It is now 23:16 in Rovaniemi and I am sitting on my bed accompanied by the occasional sound of people talking and vehicles driving by.
For some reason today felt very long to me.
We left home a little after 8:00, a bit later than planned. There were a few occasional traffic hindrances and once the radio informed that due to the weather there were several flights being delayed.
Once we got to Schiphol everything went pretty smoothly - from parking the car to getting to the terminal and checking in. We even managed to walk to the panoramic deck, have a drink and go to our gate.
The flight to Helsinki left 15 minutes late but fortunately we made the connecting flight to Rovaniemi.
The flight was quiet (I guess Finnish people do not like to be noisy) and the service was quite good. They served you a sandwich, a glass of softdrink/juice and tea/coffee. I did find that the seat was a bit on the small side.
It was quite busy at Helsinki Vantaa airport. The amazing thing was that, considering the amount of people there was, the aiport was not noisy at all.
The flight to Rovaniemi also left late by about 20 minutes. Although the space was a bit bigger, the meal service was very lacking to none. You could get free water but for the rest you had to pay. I paid 2 euro for a can of 0.33 l coke.
Rovaniemi airport felt, to me, very informal, unlike any other airports I have been to. Once I got off the shuttle bus that took us from the plane to the terminal, I saw the baggage belt with some winter decorations on it. To the left of the belt, I saw people holding paper/cartoon with someone's name on it. These were people that, at any other airports, you normally see after the passengers go through the douane. These were people who were supposed to pick up guests.
I did find it strange but took no more notice until I walked to the exit. There was no other doors or barriers between the arrival area and the exit door. The exit door really led you into the road, the parking and the stop for the airport express (mini)bus. So, in theory, someone could just walk in, grab any suitcase and walk out again.
Hmm... maybe because it was Friday night? Well, I'll keep an eye on it when it is time to fly back.
We took the airport express (mini)bus for 7 eur per person. There was no other way to get to town except by taxi or hitchhiking.
At around 18:15 we arrived at our hotel and went straight to the receptionist. We were both beat up and a bit hungry. After putting our belongings in the room we went to the supermarket across the street. Sadly for A there was almost no bread left. For me, dinner was no problem. I still had leftover meal from last night - yes, it went with us from the Netherlands to Rovaniemi on an almost 12-hour trip.
Our first dinner in Rovaniemi. Me with my leftover food and A with his two croissants and one AH waffle.
After dinner we went for a short walk around the block to get a feel of the city. The city was very quiet. I guess the fact that it was at night and that it was -12 centigrade contributed to the condition. We found Hesburger, Subway, another supermarket and a few places to eat. Other than those, the center is quite small and straightforward. But, maybe tomorrow, seeing it during the day, I would change my mind.
Before we went back to the hotel we bought one ice cream each and ate it under the tall temperature sign in the middle of the square in front of the tourist information center.
We got a room at the 5th floor at end of one of the corridors facing the street. The room certainly does not boast luxury. One can even call it sparsely done. Simple table and chairs. Bulky TV. No tea-making facility. Fortunately it does have a fridge. The size of the room is very sufficient. I can not say the same about the bathroom. It is on the small side and does not come with toiletries except two liquid soap dispensers. Now I regret not carrying my moisturizing body lotion.
Well, it could be worse like the bathroom at Generator Hostel in Berlin. It would be nice to come back to a bathtub but we are here to enjoy the nature and do some winter activities. So, we'll live with a small bathroom with a shower for these coming few days.
It's past midnight here. Time for me to sleep. Tomorrow is another day.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Baltic Trip 2010 (Day 8)
After breakfast for two, we drove to Karosta Prison, the only military prison open to public in Europe.
Originally built as an infirmary in 1900, it was used as a military prison by a long succession of regimes including the Soviets, Nazis and most recently, the Latvians. Indeed, the last prisoner was detained here as recently as 1997.
When we got there we were met by a girl who volunteered as a guide for people who wanted to visit the prison. As we were there in February, we had to first make an appointment by e-mail and telephone. The visit was short and one area of the prison was closed but we did get quite a lot of information about the prison and the area.
