Old Town Vilnius and Lithuanian Dinner

After we checked in to our hotel, our guide, Gintas Zabulenas, escorted us out for our first Lithuanian meal at the Etno Dvaras Lietuviski Patiekalai which translates to "Etno Manor of Lithuanian Dishes". As we walked through the streets of Old Town Vilnius, we were impressed by the old-world beauty. At the restaurant, we started with 3 "snacks to share": fried rye breadsticks with a cheese curd dip, curd cheese (the caraway cheese I remember eating at grandma's house), and fresh cucumber strips with raw local honey as a dip for both, and hot cheese bits (3 types of fried cheese). My first meal was cepelinai which are potato-meat dumplings known as zeppelins served with sour cream. Yummy!!! We ended our first evening walking back to our hotel, and stopping along the way to see a few sights. We found a beautiful Eastern Orthodox church which we entered to say a "thank you" prayer for getting us safely to Lithuania. We walked further through City Hall Square where a lot of vendors and sidewalk cafes were located. On a side alley, we came across a sign commemorating the Vilnius Ghetto which was located there between 1941 and 1943. We also walked by Vilnius University's St. Johns' Church bell tower in Old Town Vilnius.Read more