Exploring Vilnius

It is a sunny day in Vilnius. I somewhat surprisingly woke up in the capital of Lithuania, one of those places I’ve always been curious to discover with my own eyes.

Entering the republic of Užupis.

A strange but fun discovery was the Republic of Užupis, a self-proclaimed independent state residing inside Vilnius, which reminded me of Christiania in Copenhagen. I found the golden angel who watches over them all.

Some places in Užupis were a bit dodgy to be exploring alone, but there are some advantages to being taller than Godzilla. I even found the hidden statue of Frank Zappa.

Frank Zappa tucked away on a parking lot.

Vilnius has a lot of churches, cathedrals and ruins. It feels like I’ve explored them all today. Entered the white tower of Kathedrale Sankt Stanislaus to find the impressive sarcophagus of Saint Casimir. Walked through the darkness of the Gate of Dawn to gaze upon the miracle painting in the chapel above. Tried to count the red bricks of St Anne’s Church which Napoleon supposedly wanted to bring back with him to Paris.

Church of Holy Trinity.

I do enjoy walking but 14 kilometers later, after all this culture and holiness, it ain’t exactly a long shot that I soon will land my buttocks somewhere for a piece of hearty food. Just don’t serve any more Zeppelins, that traditional Lithuanian dish is not really my favorite.

However, I once heard someone say, “Don’t tell me what you ate, tell me who you ate it with”, which rings true. But I’m eating alone, so I guess that says something about my journey.