Visitors can take a simple tour with a guide or audio guide, participate in a reality show (in English or German), spend the night in a cell or do the ultimate and become a prisoner for the night including regular bed checks, verbal abuse by guards in period uniforms and experience the horrors of using the latrine.
The area of Karosta was established as a Russian naval base, and reminders of both tsarist and Soviet Russia remain, including a large Orthodox cathedral and forts once a part of the military complex of Karosta.
Karosta Prison, Liepaja, Latvia:
A Russian Ortodhox Cathedral near the prison:
After a visit to the prison and a drive around the area, not because we wanted to but because we were kind of lost, we moved on to the next destination, Kaunas, stopping on the way for something to eat.
A mall on the way to Kaunas:
Time was tight. We had to return the car at the airport but we wanted to drop off our suitcases at the hotel first. But we made it.
Kaunas airport, however, is not well connected to the city. There is a bus connecting the airport and the city but the bus stop is not anywhere near the airport building. The easiest way to go to town is to take a taxi. We were worried that we would get ripped off since we did not know how much a taxi ride to town was. Fortunately, while standing in front of the information desk to ask about the price of a taxi ride, I overheard someone asking about a taxi ride. We ended up sharing a taxi with a couple from England. That was a win-win solution for the four of us.
Once back in town, to get to our hotel from where the taxi ride ended, we had to walk along Laisvės Alėja (Liberty Avenue), the main street of Kaunas. It was a very nice long street, especially at that particular time we walked on that avenue. Stretching for 1.6 km between the St. Michael the Archangel's Byzantine style church to the Central Post Office and Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum, Laisvės Alėja is the longest pedestrian street in Eastern Europe.
The photo below shows how the avenue looked like on a winter's night. This is the original photo, no photoshopping has been made. The only editing I made was making the photo smaller for this blog. This is one of the best photos I have taken in my life and I am still proud of it.
Laisvės Alėja in Kaunas, Lithuania at night:
Monday, November 1, 2010
Baltic Trip 2010 (Day 7)
Another morning with another sufficient breakfast.
The hotel was very well located for a visit to Klaipėda Castle. If it was not for the snow, one could see the outer part of the castle right from the hotel's doorstep.
What is supposed to Klaipeda Castle was buried under the snow:
After breakfast we walked around the area of the hotel. Was it an interesting area? Maybe. Maybe during a regular warm day it is a busy harbour. I can not say for sure but the weather and the snow we were having at that time sure made it quite interesting. There was nobody else there. Everywhere we saw snow and ice floating on the water. Everything was white. The cranes were covered in snow and it felt like they were abandoned and frozen in time. The sky was white and grey. The cold penetrated through your clothes into your bones.
At 10 am we were on our way to the next destination: Liepaja, Latvia. Another town, a different country. And as expected, the road was quiet and dirty from the snow. We drove past the now-unused border station to our accommodation.
From the small balcony of my room, I could see the street and the house next door. What I saw on the roof edge of the house next door did not disappoint me. I've seen them before but this was the first time I saw stalactites from real frozen water from close up. I could not help but think how cold it was that the water dripping down the roof even froze. Some of them were even more than 15 cm long.
Frozen water hanging from the roof edge:
After freshening up, we walked to town and found out that it took about 15 minutes to get to town. Along the way we saw quite a few wooden houses. Turning left into Kuršu iela at the end of Rožu iela, we came across Liepajas Petertirgus Sia or the market. When we got there there was no market though. Instead we saw snow-covered stalls indicating that there had been no market today or for at least a few days.
Liepaja market:
We continued walking to Rožu laukums or Rose Square, passing by two famous sights of Liepaja: Latvia’s first Rock cafe and the Latvian Musician’s Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame consisted of 35 bronzed plaques commemorating musicians, 10 of current and former groups and finally, 5 plaques to commemorate Latvia’s music greats who have departed this world to play music in the beyond. Across from the Rockcafe stood Latvia’s largest guitar side by side with a children's playground.
