Vilnius

So after our extremely short flirtation with Warsaw, we were on our way out of Poland on the seven o'clock train. This time it was more how we like it - sharing a compartment with only one other person. It was a very comfortable trip, and we snoozed and played cards and ate bread and cheese and read and looked out the window throughout Eastern Poland. Despite the undeniable picture-postcard beauty of Bavaustria, I think this area was my favourite train-scenery so far. We spent a long time travelling through thick pine forests (I saw a deer at the side of the track), then emerged into rolling farmland, dotted with cows chained to stakes. There were lots of storks, on high nests, and a number of hawks. All very idyllic and fertile. Eventually we reached Sestokai, just over the border in Lithuania, where we changed trains to a local, and sped towards Vilnius, arriving only nine hours or so after leaving Warsaw. Thanks to everyone speaking english, as usual, we found our hostel (getting there via trolley-bus), which turned out to be our own little studio apartment opening right onto the street, in a really good location. We spent the evening doing our usual wander around.

On Tuesday morning (21st) it took us a while to get organised, as we slept in a fair bit, and also there was a flat screen tv in our flat. We were waiting, as well, for the girl to come and collect our clothes, which she did without any evident distress, despite the smell. Freed, we went to visit the cathedral, which was ok, and then had some mexican food at a little place run by a very friendly mexican guy who had a chat to us. After lunch we walked off the burritos by climbing to the top of the hill to the upper castle, or what's left of it. They have reconstructed one tower, which contains a very small museum, and grants a wonderful 360 degree view of the city. Then we took the tiny funicular to the bottom of the other side of the hill, to go to the prehistory museum, which was pretty rad. We walked back around the hill to the old town, then stumbled across a Thai massage place, which gave Margot an idea. Which was to get a massage. So I went off by myself for an explore, after pilfering some of the ginger biscuits in the waiting room. I basically just saw lots of churches, but also the only remaining synagogue (there used to be 100), which was closed. There are some really cool churches, my favourite being a baroque one in an enclosed courtyard. It was totally run down and shut, but the whole space had a very cool dilapidated feel. Anyway I went and picked up a battered Margot, and we wandered around again for an hour or so before heading back to our little flat, to make dinner and drink beer. We'd finally found some Czech beer, after craving it since Prague.

Wednesday morning, changeable again. Clouds move really really fast in Europe for some reason. We got up fairly early and went to the bus station to sort out our transport for the next couple of cities, then hopped on a bus to Trakai, which we'd heard had a castle in the middle of a lake. We heard right, it was super-amazing! After lunching on some traditional Karaim food (they were a sect, some of which were brought from the Crimea in the Middle Ages to serve as guards for the local bigwig), which was basically a pastie, we walked through the cute painted wooden cottages to the water's edge. Picturesque, let me tell you. From the town, there is a wooden bridge across to a little island, and from the other side of that island another wooden bridge across to another little island, which is taken up almost entirely by a brick castle. The scene is set of with gently whispering reeds, and tourists pedalling around in stupid dolphin-shaped boats. The whole effect is quite photo-worthy. The castle is mostly reconstructed, having been destroyed a number of different times, but the foundations are original, and they've done a very good job with the rest. There was a random exhibition of porcelain, pipes and whatnot in the main part of the castle, but after you crossed the drawbridge into the keep and climbed rickety stairs into the upper floors, there was a very good little local history museum.

After exhausting the potential photographic opportunities offered by the castle, we headed to the other castle, which was much closer to its ruined state, being, in point of fact, just some ruins. However, it was very nice, and there were some people doing traditional type things inside. Pottery and so on. Anyway we had seen a fancy chocolate place on our way from the bus station, so we headed back there and each had two fancy chocolates for afternoon tea. And the fist unburnt coffee that I've tasted so far on this trip. Then back to the bus, and back to Vilnius, then made another huge dinner (I'm not good at judging amounts of uncooked pasta), accompanied by Zlaty Bazant, my favourite Slovakian beer.

Thursday dawned to pouring rain, which is no fun. We watched some cartoons for a bit, and cleaned up and repacked, as we had to change hostels. Thanks to the vagaries of pricing, we had to tramp for twenty minutes through the rain so that we could sleep in a six-bed dorm for the same price as our little studio apartment. It being horrible weather, we dumped our stuff and tried out the local contemporary art gallery, which turned out to be very good. Then for lunch we sat in a chain cafe and were ignored by the waitress. I gorged myself on herring, which wasn't the smartest thing ever. To walk it off, we went back to the bus station to sort out some more reservations, then back again to go to the internet cafe, where we discovered that pretty much everything is booked out in scandinavia, and it all costs two or three times as much as anywhere else. So that wasn't fun, but we made what bookings we could, though we'll have to be in large and sometimes seperate dorms. Then we had another walk around, then had dinner and more beer, and then did more walking around. I really like Vilnius, it's got a huge old town centre which all looks gorgeous, but doesn't feel as touristy as alot of other cities. It feels very much like a functioning city centre, populated more by locals than by tourists.