Botanical garden, Kaunas

Although somewhat out of the way, and despite not being among the most advertised attractions, the botanical garden is well worth a visit. That is, if you are even remotely interested in plants and gardening. Compared to similar facilities in other countries it can of course not be said to hold world class, but it has some interesting specimens and can offer nice scenery.




The building it self might look shitty, but then again - the most beatiful roses grow in the shit

The main building seems to be a relic from soviet times,when functionality and durability often prevailed over aesthetics, but both the exhibits and the surrounding park is well maintained. The buildings on the other hand is a different matter. Some of them are in bad need of maintenance, and are well over due for an upgrade.




Overgrown gutters and a leaky outdoor lamp. Enough to remind a Norwegian farmer of home.

 

There is no restaurant in this site, so if you are spending some time here I suggest you bring your own food. If you come in summer, there are plenty of good spots for a small picnic. You should however not overeat, at least not is you are a frail person, since the restrooms here hold a rather simple standard. To such an extent in fact, that one unavoidably puts it in connection with the institutions constant need for good compost.

 

 

A well nourished tree

The surrounding park is an excellent place to come for photo sessions, particularly in autumn. Trees and bushes from various countries offer many good background colors, and the park is in my mind underappreciated among local hobby photographers.

 




Plenty of good spots to take photographs in the park. And the props are all around.

As is so often the case in Lithuania, this attraction has also tried to increase its appeal by adding other elements to its display. Elements that does not necessarily relate at all to the main theme of the place. In the case of the botanical garden can be mentioned for instance: The imprisoned owl, the bored turtles, the hiding gold fish, the apparently dead reptiles, and of course Rocky VII – the goat with the punching bag. Although goats allegedly are unable to survive in Lithuania due to some kind of ticks (according to many locals), this particular goat seems to be doing fine.





What? Are goats out of place in a botanical garden, you say?
Well, tell it to this guy!

Overall, the botanical garden in Kaunas is a nice and relaxing place to spend time. I recommend you do so, if you have time to spare.

Rated: Recommended

 

Top 5 Lithuanian bottled water

Although Lithuanian tap water is not toxic, and very few deaths are recorded as a result of consuming tap water, most tourists still prefer bottled water. Since many locals also share this preference, or at least take the precaution of boiling water before drinking it, it might be wise to follow the heard in this matter. And there are many types of bottled water to choose from. I`ve tried most of them, and here are my recommendations:

#1: Neptunas

In many ways unremarkable, but that in itself speaks to its advantage. Tastes like water, without any of those other tastes that bottled water often has (those that some manufacturers try to cover by adding salt or flavour). This also seems to be the most popular choice among locals. Good value for money.

#2: Žalia giria

 

 

Shares many of the characteristics with #1, but is somewhat more expensive. Very pure taste when cold, but somewhat stale in room temperature. Available almost everywhere. Good alternative.

 

 

 

#3: Tichė

Also available almost everywhere, and tastes rather good. Contains some minerals, and can be even more expensive. Particularly when sold I kiosks and such. Allegedly very healthy and natural, but when you are thirsty such things are usually not your primary concern.

#4: Borjomi

Although not strictly Lithuanian, this product can be found all over the country. Mostly in grocery shops. It is a type of mineral water, but is mild enough to be a very good alternative to ordinary bottled water. Usually comes carbonated, but still also works very well. Can be expensive, but is worth the extra money.

 

 

 

#5: Any type of bottle with English text

 

 

Most of these are ordinary tap water that has been treated and mixed with some kind of flavour. Much like anywhere else in the world. There is nothing wrong with these products. The taste is usually OK, they will not kill you, BUT: you can get them anywhere else. So why bother. Since you took the trouble to travel to Lithuania, you might as well try the local water. You will most likely live.


Recommended related post: Top 5 Lithuanian vodkas

 

 

 

Can you flush paper in Lithuania?