Latvia's first rock cafe:
Why Rose Square? In the 18th century the New Market was located here. When the market was moved to its current location in 1910, in its place the city authorities decided to construct a public rose garden. Hence, in 1911 the square was given the name Rose Square. Mind you, when we got there there was no rose to be seen as everything was covered with snow. If you stand with your back towards the direction of the Rock cafe and you look to your left past the trees, you will see Liepaja University building.
Rose Square covered in snow:
After spending some times in Rose Square we continued on towards the Promenade bearing in mind to check out a famous restaurant serving international dishes, Pastnieka māja (The Postman’s House) if it was any good for dinner.
The Promenade draws your attention to the docks and ships in the area as well as the fountain which resembles the seas waves which wash into Tirdzniecības (Trade) Canal. Another Liepāja's sights, the Amber Clock, is also located here by the waterside, next to the Promenade Hotel.
People fishing on Tirdzniecības canal:
From the waterside we walked back to town. It was already almost 3 pm. We decided we needed to sit and have a drink. What was a better place than the Rock cafe? You get to sit and experience one of the sights of Liepaja at once.
Looking out the window of Latvia's first rock cafe:
Liepaja is not very big. One day would be enough to see Liepaja. We only had half a day and we have seen most of the sights of Liepaja, we have tried the Rock Cafe and we still had plenty of time before dinner time.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Baltic Trip 2010 (Day 6)
30th January 2010 began with a sufficient breakfast consisting of bread, orange juice and omelet. Plan for today: spend the day in the Lithuanian part of the Curonian Spit, Neringa (the other part belongs to the Russian Federation. Neringa is the smallest and westernmost municipality of Lithuania and it is accessible by ferry only.
And true to our plan, at 9.53 am we found ourselves on the ferry from Klaipeda's New Ferry Terminal to Smiltynė. It was grey, cold, windy and snowing but somehow this added to the atmosphere.
Smiltynė is located on the northern tip of the Curonian Spit, next to a narrow strait which connects the Curonian Lagoon to the Baltic Sea. Ferries daily transport vehicles and people between the Smiltynė and Klaipeda across the strait, because there is no connecting bridge.
Smiltynė is located on the northern tip of the Curonian Spit, next to a narrow strait which connects the Curonian Lagoon to the Baltic Sea. Ferries daily transport vehicles and people between the Smiltynė and Klaipeda across the strait, because there is no connecting bridge.
Once we arrived in Smiltynė, we drove south towards Nida, the westernmost point of Lithuania and the Baltic States. It is also a holiday resort.
The road to Nida:
There were a few places we wanted to visit, e.g. the Sundial and the lighthouse on the hill of Urbas, but unfortunately due to the condition (e.g. the weather) we could not visit them. We had to be content with exploring the waterside of Nida.
The walk around Nida left a deep impression. It was bitingly cold and bleak. We were utterly surrounded by wind and whiteness. If I did not know it was Nida, I could have sworn we were on some kind of deserted waterside. A perfect scene for a winter horror movie.
An interesting contrast was that we saw almost no one but we also saw one person paragliding on the frozen Curonian Lagoon.
The first picture below shows how deep the snow surrounding the ship was. It also shows that underneath the snow there was ice. You can not imagine how cold it was or how could it had been if you were not there to experience it yourself.
The second picture below shows how the waterside looked like. Very icy and deserted. All the ships seemed to be frozen in time. And it felt like that to me at that time.
The third picture below only gives us a better idea about the intensity of the snowfall the last few days. You just need to see how thick the snow covering the car and that the wheels of the car were almost not visible.
Nida:
On the way to Kopgalis:
After lunch we decided to drive to the other side, all the way to Kopgalis at the northernmost point of the Curonian Spit to see Lietuvos jūrų muziejus (Lithuanian Sea Museum). The museum is established in a former fortress.
To my amazement, we drove past someone dragging his bike. Yes, in this winter weather!!!
Kopgalis Fortress:
After spending quite a while at the fortress, we decided it was time to drive back to the ferry port. We had a ferry to catch.
By 5 pm we were already back in Klaipeda, wandering around.
Klaipeda:
We ended the day by having dinner at Piceriju tinklas SUBMARINE (Pizzeria Submarine).
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Baltic Trip 2010 (Day 5)
Today we began our journey by taking the morning train to Vilnius airport.
