Baltic Sea coast, castles

Trips to Lithuania

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Newest Images

IMG_0981 Erika with her birthday loot

Date: 04/28/2012 Views: 6

IMG_0923 Erika does a cartwheel at Jumpoline

Date: 04/28/2012 Views: 4

IMG_0968 Erika has blown out the candles on her cake.

Date: 04/28/2012 Views: 10

IMG_0971 Her Royal Highness commandeth!

Date: 04/28/2012 Views: 10

Baltic Sea coast, castles

On Saturday, September the 3rd, my parents, I, Steve and Erika drove to Palanga, a coastal town and a popular Lithuanian vacation destination. Arriving there late at night, Steve and I immediately went out to meet with my sister and her boyfriend, who got there well ahead of us. We had a good dinner and conversation, and I was puzzled by the lack of decent nightlife in the resort town that is Palanga.

In Palanga we stayed in a little house that my parents inherited from my dad's parents. It is very modest on the inside but it has a beautiful garden and exterior details. It also has an outdoors structure which in my childhood days used to be called a pergola, although I think a pavillion or gazebo would be a better word. It can be seen in picture 2.

On Monday September the 5th we headed back to Vilnius via a scenic route that goes along the Nemunas river. Nemunas is the biggest river in Lithuania, which isn't saying much, because it's pretty small by world standards. Still, there are some beautiful places of historical significance along the way. Most notably, there are two castles that used to be outposts of defense against the Teutonic Order in the middle ages, as seen in the pictures 11 -- 14.

Date: 02/26/2006

Owner: Elze

Size: 37 items

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CIMG0552 Elze, Steve, Pasha and Marta

Left to right: myself, Steve, Pasha and Marta at the Ramybe bar.

Date: 09/03/2005

CIMG0570 Steve and Erika

Steve with Erika in front of the pergola at the little house in Palanga where we stayed.

Date: 09/04/2005

CIMG0555 Grandma and Erika with flower in her hair

My mom holds a Hawaiian beauty (in the garden of the little house in Palanga)

Date: 09/04/2005

CIMG0566 Steve shows an apple to Erika

Steve shows Erika apples on the trees in the garden.

Date: 09/04/2005

CIMG0579A burning truck in Kintai

No, this is not a terrorist act. Click on the image for an explanation.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0584 Me in front of bird net

Me in front of a rowan tree enclosed by bird nets at Ventes Ragas. Click on the image for an explanation.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0585Me in front of Lighthouse

At Ventes Ragas there is also a lighthouse with an observation deck on top, if "deck" could be used to describe a tiny, cramped balcony with a flimsy railing that barely comes up to your hip. I got a bout of acrophobia just by looking at it.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0586 Steve and I at the pier

Steve and I at the pier (or quay, or wharf, whatever it's called) at Ventes Ragas.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0588 Steve in the lighthouse

Steve on the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0589 Steve from below

Steve on the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse as seen from below.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0599 Steve and Elze in Panemune

The scenic route along Nemunas river went past two beautiful castles dating from 15th century. They played a role in defending Lithuania from attacks of the Teutonic order. Here, Steve and I in front of the castle of Panemune.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0597 Elze in Panemune

Me in front of the Panemune castle

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0600 Elze in Raudone

Me in front of the Raudone castle which is now a school.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0602 The castle of Raudone

The castle of Raudone.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0601Soviet Army monument

Steve and I in front of a monument to the Soviet troops, one of rapidly disappearing relics of the Soviet era. Click on the image for the explanation.

Date: 09/05/2005

CIMG0603 Elze, Steve and Erika

Steve, Erika, I, and the vistas along the Nemunas river.

Date: 09/05/2005

Elze and Steve in Nida

Steve and I near a restaurant in Nida (Lithuania) in May of 2004. The sign above our heads advertises "Svyturys" ("Lighthouse"), the most popular brand of Lithuanian beer.

Date: 12/29/2007

Everyone eating in Nida

At a tiny restaurant in Nida, clockwise from the left: my dad, my sister Marta, her boyfriend Pasha, my brother's son Jokubas, Steve and I.

Date: 12/29/2007

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