University of Vilnius

For me, one of the very best parts of travel are the unexpected things that can happen when you least expect them. I like to refer to these as the "serendipity of travel". One of these events happened today, but I guess I should first start at the beginning.

Late last night the final three members of our team finally arrived from Warsaw. They were not happy that they had spent an extra 7 hours at Warsaw airport, but I tried to make sure they knew they had not been forgotten by arranging for last night's restaurant to prepare three dinner boxes for them.

Now that all twenty riders are present and accounted for, the only thing still missing is Marg's luggage. We had all been hoping that it would turn up from the airport, but so far there is no sign of it. This means that she may have to buy another suitcase and a basic assortment of clothes. There is of course still some chance that it might be found before we leave Vilnius tomorrow morning.

After breakfast we met outside the hotel with Lucas. The plan was for him to take us on a walking tour of the city. He certainly knows a lot about Lithuanian history and he did his best to tell us most of it in the two hour walk. He would have made an excellent auctioneer.

After the heat of the previous few days we were glad that the day started overcast and relatively cool, however it did not stay that way. Once the early clouds cleared, the temperature steadily climbed back up again. It is beginning to look like all the cool weather gear we jammed into our cases will never see the light of day.

Since our team is now complete, we also took the opportunity to don our new Ghostrider shirts. I have to admit that they were so bright that I am sure they would have been visible from the moon. I suspect some of the locals thought that we were in town for the gay pride celebrations. We certainly got noticed.

It was only after the tour was over that the unexpected event happened. A small group of us were walking down a small back street of the town. We were interrupted by a distinctive Aussie voice "Hello Ghostriders". We all looked around to see where the voice had come from. We saw a neatly dressed couple looking at us.

"We have been reading all about you", the man added. He then proceeded to prove that he knew who we were by telling us that we were here to ride from Vilnius to Tallinn. I must have looked confused as he then went on to explain exactly what had happened.

Apparently he had seen our brightly dressed walking peloton earlier in the morning. He had been so impressed by our magnificent physiques than he went home to look us up on the Internet. It was then just sheer chance that we happened to walk down the very street where he lived.

He explained that he had Lithuanian parents, but had spent most of his early life in Australia, before returning to Lithuania with his wife some twenty years ago. He still followed Australian football and returned home almost every year. After a long chat we parted company, marvelling at how the whole event had taken place.

Our group then dispersed around the city. I wandered rather aimlessly,sometimes stopping to watch the locals. At one point I spent some time watching three well dressed (and very competent) girls playing string classics on two violins and a cello. Another highlight.

By mid afternoon I was feeling hungry and noticed a French restaurant called the Cafe Montmartre. I went in and started to enjoy a lovely Coq au Vin. It was at that point that a disaster occurred. Somehow the gravy from my plate leapt across and deposited itself right down the front of my florescent Ghostriders shirt. And it was the first time I had worn it ! Oh the embarrassment, oh the shame.

I quickly finished the rest of the lunch and tried to walk back to the hotel with my hands held in front of shirt. With the colour of these shirts it is not as if you can quietly merge into the crowd. I might as well have had a siren and searchlight on me. It was not my finest hour.

Once back at the hotel the famous lines of Shakespeare's Macbeth came back to me ("Out damned spot") as I worked furiously to restore the shirt to its former glory. I almost succeeded - the spot has now been reduced to a level that would only be visible to someone with at least some eyesight. It's now hanging up to dry.

Tomorrow we will be saying goodbye to Vilnius. I am sure that our memories of this place will be very positive, but the adventure must continue. After all, we came to cycle and that is exactly what we will begin tomorrow.Read more