It was cold and snowing. The apartment's owner's son was kind enough to drive us to the train station. They have a special train running from the station to the airport.
The train to the airport (see the falling snow?):
The train to the airport was a short one and so did the journey (not longer than 20 minutes). There were only 4 people on board including us and the officer checking for tickets. The airport was so quiet and empty it almost felt deserted. I guess nobody really flew in this kind of weather.
After dealing with all paperwork and informality, we could finally settle in our rented car. We decided to rent a car so we could go to places. Another reason was because of the freedom having a car would give us - we could stop and go whenever we wanted.
Our first destination was Trakai. The 30-km road to Trakai was dirty because of the snow and after a while, boring. Just look at the photo below and you'll see why it was boring. Only trees or empty spaces and snow along the road and the dirt caused by the snow. The weather - snowy and gloomy - did not help making it more cheerful either.
The road to Trakai:
Why Trakai, some of you might be wondering? Well... two reasons. One was for the famous island castle and the other one was because Trakai has AJ Sokolada (AJ Chocolate). AJ Sokolada is a chocolate manufacture engaged in hand-made production of chocolate according to, funnily enough, the best oldest Belgium traditions. Every morning fresh chocolate products are being transported from here to different shops in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. The shop however did not just sell chocolate but also, to our delight, delicious cakes.
Trakų salos pilis (Trakai Island Castle):
Not surprisingly it was still snowing when we arrived in Trakai. The town was very quiet and again it felt almost like a deserted town. Everything was white from the snow.
We walked to the castle via a bridge. Trakai island castle is located on an island of Lake Galvė and reachable by a bridge connecting it to the mainland. You will not be able to see the lake surrounding the castle on my photo as the lake was frozen and covered with snow. We saw one or two people fishing on the lake though... yes, they first dug a hole and then set their fishing rod and just sit there in the cold and snow waiting for a fish to take the bait.
From the castle, instead of walking straight to our car which was parked as near as possible to the bridge, we decided to walk to the opposite direction to try to find the town center and the AJ Sokolada cafe.
We walked down Karaimų gatvė, passing Trakų pusiasalio pilis (the Trakai Peninsula Castle), and finally came to AJ Sokolada cafe where we sat for a while to have a rest (believe it or not, walking in the snow was very tiring - and note that I wrote 'in' instead of 'on' because the snow was pretty deep we literally walked in it) while enjoying the delicious cake.
Satisfied with the cake and our purchase (of chocolates), we made our way back to the car along Trakų gatvė and while walking on this road, we saw something not ordinary. There was a kiosk open!!! In this weather!!! When no tourists were around and most of the local people preferred to stay inside!!! And there was also a dog!!! A dog sitting outside in the snow!!! Maybe he was used to this kind of cold.
A kiosk in Trakai and a dog in front of it:
Wooden houses in Trakai:
We would have liked to stay longer but we still had a long drive ahead of us - 3 hours drive or 290 km to Klaipeda, a town situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea and Lithuania's only seaport.
It was only 16.30 when we arrived but it was already quite dark. Finding our hotel was not an easy task even with our navigation system. Our hotel's address was Žvejų gatvė 22 but it turned out that this street could not be reached via the usual route, which was to take Žvejų gatvė from Pilies gatvė, because there was an unfinished bridge and the hotel was on the other side of the bridge. We had to reach the hotel via a road across Daržų gatvė that led to the castle and eventually to the old port. This road did not have a name and did not show up on google map unless it was on the satellite mode.
When we finally found our hotel, we were tired and cold and we did not want anything else other than having dinner and then rest. So we checked in into our hotel as quickly as possible. The girl at the front desk was very friendly and she told us that they have put an extra portable heater in our room.
Feeling glad that we could finally have a warm place to sleep, we went to our room to find that it was very warm because of the extra heater. Don't get me wrong. We were grateful that we had a warm room to go to but we decided to turn off the extra heater because the regular heater, unlike the centrally regulated by state heating system in Vilnius, was more than sufficient for us.
After freshening up, made our way to a Chinese restaurant at Sukilėlių gatvė, which was our last destination for today.
