Kicked off the day with a walking tour of Vilnius. Weather update: 20 degrees and snowing this morning. I’m wearing all the layers. Let’s go walking! Our guide, Jelena, was an absolute joy. Such an enthusiastic ambassador for Lithuania.

Unlike Estonia (mostly secular), and Latvia (Lutheran), Lithuania is a deeply Catholic country. Churches everywhere. The biggest minority group in Lithuania are Polish people – almost all signage is in both Lithuanian and Polish.

Fun with Flags

The initial design of the Lithuanian flag was just two horizontal stripes – green and red. It was deemed “too boring”, so they went completely crazy and added a third stripe: yellow.

Walked by the Presidential Palace. Just as in Estonia and Latvia, the Lithuanians are very strong supporters of Ukraine.

Jelena suggested a stop at the Church of St. Peter and Paul. Didn’t look like much from the outside, but the inside was spectacular. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a church with such an intricate interior – all white stucco, with over 2,000 white stucco sculptures. Incredible.

Stairs to a super creepy crypt were open, and Jelena said we could walk down if we ducked our foreheads. Did not bump my head, and it did not disappoint on the creepiness scale. Would not want to be down there during a power outage.

Sidebar: Vilnius is only about 50 kilometers from the Belarus border. Normally, I would suggest an adventure across the border to collect another country, but I know better than to go to Belarus right now. I don’t want to be a segment on 60-Minutes.

Ended our walking tour of Vilnius feeling like a popsicle. I’m hoping my toes thaw out by dinner. Stopped at a bakery for a hot beverage and a pastry. This salted caramel situation was incredible.

Time for Lithuanian siesta.

Cheers! (Until I learn how to say cheers in Lithuanian. )

Travel date: April 11, 2025