A Journey through Lithuania 1
I and my friend, Debbie, would like to tell you about our tour of Lithuania and show you some of the pictures we took on the journey.
There are four regions in the country. The first, Suvalkija, in the heart of Lithuania, has a flat landscape, very rich arable soil and many rivers.
Nemunas, the longest river in Lithuania also flows through it.
Aukštaitija and Dzūkija have many hills and lakes but the land here is not very fertile. Aukštaitija is renowned for its hospitality and home-made beer! Dzūkija, the best place to pick mushrooms and berries, is also known for its folk songs. If you are looking for quality spa resorts, Birštonas and Druskininkai are two towns to visit.
The fourth region, Žemaitija lies closer to the sea. The people who live there, the Žemaičiai, are known for their distinct dialect, Žemaičių kalba, and are said to be the most stubborn of all Lithuanians!
We began our tour in the capital city, Vilnius, and then journeyed to the seaside. Vilnius has had a very varied history. It was an especially exciting time to be in the official European City of Culture, 2009.
In Vilnius
We started at the time of the Olympic games in Beijing, in the summer of 2008. The city of Vilnius was gripped by excitement watching the progress of the Lithuanian basketball team. The bars and cafes in the street were thronging with people watching basketball on TV.
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Here’s my British friend, Debbie, who managed to take her eyes off the screen to give you a welcoming smile! |
 Image courtesy the Lithuanian State Department of Tourism www.lithuaniatourism.co.uk |
Like most European cities, Vilnius is a mixture of old and new styles of building. |
 Image courtesy the Lithuanian State Department of Tourism |
Debbie and I loved browsing the shops in Vilnius Old Town. You can see Gediminas’ castle in the distance, which was built about 1230 and now only the tower still stands. |
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After lunch we did a bit of sight-seeing. This is a typical symbol of Vilnius – the clock-tower in Cathedral Square… |
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…and this is a monument to knight Gediminas, the founder of Vilnius. Scarey, eh? |
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At the spaudos kioskas (newsagent’s kiosk), we bought a paper to find the basketball results. We won again! |
 Image courtesy the Lithuanian State Department of Tourism |
The next day we decided to go shopping. Debbie wanted to buy a new pair of shoes. The shops were very busy. |
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We also visited the new shopping centre, where we found all the latest European fashions. |
 Image courtesy the Lithuanian State Department of Tourism |
In the evening we ate dinner at the top of a tower, overlooking Europa Square. I felt quite giddy! |