It was cold and snowing. The apartment's owner's son was kind enough to drive us to the train station. They have a special train running from the station to the airport.
The train to the airport (see the falling snow?):
The train to the airport was a short one and so did the journey (not longer than 20 minutes). There were only 4 people on board including us and the officer checking for tickets. The airport was so quiet and empty it almost felt deserted. I guess nobody really flew in this kind of weather.
After dealing with all paperwork and informality, we could finally settle in our rented car. We decided to rent a car so we could go to places. Another reason was because of the freedom having a car would give us - we could stop and go whenever we wanted.
Our first destination was Trakai. The 30-km road to Trakai was dirty because of the snow and after a while, boring. Just look at the photo below and you'll see why it was boring. Only trees or empty spaces and snow along the road and the dirt caused by the snow. The weather - snowy and gloomy - did not help making it more cheerful either.
The road to Trakai:
Why Trakai, some of you might be wondering? Well... two reasons. One was for the famous island castle and the other one was because Trakai has AJ Sokolada (AJ Chocolate). AJ Sokolada is a chocolate manufacture engaged in hand-made production of chocolate according to, funnily enough, the best oldest Belgium traditions. Every morning fresh chocolate products are being transported from here to different shops in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. The shop however did not just sell chocolate but also, to our delight, delicious cakes.
Trakų salos pilis (Trakai Island Castle):
Not surprisingly it was still snowing when we arrived in Trakai. The town was very quiet and again it felt almost like a deserted town. Everything was white from the snow.
We walked to the castle via a bridge. Trakai island castle is located on an island of Lake Galvė and reachable by a bridge connecting it to the mainland. You will not be able to see the lake surrounding the castle on my photo as the lake was frozen and covered with snow. We saw one or two people fishing on the lake though... yes, they first dug a hole and then set their fishing rod and just sit there in the cold and snow waiting for a fish to take the bait.
From the castle, instead of walking straight to our car which was parked as near as possible to the bridge, we decided to walk to the opposite direction to try to find the town center and the AJ Sokolada cafe.
We walked down Karaimų gatvė, passing Trakų pusiasalio pilis (the Trakai Peninsula Castle), and finally came to AJ Sokolada cafe where we sat for a while to have a rest (believe it or not, walking in the snow was very tiring - and note that I wrote 'in' instead of 'on' because the snow was pretty deep we literally walked in it) while enjoying the delicious cake.
Satisfied with the cake and our purchase (of chocolates), we made our way back to the car along Trakų gatvė and while walking on this road, we saw something not ordinary. There was a kiosk open!!! In this weather!!! When no tourists were around and most of the local people preferred to stay inside!!! And there was also a dog!!! A dog sitting outside in the snow!!! Maybe he was used to this kind of cold.
A kiosk in Trakai and a dog in front of it:
Wooden houses in Trakai:
We would have liked to stay longer but we still had a long drive ahead of us - 3 hours drive or 290 km to Klaipeda, a town situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea and Lithuania's only seaport.
It was only 16.30 when we arrived but it was already quite dark. Finding our hotel was not an easy task even with our navigation system. Our hotel's address was Žvejų gatvė 22 but it turned out that this street could not be reached via the usual route, which was to take Žvejų gatvė from Pilies gatvė, because there was an unfinished bridge and the hotel was on the other side of the bridge. We had to reach the hotel via a road across Daržų gatvė that led to the castle and eventually to the old port. This road did not have a name and did not show up on google map unless it was on the satellite mode.
When we finally found our hotel, we were tired and cold and we did not want anything else other than having dinner and then rest. So we checked in into our hotel as quickly as possible. The girl at the front desk was very friendly and she told us that they have put an extra portable heater in our room.
Feeling glad that we could finally have a warm place to sleep, we went to our room to find that it was very warm because of the extra heater. Don't get me wrong. We were grateful that we had a warm room to go to but we decided to turn off the extra heater because the regular heater, unlike the centrally regulated by state heating system in Vilnius, was more than sufficient for us.
