The Grand Duchy (Lithuania)

Before we get started, a brief technical triumph

After much struggle, we managed to get a (nearly) live map of our travels up and running on the main page of the blog (http://powermoseying.com/) which has where we’ve been so far. You can click on the map and its locations directly, or use the arrows to toggle between locations and dates. You’ll notice that our posts are a couple weeks behind the actual travel, a gap that we’ll hopefully close in the not-too-distant future…

What makes each Baltic country different?

People generally group the Baltic countries together since they share a lot of similar history, and are tiny countries relative to their neighbors. However, each has its own very different character. Estonia links itself to Scandinavia, Latvia is perhaps the most prototypically “Baltic,” and Lithuania has a deep historical connection to Poland which is quite apparent in the food, architecture, and religion. This is because Lithuania and Poland were actually joined in a federation from the late 14th century, initially via personal union of the monarchs, but later by a formal treaty starting in the 16th century. Like Poland, Lithuania is mostly Roman Catholic, whereas Estonia and Latvia are much less religious, with Estonia having some of the lowest religious participation rates in the world.

During our trip we definitely developed a better appreciation for the differences between the three small Baltic nations. Furthermore, our route took us from Scandinavia, through the Baltics, and on to Poland, and thus gave us an excellent feel for how these countries are, and were historically, linked together.

First impressions

Lithuania was spectacularly rainy for the majority of our visit, something we were assured was highly unusual for mid-summer. Regardless, we wasted no time in getting out to explore, and we loved what we found. Vilnius is beautiful, full of character, and highly livable, with a perfect blend of glistening skyscrapers and new apartment blocks to the north, combined with a rich history across the river to the south. It feels just the right size – you can learn the layout pretty quickly but there’s always more to discover.

Ethan contemplating his empire

The Food

Broadly speaking, Lithuanian food slots nicely in between Scandinavia and central Europe, but there is a lot of influence from the east as well. By this point in the trip, we were getting a little tired of the never-ending stream of potatoes. But we did find some novel ways to eat them, including as an accompaniment to Jess’ favorite food of the trip so far – a shockingly pink cold beetroot and yoghurt soup popular across Lithuania. It’s perfectly hearty yet still crisp in flavor, and quite unlike anything else you’ve ever tasted.

Šaltibarščiai (cold beetroot soup). Served with beer brewed in Vilnius 

Another great Lithuanian contribution to the culinary scene is fried bread, generally available with garlic dip. We both agreed that it is the best beer snack of all time, and beer is something that is taken seriously in Lithuania. We encountered endless microbreweries, and also enjoyed more than a few beer cocktails.

Deep fried bread, the perfect snack to go with your microbrew… In the background, boiled peas with fried meat

Beer with various fruit syrups is popular. Straws are a bonus

Vibrant cities

One of the things we loved about Lithuania was the sense of community we felt in both of the cities we visited (Vilnius and Kaunas). There were ample outdoor spaces and multiple walk-up events being held that were clearly not just aimed at tourists. Basketball, in particular, is a huge national passion which seems to unite people everywhere.

Volleyball, basketball and a skate park by the river in Vilnius

Strong support for the olympic basketball team in Kaunas, in spite of the rain 

The unique and colorful artwork also gives Vilnius a great personality. The most significant concentration of this is found in Užupis, which is a small, formerly neglected corner of Vilnius that has been gradually overhauled by a community of artists, beginning with a formal (but ambiguously ironic) declaration of independence in 1997 (on April Fool’s Day, naturally). The neighborhood has its own flag, its own politicians (who hold government meetings in the bar), and even a constitution, which includes articles such as “a dog has the right to be a dog” and “people have the right to have no rights.” For those of you who’ve been to Copenhagen, Užupis is a lot like Christiania in many ways.

The riverside in Užupis, with a statue of Jesus as a backpacker. Signs and distances to sister cities (countries?)

The Angel of Užupis, which was formerly a statue of an egg. Not pictured: the public tap in front of the Angel which produces free beer on special occasions

Užupis’ Tibet Square – the Dalai Lama is an honorary citizen

The constitution (produced in several dozen different languages). Article #12 concerns the right of a dog to be a dog

Throughout the rest of Vilnius, the character continued. All around town we spotted statues and street art, most of which appeared to be just snuck into corners without any particular ceremony.

A cherub watching over the tourists

Witches and break dancing

Tree sweaters

Literatu street project – over one hundred plaques are installed to pay homage to famous writers with a connection to Lithuania

Religion

During the Middle Ages Lithuania was quite the military power, and the country was able to resist the spread of Christianity for a very long time – Lithuania was, in fact, the last Pagan nation in Europe. However, when Lithuania eventually was Christianized in the 14th-15th centuries it built deep roots, and the country remains (like its historical sibling Poland) one of the most ardently Catholic places around. There are lots of churches (as is typical of the places we’ve visited so far), but in the case of Lithuania, these are extremely well-attended.

Signs of a Pagan past?

Vilnius Cathedral

The interior

St Anne’s Church

St Peter and St Paul’s Church

Spotted in Kaunas

The old and the new

Vilnius, more than any other city we had visited so far, exhibited a great blend of old and new. The central business district was packed with modern glass structures, juxtaposed with some increasingly out-of-place remnants of the Soviet occupation. Meanwhile, while sipping cocktails in a rooftop bar we were able to glance across the river to beautifully preserved (and carefully restored) ancient forts and religious monuments.

Central Vilnius

Ethan celebrates the sunshine (very briefly)

Old town visible on the south side of the river

Turning the tables – a view from the castle

Kaunas’ own castle – the story here involved fewer glamorous skyscrapers and more Soviet eyesores, but the city had some beautiful architecture and a buzzing student-driven culture

On the train to Kaunas, we got to share the tracks with some lovely exemplars of Eastern European industry

We were so keyed up about Cold War history that we (Ethan) thought this was a bomb shelter from a distance. In fact, it’s a public lavatory

We (and the Baltics) can’t seem to get enough of these colorful wooden houses

A gluten-free commune is just waiting to form here. Note even the hipster mustache window frames

Getting out

Over the course of the last couple months, we’ve tried out a lot of different ways of getting around. One of the greatest so far has been the overnight bus from Vilnius to Warsaw. While far from the height of decadent splendor, it was a remarkably comfortable, smooth, and economical way of getting from Point A to Point B. And compared to a flight, it gives a much better impression of the changing terrain since you can see it go past if you’re awake at the time.

Kindle: check; in-bus espresso machine: check; no screaming infants: check – what’s not to like?