The answer is of course: Yes, you can. Whether it is advisable on the other hand, is a different matter. There are at least no shortage of signs in public toilets warning people against flushing paper:




A common sight in Lithuanian public restrooms 

 

 

The reason for this remains a mystery to me. Even though blocked sewage obviously is a recurring problem in Lithuania, I still struggle to identify the actual reason. Locals usually give a variety of different explanations to this phenomenon:

 

-          The toilets are not powerful enough to flush the paper thoroughly (hard to believe in the case of toilets on the 10^th floor, with gravity on their side)

-          The pipes are not big enough for the paper to pass through (seems hard to believe, since 10 cm pipe is the standard going out from the toilet, just like in the west)

-          Toilet paper upsets the biological processes in the septic tank (the bacteria in my Norwegian septic tank seem to be oblivious to this fact, since they are handling the situation rather well)

-          The pipes in the ground are laid at such a small angle because of the flat terrain that they clog easily (so, how do they solve this in Holland?)

 

Needless to say, I don`t believe that any one of these factors alone can explain the situation. It is perhaps some kind of combination of circumstances.

 

Even Polish and Russians need a reminer

So what to do? To be on the safe side, I would follow the example of the locals – use the bin and pack your own roll of toilet paper when going out. Or simply don`t go at all.

 




Use the bin. That way, they "don`t have shit on you"!

Driving in Lithuania

Driving in Lithuania might sound scary to some people, and to a certain extent there is also cause for concern. The country is a leading European nation when it comes to both traffic deaths and drunk driving, and many of the roads are in terrible condition. The latter is largely due to a combination of the country being relatively flat with high levels of ground water, and the soil being rather silty. This leaves the roads quite vulnerable to frost damages, and with funds for maintenance in short supply this leads to quite many potholes. All year around, even in the larger cities. So if you are fuzzy about your car – don`t bring it to Lithuania.





The Lithuanian countryside - if your suspension can make it the, it can make it anywhere

The drives on the other hand are surprisingly polite, and an ignorant tourist can grant himself many a mistake before being horned by fellow motorists. In comparison, Scandinavian drivers are much less forgiving. Traffic is also less aggressive than in many other countries in Eastern Europe, like for instance Poland. This is perhaps due to the fact the markings on the road, for instance those separating the various lines, quite often are not visible, leaving drivers to “figure things out for themselves”. In any case, driving in Lithuania was much more relaxing than I had expected. Even though I almost killed a couple of people, including myself, other drivers hardly raised an eyebrow.




Driving in Lithuania sometimes calls for some patience with your fellow motorists

Pedestrians on the other hand, is a different matter. In the cushy west, we are used to these frail creatures of traffic being protected in all possible ways. In Lithuania however, they are made much more responsible for their own survival. Here, a pedestrian crossing is in no way a safe haven. It is merely some stripes on the asphalt where you are more likely to be run over than elsewhere. You can never take for granted that a car will give way and let you cross, regardless of whether you are a small child or an aging grandmother in a wheelchair. The reason for this remains a mystery – it could the anything from some eastern resentment for weakness to some sort of national psychosis. In any case, being aware of this fact could save your life.




Perhaps the most Dangerous Place in Lithuanian traffic.
I may look peaceful, but death could be lurking around the corner.

 

 

One should also be aware that all kinds of thing might appear on the road. Not only potholes and drunk drives, but also anything from strange objects pertruding from the surface of the road, to missing manhole covers and stray dogs or farm animals. Particularly in rural areas. Although such things are rarely dangerous, it is striking how most Lithuanians seem to have learned to live with these things and find them rather unremarkable.

 




A strange object protruding from the surface of the road. Widely considered as normal in Lithuania.

 

Although many smaller roads can be rather bad, with the poorly maintained gravel roads connecting the smaller villages as the worst examples, many of the larger motorways have great standards. Particularly those connecting the larger cities like the Via Baltica. Those roads quite often exceed the standards of many roads in the west, and in Scandinavia inparticular. A simple proof that Lithuanians can build good roads that survives winter if they want to – or can afford to. I suspect the chose to to constant repairs on the poorer roads because this is cheaper than to build proper ones.

A properly constructed road

 

 

Another rather annoying factor when driving on larger roads in Lithuania is the many ugly billboards that litter the landscape. How anyone can decide to change their cell phone subscription after seeing some tacky add on a rusty sign in some potato field along the road is beyond me, but this seems to be a considerable industry in Lithuania. Although it does not add much to the scenery, it is perhaps an unavoidable evil. If nothing else, it is at a good reminder that the country is now an integrated part of the decadent and decaying west, where everything is for sale. Even the view.  