After freshening up, made our way to a Chinese restaurant at Sukilėlių gatvė, which was our last destination for today.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Baltic Trip 2010 (Day 4)
Our fourth day in the Baltic. Well... in Vilnius to be exact.
We started the day at 8.30 by walking to Vilnius' Bastion and City Wall at Bokšto/Subačiaus. It was closed for repair so we did not go in.
After taking a few photo's we continued to a pancake house called Gusto Blynine at Aušros Vartų gatvė 6 we saw yesterday on the way to the Aušros Vartai (Gates of Dawn) to have a very unhealthy breakfast. But hey... in this cold weather, we needed all the energy we could get. Plus, it was cheap and tasty.
The pancake house:
Full and satisfied, we felt ready to face the cold again. Next stop: Užupis.
My first reason for wanting to see Užupis was that I was curious about this place - with being called a republic and being compared to Montmartre. I mean, we are talking about Lithuania here... and one of its sights is being compared to the famous Montmarte in the famous Paris? Would you not be a tiny bit curious?
My second reason was that we were suggested to go to Tores - a restaurant with a (supposedly) nice view.
Užupis is a neighborhood in Vilnius considered as one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Užupis means "beyond the river" in the Lithuanian language. The district is known to be popular with artists for some time (or at least used to be), and has been compared to Montmartre in Paris. On 1 April 1997, the district declared itself an independent republic (The Republic of Užupis), with its own flag, currency, president, constitution, and an army of about 17 men.
Užupis was also bold enough to hold the first Lithuanian gay pride festival in 2007.
Along the Užupis Bridge lovers hang padlocks with their names engraved on them. The padlock is believed to tie and strengthen the hearts of two young people in love.
Padlocks along Uzupis Bridge:
Sadly after climbing up the hill, we came into a what-looked-like-a-restaurant-that-had-a-fire-accident. The restaurant was closed and the top floor looked like it was burned down.
On the way back to town, it snowed again. We managed to capture some of the snow crystal. This was my first time seeing a real snow crystal, which I would normally see only on Christmas cards.
Beautiful snow crystal:
It was not even 11.00. We wondered what to do and in the end we ended up visiting the Lithuanian Energy and Technology Museum at Rinktinės gatve 2 by the river. We were among the very first few visitors there. Definitely not more than 5 visitors were there at that time.
The museum was founded in the building of Vilnius Central Power Plant. The Power Plant was still in use until 1998 (though for the last 20 years the Power Plant supplied only heat to some Vilnius districts). The Museum takes the entire building of the plant. Being the most complete surviving example of early Power Station, the Museum represents one of the most interesting monuments of Lithuania's industrial culture. In the year that the Power Station was built, it was one of the most modern stations of Russian Empire.
I must say that this was one of the good/nice museums I have ever visited in my life and the front desk lady was very friendly although she did not speak much English. And when we were done, she gave us a small calendar, which now decorates our fridge.
After the museum we decided that we have seen and done enough in Vilnius and that it was not time to just wander around without any cultural or sightseeing schedule. So we went for lunch and after lunch we went to Gedimino 9 Shopping Mall.
Now, I'm not exactly a fan of J.Lo but nevertheless my eyes caught sight of her shop there. I did not even know J.Lo had a shop (or shops). This was the first time I saw her shop.
Jennifer Lopez' shop inside Gedimino 9 Shopping Mall:
I did not visit the shop though. My main reason to go to the mall was to visit Marks & Spencer shop for their delicious cookies. Haven't had their cookies for years and now I had a chance to buy their cookies.
And for the rest of the day we kind of just went where our feet (and heart) took us. It was our last day in Vilnius. So, no hurry. No must-see things anymore. Just trying to enjoy it because we did not know when we could be back here again.
We started the day at 8.30 by walking to Vilnius' Bastion and City Wall at Bokšto/Subačiaus. It was closed for repair so we did not go in.
After taking a few photo's we continued to a pancake house called Gusto Blynine at Aušros Vartų gatvė 6 we saw yesterday on the way to the Aušros Vartai (Gates of Dawn) to have a very unhealthy breakfast. But hey... in this cold weather, we needed all the energy we could get. Plus, it was cheap and tasty.
