To Vilnius (Lithuania) - A Fine Baltic Capital

After a very nice breakfast we hit the road. Crossing the bridge to make our way out of Riga, we get great views of this river city. There is a big market which is open from 8am every day and not too far from our hotel - note for next time, early breakfast and market stop before leaving town would be ideal. People are keen to buy mementos and there’s nothing like a local market for treasure hunting and rummaging, even with limited time. 

We stop at Rundale Castle, another beautiful Palace that is in the middle of the countryside. Painted in lemon, white and gold (the entrance gate is tangerine), it’s a mini Versailles. We go through the many rooms and galleries, all sumptuous with a new and colourful delight around every turn. There are frescoes, mirrors and trompe de l’oeiul ? (clever 3D painting technique); rooms of pastel, others of vibrant colour. All the decorative work is carved of wood, intricate and substantial. The piece de resistance is the large ballroom which, in stark contrast to just about every palatial room we have seen on tour, is completely white. There is a white grand piano in the corner and crystal chandeliers. It’s like being inside a giant wedding cake. What a fabulous hall for a special occasion party. 

The Rose room is exquisite, with carved flowers cascading down marble walls. I’d like to take lunch in the beautifully set up dining room; in tones of blue and white, this room looks Wedgewood-inspired.

The Duke’s boudoir is huge and sparsely lavish in emerald green; the duchess’s quarters more sedate, cluttered and practical, with various rooms for different tasks. There is a pretty etched glass jug in a cabinet next to her bed - it’s her portable toilet, which her personal attendant has with her at the ready when nature calls. 

Then there are the gardens - formal, expansive and striking. It’s a very hot day with barely a cloud in the sky and, while some stroll around the grounds on foot, many opt to take a golf cart ride which gives a good overview and commentary. This is a palace that is definitely the whole package and worth the short detour from the main road.

We have free time for lunch, choosing from various cafes within the palace grounds, and then it’s onwards to the Hill of Crosses. It’s Sunday and it’s busy; busier than usual, apparently, with cars and people everywhere. We discover that today is the annual Day of Forgiveness - people come here to forgive others and ask for forgiveness. Apparently this place is not religious-based, but spiritual - and today is a special day to cleanse the spirit. It is only going to get busier into the evening. 

What a remarkable place this is. It all began in about the 13th century with a number of crosses placed here on the hill, and has grown through the years until it has become the tourist attraction it is today. No one knows how many crosses there are, possibly about 100,000 or more. There are stalls selling little wooden crosses that tourists can buy and add to the collection. Behind a clump of crosses I spot a couple with a huge cross; they are preparing to dig a hole to put it in the ground. Steps lead up here and down there; some parts around the back are more tranquil than the main area. But generally it’s pretty much a seething mass of people and crosses - and very much a commercial operation as well as a spiritual one. May we be forgiven for all wrongdoings! Now let’s go ...

A roadside stop shortly after is welcome - we all get a hand-scooped ice-cream which is refreshing on this relentlessly hot day. Then we press on towards Vilnius. The countryside is flat but attractive, with different hues of green spreading for miles.

Once in Vilnius, around 6.30pm, we check in, freshen up (our bags take ages to be delivered which is not ideal and means various levels of freshening up is achieved), and then head out for dinner. We enjoy yet another delicious meal, served beautifully, in a fine restaurant. The wine is on Maher tonight and it slips down easily after a full day of travelling and sightseeing. The city streets and main square are lit up and look lovely as we stroll back to the hotel. Sharon and I decide a quick nightcap at a nearby bar is in order before heading to bed for a well deserved sleep.

OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: The countryside is so flat, in all shades of green and ochre. There are plenty of crops and hay bales, very few animals. The roads are good, very straight. The scenery is picturesque and orderly. Trundling along in a bus is quite pleasantly soporific and there’s a bit of nodding off happening as we journey south. Why not!?