Trips

Baltic Capitals, St. Petersburg, and Moscow: September 8 - 24, 2015

        Our Fall trips this year were to the Balitc countries - Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia; Russia - St. Petersburg and Moscow; and then to Finland and Norway. Both were great trips. Much cooler than the summer trip to Italy!

Itinerary: Baltic Capitals

	Trip Map
9/8-10	Lithuania: Vilnius: Uzupio; City Tour; Gediminas Hill; Trakai; Rumsiskes Open-Air Museum
9/11-12	Lithuania: Klaipedia: Curonian Spit; Hill of Witches; Hill of Crosses
9/13-15	Latvia: Rundale Palace; Riga: City Tour; Zepplin Central Market; Town of Ligatne; Cesis Castle
9/16-18	Estonia: Tallinn: City Tour; Kunstimuuseum
9/19-21	St. Petersburg: City Tour; Hermitage Museum; St. Isaac’s Cathedral; Church on Spilt Blood; Catherine Palace
9/22-24	Moscow: City Tour; Kremlin; Subway; Metropol Hotel; Tretyakov State Gallery; Gorky Park; At Night

Trip Map

We did the main trip and the post-trip extension to Moscow, but not the pre-trip to Poland.
Mon., 9/7/15 – Labor Day – Estes Park to Frankfurt         We left home at 6:30 AM for our 10:55 flight on United to Chicago (2 ½ hours) and changed planes for our 7 ½ hour flight to Frankfurt on Lufthansa, where we arrived at 7 AM the next day. Tues., 9/8/15 – Frankfurt to Vilnius, Lithuania         After a 3 ½ hours to wait in the Frankfurt airport, we caught our Lufthansa flight to Vilnius, Lithuania.  We only had to show our passports as we deplaned and entered the Frankfurt terminal.  It was a switch not to have to enter long lines or claim and recheck our luggage.  We did not even have to go through a new security check.         The flight to Vilnius was 2 hours long and we entered another time zone so we were in the air 15 hours and crossed 9 time zones on this trip.
Flag of Lithuania	Border sign in Luthuanian
The old	The new EU plate
The remainder of Tuesday was spent getting to the hotel (once a monastery), getting settled into our smallish room, resting, and walking in the rain to dinner at Gabi.  We had a nice salad, veal rolled around stuffing, boiled potatoes, Margarita/Normandy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), apple strudel for dessert, and unlimited red or white wine.  It was a good start with good food and interesting decor in the restaurant.  One wall had hundreds of old keys hanging on it. Wed., 9/9/15 – Vilnius, Lithuania         After a nice buffet breakfast at the hotel in a dining room made in the monastery wine cellars, we walked across the Vilnia River into Uzupio.  On April 1st, 1997 a group of the residents of this art colony of Vilnius sat in a bar and decided to create the independent republic of Uzupio.
Artwork along the riverbank	The Uzupio constitution is displayed on plaques in 24 languages on a wall within their community.  Rule #3 is that the citizens have the “right to die but not an obligation” and #13 is “a cat is not obliged to love their owner but must help in time of need.”  The rules of the constitution are etched on mirrors so you see yourself while reading the rules.  The constitution was written in Uzupio Kavine, a restaurant that is now also the “republic’s” parliament.
Constitution of Uzupio	Constitution of Uzupio (English)
Angel of Uzupio	We recrossed the Vilnia River back into Vilnius and entered the old town walking past a street with walls of monuments to the various local artists.  They plastered examples of their specialties on the walls. In a small park were trees with knitting covering the tree trunks.  It was an attempt by the adjacent art museum to attract visitors.  Across the street is the 16th c. red brick Baroque-style Church of St. Anne.  Napoleon made it into a stable.  It has been restored and later we went inside to see the silver St. Anne at the altar.  It is a very small church with a new, more modern church built behind it.
Artwork along the Vilnia river	Art hanging from a bridge
Orthodox Cathedral of the Theotokos	Artwork of the walls
Artwork of the walls	They said it is just a decoration
A decorated tree	Church of St. Anne
Church of St. Anne	Church of St. Anne - more modern part
On our way to Pilies Street (one of Vilnius' main streets) we passed a tea shop with teapots cemented into the walls.  One pot had an old map of town on it.  Pilies St. is now a pedestrian street running from the Vilnius Cathedral to the Town Hall.  In Cathedral Square is a statue of Gediminas, the grand Duke of Vilnius who in 1323 established the town of Vilnius.  The remains of his castle are on the hill behind the Cathedral.          We went inside the Cathedral and to St. Casimir Chapel.  Casimir is the patron saint of Lithuania.  On the chapel walls are the silver hearts, arms, and legs from pilgrims who want to be cured by St. Casimir.  Outside in the plaza is a miracle tile.  People stand on it, turn three times, and jump three times to have a wish come true.  However, the tile also represents the end of the “Baltic Way” created when a chain of people held hands and crossed 400 miles from Vilnius to Riga to Tallinn.
Interesting language	More wall decoration
More wall decorations	A sweets shop
Cathedral of Vilnius (Basilica of Sts. Stanislaus and Ladislaus) - Statue of Gediminas	Bell tower of the Cathedral of Vilnius
St. Casimir Chapel	St. Casimir Chapel - silver hearts, arms, and legs from pilgrims
Cathedral of Vilnius	Gediminas’ Avenue
Next we looked at the Presidential Palace, which is not a residence but houses government offices and then walked to the University of Vilnius campus.  The university was founded in 1795 as a Jesuit college and now houses the colleges of philology (languages), history, and physical and biomedical sciences and technologies.  The Church of Sts. Johns (John the Baptist and John the Apostle) has an elaborate Baroque altar and a neo-classical sanctuary.  There is a beautiful organ at the back and the pews reverse the direction of the seats when concerts are held in the church (no photos).
Presidential Palace	Vilnius University
Vilnius University	Sculpture of a street dancer
Manhole cover	Street scene

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