Vilnius, Lithuania - Day 62: Quirky city

Vilnius is such a quirky little city. 2 things I absolutely loved about it:

1. Most shops in Vilnius have pictographic panels showing store timings. So a hair salon will have images of scissors next to their store hours or a shoe shop will have pictures of black stilletos alongside weekday hours and red stilletos alongside weekend hours. And this idea extends to bookshops, banks, restaurants and souvenir shops.
2. The district of Užupis, is a small patch of land that has declared itself a Republic. It's like NYC's Willamsburg, a small conclave of artists, hippies and by some accounts, 'a ghetto peopled by prostitutes, alcoholics and other miscellaneous misfits'. It has it's own flag, president and even a constitution that is nailed to a street wall that's full of idiosyncratic articles.

Vilnius, Lithuania - Day 61: Biking to the Green lakes

Vilnius has a vast network of bike lanes and car-free parks that make it an ideal city to explore on a bicycle.

After having traveled through the better part of Eastern Europe, I now know that a city that has dedicated bike lanes and biker friendly roads speaks volumes of its respect for the environment. It is also indicative of a certain lifestyle - chances are that the locals do not suffer from obesity, spend a lot of time in the outdoors and live a simpler life. A biker for example will only buy provisions sufficient for tonight's meal which can fit in his bike basket. Compare this to an average American who needs all the space in his SUV to transport his monthly supply of groceries from COSTCO. I don't want to make this an essay about the benefits of non-polluting vehicles, but suffice to say that I hope this current global financial crisis gets people to rethink the cost efficiencies and health benefits of riding a bike to work, school or the local grocery store. We spent all of today biking nearly 40 kms around Vilnius' main park and then to the beautiful Green Lakes nestled in the thick forests of Verikai Regional Park.

There was a certain energy that filled the air as we approached the lakes - echoes of children laughing as they jumped into the water rang through the trees and suddenly the forest cleared up and the sun lit up the clearest green waters I have ever seen.

Vilnius, Lithuania - Day 60: Making new friends

We met Ivona yesterday on the train from Sestokai to Vilnius. Isaac kept jumping up on his seat and peering over her shoulder prompting us to start a conversation. Perhaps the nicest part of a journey like this is the opportunity to make new friends.

Ivona invited us to her home for dinner in Vilnius this evening with no qualms of us being strangers that she had just met on a train.

We had a lovely dinner and the fantastic company of her husband and multi-lingual children. Ivona is one of those interesting people who can talk passionately on just about any subject under the sun - world music, Montessori education, travel destinations, languages....

I sincerely hope we get to meet and hang out again.

Warsaw-Sestokai-Vilnius - Day 59: Day trains

If train schedules permit, we prefer overnight trains. It kills 2 birds with one stone (morbid expression, but I can't think of any other); We save on a night's accommodation AND sleeping is a better option than running behind a very active toddler!

Unfortunately, only day trains run between Warsaw and Vilnius with a switch of trains at Sestokai (a town that borders Poland and Lithuania). All in all, it took about 9 hours, and since there are no restaurant cars, we have to shop, pack and travel with enough food and milk to sustain our son. Thankfully, Eastern European trains seem to run half empty, so there is always lots of room to stretch out and catch up on some reading/writing.


That's Isaac amusing himself with some strange stuffed giraffe ritual.