Travel

From Cats to Chocolate 

2 June 2026

Šiauliai has proven compact, interesting and quieter than Kaunas. A small town of approximately 100,000, it ranks as Lithuania’s fourth-largest city. The city may seem small but it offers some great sites for visitors. It also provides a relatively peaceful respite from the hectic touring demanded in larger cities like Vilnius or Kaunas. 

Today, I organized my time around museums. While I skipped the Bicycle Museum, I did visit several worthy of exploration. 

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By Pat, ago

Šaiuliai, Lithuania

1 June 2026

Traveling into rural Lithuania, transportation becomes harder. Transport requires a fair bit of digging. My few requirements include easy access and, if possible, no connections. The last experience I want is standing in a small train or bus station in rural no-woman’s-land understanding next to none of a foreign language. Been there, done that.

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By Pat, ago

Under the Linden Trees of Kaunas 

31 May 2026

Even though I follow weather before I depart, I can get it horribly wrong in this era of Climate Change. This trip, my last-minute decision to pack a sweater has proven a comfort saver.

While I wore T-shirts in Berlin, Lithuania has been much colder. I’m glad for the cooler temperatures, but I have also worn that sweater every day for a week! 

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By Pat, ago

Kaunas, Lithuania

30 May 2026

Transportation requires planning. Once leaving major cities, moving from one city to another becomes more difficult. Thus, when I travel from Vilnius to Kaunas, I ask, train or bus? Book ahead or last minute?

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By Pat, ago

Vilnius: Quirky in All the Right Ways

29 May 2026

After exploring Vilnius the past three days, I agree with an early 2018 tourism campaign:

Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it, it’s amazing.

I expected to like Vilnius. I’m happy to admit I like it a lot. It is a wonderful mix of historic and modern, funny and tragic, strange and quirky. My kind of town!

Perhaps Vilnius began to all come together for me with the discovery of Frank Zappa.

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By Pat, ago

Vilnius, Lithuania

27 May 2026

Time and distance suggest I fly. Fly in spite of threats of fuel shortages and cancelled flights. Taking the FEX train, I return to Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport for my short flight to Vilnius. I board Ryanair, a low-cost airline I hadn’t ever imagined a need for. 

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By Pat, ago