The pancake house:
Full and satisfied, we felt ready to face the cold again. Next stop: Užupis.
My first reason for wanting to see Užupis was that I was curious about this place - with being called a republic and being compared to Montmartre. I mean, we are talking about Lithuania here... and one of its sights is being compared to the famous Montmarte in the famous Paris? Would you not be a tiny bit curious?
My second reason was that we were suggested to go to Tores - a restaurant with a (supposedly) nice view.
Užupis is a neighborhood in Vilnius considered as one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Užupis means "beyond the river" in the Lithuanian language. The district is known to be popular with artists for some time (or at least used to be), and has been compared to Montmartre in Paris. On 1 April 1997, the district declared itself an independent republic (The Republic of Užupis), with its own flag, currency, president, constitution, and an army of about 17 men.
Užupis was also bold enough to hold the first Lithuanian gay pride festival in 2007.
Along the Užupis Bridge lovers hang padlocks with their names engraved on them. The padlock is believed to tie and strengthen the hearts of two young people in love.
Padlocks along Uzupis Bridge:
Sadly after climbing up the hill, we came into a what-looked-like-a-restaurant-that-had-a-fire-accident. The restaurant was closed and the top floor looked like it was burned down.
On the way back to town, it snowed again. We managed to capture some of the snow crystal. This was my first time seeing a real snow crystal, which I would normally see only on Christmas cards.
Beautiful snow crystal:
It was not even 11.00. We wondered what to do and in the end we ended up visiting the Lithuanian Energy and Technology Museum at Rinktinės gatve 2 by the river. We were among the very first few visitors there. Definitely not more than 5 visitors were there at that time.
The museum was founded in the building of Vilnius Central Power Plant. The Power Plant was still in use until 1998 (though for the last 20 years the Power Plant supplied only heat to some Vilnius districts). The Museum takes the entire building of the plant. Being the most complete surviving example of early Power Station, the Museum represents one of the most interesting monuments of Lithuania's industrial culture. In the year that the Power Station was built, it was one of the most modern stations of Russian Empire.
I must say that this was one of the good/nice museums I have ever visited in my life and the front desk lady was very friendly although she did not speak much English. And when we were done, she gave us a small calendar, which now decorates our fridge.
After the museum we decided that we have seen and done enough in Vilnius and that it was not time to just wander around without any cultural or sightseeing schedule. So we went for lunch and after lunch we went to Gedimino 9 Shopping Mall.
Now, I'm not exactly a fan of J.Lo but nevertheless my eyes caught sight of her shop there. I did not even know J.Lo had a shop (or shops). This was the first time I saw her shop.
Jennifer Lopez' shop inside Gedimino 9 Shopping Mall:
I did not visit the shop though. My main reason to go to the mall was to visit Marks & Spencer shop for their delicious cookies. Haven't had their cookies for years and now I had a chance to buy their cookies.
And for the rest of the day we kind of just went where our feet (and heart) took us. It was our last day in Vilnius. So, no hurry. No must-see things anymore. Just trying to enjoy it because we did not know when we could be back here again.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Baltic Trip 2010 (Day 3)
Another morning in Vilnius. It was cold but the sun was shining and the sky was of that pretty shade of blue.
We walked in -24 Centigrade weather to have breakfast at Double Coffee on Gedimino prospektas. I know it's not original but when we were there yesterday we saw the breakfast menu and we just decided to give it a go.
This Double Coffee we went to was not the only Double Coffee on that street - there was one closer but this one was (in our opinion) cozier.
The sun was still shining and the sky was still blue when we finished our breakfast. We decided to seize the opportunity to go up the Gedimino pilies bokštas (Gediminas Tower) once again. We were not disappointed. Just too bad that the sun was on the old town part of Vilnius so although we could get a pretty good view of the old town, we could not take any nice pictures.
It was about 11.00 when we finally went down with the funicular and leisurely made our way to see the Prezidentūra (Presidential Palace) near Universiteto gatvé and the university area.
