Saturday, August 17, 2024
After a leisurely breakfast and checking out of the hotel, I met Jeff in the lobby and we wheeled our luggage across the way to the Copenhagen Airport to catch our flight to Vilnius, Lithuania. After smoothly checking our luggage, we waited in a long queue to go through passport control and security. Afterwards, we had plently of spare time before our flight departure (12:40 pm). I withdrew 300 Euro from an airport ATM as this would be the currency used in the next four countries of our itinerary. Because we had decided not to pay for an in-flight lunch, we decided to enjoy more coffee with a pastry from Lagkagehuset before boarding.
—— Copenhagen Airport (CPH) ——
The Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight to Vilinius was only about half full. A cloud bank obscured the surface view during much of the 2.5-hour trip. However, as we were flying over Lithuania, I moved from my aisle seat to a window seat and was able to view forests, agricultural fields, and small villages below. After landing and claiming our bags, we wandered through a rather ornate arrivals lobby where I used the Uber app to order a ride to our hotel.
—— Vilnius Airport (VNO) ——
We found the designated pick-up spot outside and our Uber ride arrived in short order. Oleh, our driver, only knew enough English to tell us that he only spoke Lithuanian and Russian (which neither of us speak). The urban landscape and architecture varied greatly during our 15-minute ride to the hotel. We crossed the Neris River on the last leg and arrived at the Radisson Blu, a modern high-rise among other modern buildings which contrasted with the older sections of town across the river.
—— Radisson Blu Lietuva ——
We checked-in and retreated to our respective rooms to relax and refresh awhile. Jeff’s room was in a different and newer building than mine. My room had a beautiful view of the Neris River, a riverside greenway, and parts of both the old and new sections of town.
—— View from Hotel Window ——
After settling in and refreshing, Jeff and I met in the lobby to explore Vilnius. Without a plan, we set off for the older part of the town by crossing the Neris River on a pedestrian bridge near the hotel. The skies were sunny and the temperature was comfortable so that many locals were enjoying their Saturday afternoon outdoors.
—— Crossing the Neris River ——
After crossing the river, we continued our rambling occaisionally consulting our phones’ GPS. We strolled through parks and past government buildings, monuments, cathedrals, restaurants, and shoppes (some selling amber ware). The architecture varied but was always interesting. Eventually, we worked up an appetite so Jeff found a promising restuarant with Lithuanian cuisine and we navigated to it.
—— Rambling around Vilnius ———
The restuarnat, Bernuliu Uzeiga, was located below street level and had a cozy ambience with wait staff wearing traditional apparel. My entree, sturgeon fillet with caramelized onion sauce, was delicious. Our watiress seemed distracted, wasn’t very attentive, and managed to spill a glass of red wine staining my pants. Despite this incident, the meal was very pleasant and we got a 20% discount on the bill.
—— Dinner ——
After dinner, we enjoyed the night lights of Vilnius while walking in the cool air back to our hotel where we wearily retired to our respective rooms for the evening.
—— Return Walk ——
