Vilnius, Lithuania

Today I had a nice lie in and checked out of the hostel at 10.30am. There was nobody on the reception so I just left my key with a note.

Then I did a hike to the three crosses which is on top of a hill. It was a VERY steep walk up high through a forest. It was freezing cold and the temperatures were definitely below zero. To be honest I was quite scared walking through this deserted hilly forest. I am an ethnic minority in a very "closed" country that is not known to be welcoming to foreigners. But a random Lithuanian guy smiled at me and said hello so I started to feel a bit more relaxed.

By the time I had climbed down my hands were so red and numb. I couldn't even open my jacket pocket. So I went to get a light breakfast in a cafe, and then headed to Užupis.

Užupis is actually considered an independent republic...but it is also not recognised as one by many people. It is a very bohemian area with lots of artsy things dotted around. I got my passport stamped with the entry... but forgot to get the exit stamp. Oh dear! Hopefully this will not cause any problems at the airport. The woman warned me that some people have problems with this stamp. But what is the worst they can do? I already have a stamp from Kosovo...and that is WAY more controversial than Užupis.

I found a local pub/restaurant and had the cold beetroot soup for lunch. This is actually a summer dish but I got a hot drink to warm myself up. The thing I like about Eastern countries is that the waiters leave you in peace. If you have ordered something then the table is yours for however long you want. You could sit there for 3 hours if you wanted to. In England they are in a rush to get you out once you have finished, because the city is so crowded and they want to make money.

So...I have now visited all the Baltic countries (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). They are all very different and some I have enjoyed more than others. My favourite would have to be Latvia. Then I would say Poland. In 3rd place comes Lithuania. In last place comes Estonia.Read more