Gedimino pilies bokštas (Gediminas Tower) from across the bridge:
Then we walked back to the old town stopping by a cake/chocolate shop. It was very small for a cafe. There were only 5-6 round tables, each with 2-3 chairs. Although the personnel did not speak much English, she was very friendly. For a cake here you pay per weight and not per slice. It was a good shelter for us to hide from the cold. Once I ordered and sat down, I took out my camera to take a picture of the cafe. If you think it looks blurry, trust me, there was nothing wrong with the camera or the way I was holding it. The difference between the temperature outside and inside were so big that my lens was condensed. Imagine a glass of warm tea with ice cubes in it and you'll know what I mean. So, yes, it was that cold.
The cafe through my condensed camera lens:
A little bit warmed up, we decided to continue our adventure. After all, we did not come to Vilnius to stay inside. So cold weather could not stop us. The next sight was Šv. Onos bažnyčia (St. Anne's Church) - a part of an ensemble, comprising the much larger Gothic Church of St. Francis and Bernadine, as well as a monastery. Legend has it that Napoleon was so taken by this church that he would have taken the church to Paris if he could.
St. Anne's and St. Francis and Bernadine's Church Ensemble:
Today was a not a day of originality. If in the morning we had breakfast at Double Coffee, in the afternoon we had lunch at Trys Klevai. This was the restaurant we had dinner at on our first night in Vilnius.
After lunch we walked to the tourist office at the Town Hall.
Rotušės aikštė (Town Hall Square) from Town Hall:
Our last sight for today was the Aušros Vartai (Gates of Dawn), built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications. It was for the first time mentioned in a charter in 1514 as the Medininkai Gates. The Chapel in the Gate of Dawn contains an icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy.
Aušros Vartai (Gates of Dawn):
We walked in -24 Centigrade weather to have breakfast at Double Coffee on Gedimino prospektas. I know it's not original but when we were there yesterday we saw the breakfast menu and we just decided to give it a go.
This Double Coffee we went to was not the only Double Coffee on that street - there was one closer but this one was (in our opinion) cozier.
The sun was still shining and the sky was still blue when we finished our breakfast. We decided to seize the opportunity to go up the Gedimino pilies bokštas (Gediminas Tower) once again. We were not disappointed. Just too bad that the sun was on the old town part of Vilnius so although we could get a pretty good view of the old town, we could not take any nice pictures.
It was about 11.00 when we finally went down with the funicular and leisurely made our way to see the Prezidentūra (Presidential Palace) near Universiteto gatvé and the university area.
Gedimino pilies bokštas (Gediminas Tower) from across the bridge:
Then we walked back to the old town stopping by a cake/chocolate shop. It was very small for a cafe. There were only 5-6 round tables, each with 2-3 chairs. Although the personnel did not speak much English, she was very friendly. For a cake here you pay per weight and not per slice. It was a good shelter for us to hide from the cold. Once I ordered and sat down, I took out my camera to take a picture of the cafe. If you think it looks blurry, trust me, there was nothing wrong with the camera or the way I was holding it. The difference between the temperature outside and inside were so big that my lens was condensed. Imagine a glass of warm tea with ice cubes in it and you'll know what I mean. So, yes, it was that cold.
The cafe through my condensed camera lens:
A little bit warmed up, we decided to continue our adventure. After all, we did not come to Vilnius to stay inside. So cold weather could not stop us. The next sight was Šv. Onos bažnyčia (St. Anne's Church) - a part of an ensemble, comprising the much larger Gothic Church of St. Francis and Bernadine, as well as a monastery. Legend has it that Napoleon was so taken by this church that he would have taken the church to Paris if he could.
St. Anne's and St. Francis and Bernadine's Church Ensemble:
Today was a not a day of originality. If in the morning we had breakfast at Double Coffee, in the afternoon we had lunch at Trys Klevai. This was the restaurant we had dinner at on our first night in Vilnius.
After lunch we walked to the tourist office at the Town Hall.
Rotušės aikštė (Town Hall Square) from Town Hall:
Our last sight for today was the Aušros Vartai (Gates of Dawn), built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications. It was for the first time mentioned in a charter in 1514 as the Medininkai Gates. The Chapel in the Gate of Dawn contains an icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy.
Aušros Vartai (Gates of Dawn):
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