwards. Close by me on the bus, a “romantic couple” put on an epic PDA... We arrived in the northern suburbs of Vilnius by 1315 - by then, there were only sprinkles (thank goodness). Suddenly, looking at my map, I realized I’d chosen to stay in a major shopping area which very far (north) from the Main Bus Station and historic old city. When I realized that I was still within the Holiday Inn cancelation window (wow!), I decided to change my reservation to a place in the Old Town. The resulting adrenaline rush of "hurry hurry" was followed by the euphoria of relief... As a result of my change, I didn't get off the bus at the the Panorama Mall stop and, instead, rode all the way to the Main Bus Station. This did involve lots of traffic but the weather improved further (the sun came out) by the time I exited the bus (1345). I only had to walk across a large plaza in order to find the place where I planned to stay, the Hotel Panorama. By 1355, I'd checked in, got a handy city map and dinner recommendations from the desk clerk. After stashing my bags in my room, I immediately left again (1415) with hopes of exploring the Lithuanian capital in typical Jim fashion: whenever someone recommended anything, I did it (like Jim Carrey in “Yes Man”) and whenever I saw an interesting sign of landmark, I headed in that direction. Since I didn’t have a guidebook, all the destinations were like a stream of consciousness - one step led to the next with minimal effort or planning. Regardless of my willy-nilly technique, I saw an amazing amount of the city and nearly every major attraction in the subsequent seven hours I was wandering. My first stop (a hotel clerk’s recommendation) was at a nearby coffee ship called Airomi. Inside, I got two large cookies (Almond & Peanut/Raspberry) and one of their macaroons (Pistachio & Raspberry) - everything was very good and filling. I was on my way again by 1430 and, quite quickly, I found the City Walls the Gate of Dawn that led into the Old Town. I stopped to look around inside the Gate of Dawn Chapel/Shrine and was struck by the beautiful art. There were several tributes to the visit St. Pope John Paul II and I enjoyed seeing a distinctive Camino shell near the doorway (part of the "Lithuanian Way", I think. When I got back outside, it started to rain very hard. Fortunately, there were lots of places to shelter from the elements. Actually, most of these were churches, which were quite plentiful in the country. Within a few blocks of the Gate of Dawn, I visited St. Theresa’s, the Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit (and Monastery) and the Greek Catholic Church of Holy Trinity. Gradually, I made my way away from other tourists. Along the way, it got a bit drier but remained very muggy. Nearly everywhere I looked, there was evidence of sympathy with the Ukrainians. Father to the south, I passed a Jesuit School and another (large) Orthodox Church. I gradually walked towards the east and soon reached the banks of the Vilnia River. At one point, I crossed this minor stream into something a sign called the "Republic of Zarzeca", which I later learned (Google AI) was more correctly known as "Užupis, a bohemian and artistic neighborhood." Back on the "other" side again, I made my way past pretty St. Onos (AKA St. Anne's) and into a massive construction zone on the east side of city. Suddenly, I emerged from this area of messy stonework and chaos and found a huge city square with a statue of a mounted warrior. At first, I thought it might be Genghis Khan but I later learned it was the Gediminas Monument, celebrating the founder of Vilnius. In the same area, I encountered lots of military personnel and important government buildings. The Vilnius Cathedral and Bell Tower were located on the opposite side of the square. I walked through the courtyards of the Palace of the Grand Duke until, hoping to escape the rain (it had resumed), I stepped inside the "Castlellan’s House" building of the National Museum of Lithuania (1600). After speaking briefly with the staff there, I bought a combo ticket for three historic sites nearby, including the so-called "Historical Triangle" of the Castlellan’s House, the Old Arsenal and the Gediminas Castle Tower. I wandered freely (and alone) through the exbibits, which included many instances of Lithuanian art, history and culture. Along the way, I got to see some information and belongings of Thaddeus Kościuszko, an American Hero but also a hero of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. I finished my tour of the Castellan's house at 1635 and walked a few meters to the Old Arsenal building. In that building, I got a lot more more history about the earliest inhabitants of the Baltic States. When I asked some questions of the staff at the entrance, they scrambled to find one of their specialists. The result was amazing, since I ended up in a conversation with an on-site Ph.D. who was familiar with the mound building ancestors of the modern Lithuanians. Even more interesting to me, however, was her personal experience with the final resting place of a large part of Napoleon’s Grand Army. My guide had participated in archaeological studies of hundreds of bodies found underneath Soviet Era buildings on the opposite side of the Neris River. Moving on (1700), I was impressed by the sounds of all the church bells ringing simultaneously ringing on the hour... Nearby, I found that funicular for the Gediminas Hill was closed for repairs. Instead, I had to walk on a rather circuitous route around several large buildings before I was able to walk (via some steep stairs to the top of hill. When I got to the summit, I was able to use my combo ticket to gain entry to the inside of Gediminas Tower. There were exhibits (armor and history) as I climbed to the top. I paused the longest to learn more about some archeological studies on the Hill - scientists found the bodies of several Polish and Lithuanian patriots (executed and secretly buried in the 1860s) near the tower. From the top of the "Castle", I got some great views of Vilnius. To the east, I noticed the Hill of the Three Crosses, which had been recommended to me as a place to visit. At the bottom of the Tower again, I spent time exploring until 1745. Next, I descended via the steep stairs so I could get some Neris River photos. At the King Mindaugas Bridge, I crossed the river and admired the Statue of Justice at the top of the Italian Embassy. Turning around, I made my way back to the Vilnius Cathedral (Basilica of St. Stanislaus and St. Ladislaus). I arrived there at the tail end of of a weekday Mass and spent a little time watching the proceedings. Next, I walked west to Vilniaus street and walked south. Along the way, I passed St. Catherine’s, the Town Hall (under construction), the Church of St. Casimir & Jesuit House and the Church of All Saints. I'd been looking for the Church of Ss. Peter & Paul but never found it. After a little while, I started wandering in search of the restaurant Etno Dvaras (recommended by the hotel clerk) and it began raining again. I used a grid search pattern in an attempt to avoid using my mobile phone (almost dead). After a rather long and frustrating walk, I ended up back at Gate of Dawn and, suddenly (1935), stumbled across the restaurant a bit north of that. Somehow, I passed it several times before but hadn't seen the sign (obscured by raised umbrellas over tables).. When I asked for a table for one, the hostess took me to the very back of the restaurant (a little room) and seated me with a few other single men. No matter, I really wasn't there for the ambiance... Hoping to get a full Lithuanian culinary experience, I ordered the Homemade Sausage Twist (pork sausage with mash, horseradish, slaw/kraut & cucumbers) and one potato dumpling (traditional sauce). I washed it down with a Svyturys Ekstra (lager beer) Beer. At one point, I realized that my neighbor was speaking English with the server. This gave me an opportunity to meet Jamie (from London), who was in his mid 20s on Holiday. We exchanged notes and I was impressed by his planning and curiosity. He left before I did so I stayed to enjoyed some of the local liquor called "Krupnik" before leaving the restaurant (2100). As I assessed my day in Vilnius, I was pleased to have tried some authentic Lithuanian food & drink, enjoyed countless examples of interesting architecture, prayed in a LOT of different churches, met several interesting people (Napoleonic archaeologists, backpackers from the UK, secondary school students), walked eight miles and got photos of Vilnius from nearly every conceivable angle. With the day winding down, I spent time reading, working on Duolingo and updating social media. Bed time was at 2315. With more rain in the forecast, I’m weighing whether to stay a second night in the city or return to the north to prepare for my impending return home. Even if I leave tomorrow, I feel pretty good about what I was able to see so far!