One of Lithuanias many ugly billboards

 

Smoked eel

Although the European eel is now nearing extinction, and despite the fact that it has been protected in many countries, one can still purchase smoked eel freely in Lithuania. Predominantly around the Curonian lagoon. This large shallow lagoon with its murky water is an ideal habitat for the eels, and even though there are large colonies of cormorants nearby, the eels still seem to thrive. Strangely enough, the cormorants are protected, while the eels are not. In Norway, it is in fact the other way around. At least at present.

 

Visiting the deliciously endangered eel of the Curonian lagoon

 

 As a consequence, sampling some smoked eel when visiting the area around the Curonian lagoon must almost be considered obligatory. At least for those of us who can`t get it at home.  Hot smoking the fish was traditionally the natural way of preserving the fish in this area, since both the climate and other factors made other ways of conservation difficult. Hot smoking does however agree nicely with the eel, and is the preferred way of preparing this fish in large parts of the world.

 

 



It doesn`t need to be more complicated than this

Although eel can be served as a part of an elaborate dinner, with lots of trimmings, I would recommend just buying a smoked eel from one of the vendors along the coast. It tastes great with just some tomatoes, cucumbers and bread on the side. According to Norwegian know-it-alls, one should look for an eel without a flat nose, since they are said to be the tastiest.

 



A fair sized eel with a cute little nose  

 

Good eels can be purchased straight from the manufacturers, with prices starting from about 80 Litas and ranging up to about 150 Litas for the largest eels. Many tourists tend to think that “the bigger the better”, but this is not necessarily true. First of all, the fish does not necessarily get better with age, and second of all, one should take in to consideration that eel is rather filling. There are not many healthy people around that are capable of eating a meter of eel, and those who do rarely feel very healthy afterwards. I would recommend an eel of about 50 cm, and sharing it with friends of family.



Buying antiques in Lithuania

If you are looking to combine your holiday with shopping for antiques, Lithuania is perhaps not the best place to go. Specialised antique shops are few and far between, and what they have to offer is usually rather unremarkable. One should think that such an old country also would have loads of old stuff, but this seems not to be the case. To a large extent it is probably due to the many occupations in rather recent history, and the frequent use of deportations by the soviet occupants. At least, that is the explanation given by many locals – that the Russians either stole or destroyed most of what would have been antiques today.




Most of the stuff you will find in Lithuanian antiques
shops is not of Lithuanian origin at all.

This is however only part of the truth. Another explanation is that the strange idea of idolizing old crap has not yet become commonly popular in Lithuania. People there seem still to prefer decorating their homes newer, more flashy interior details, rather than to put grandpas old milk bucket on display. As a consequence, such items are not much valued and are often withering away in barns and outhouses in the countryside. Few people even bother to bring them to market, since such common things rarely can be sold at a good price. After all, the Russians stole all the good stuff, anyway. But then again, they also left some more recent antiques behind, like this one:




Head of Lenin. Such a thing used the be found all over the place.
For instance in schools. There are still a few of the around. 

Such relics of soviet times can still be found in considerable quantities, and with the exception of medals and such, they are usually genuine. As opposed to about 95% of the alleged Nazi Germany antiques that are on sale here.  It seems that many items from everyday life during soviet times have not yet reached the status as collectables, and as a consequence there are very few such items on the market. On the other hand, those that are available are quite often moderately priced.

 

Soviet plate with apporopriate cutlery.
Examples of Items that are not yet regarded as antiques.

Most of what I have seen on sale in Lithuanian antique shops seems to be “leftovers” from western second hand store, most likely sold in bulk at a cheap price. Most of the merchandise in this shop in Urmas, for instance, seems to have originated in Germany:

In other shops, one can find items that seem to have been donated of more or less discarded in other countries, and have no connection to Lithuania whatsoever. How else can for instance this commemorative plate from the Danish Maritime National Guard have found its way into an antique shop in Palanga, if not by way of trash? The value of such an item in Denmark is next to nothing.

 

The official Christmas plates of the Danish Nationa Coastguard.
Unless they were stolen by the KGB during the Cold War, I would hardly say they are antiques.

But there are anyway some treasures to be found, both legal ones and illegal. Even though much of the good stuff is gone, Lithuanian farmers are still plowing Stone Age artifacts up from the soil every year. And a considerable number of them find their way to the back rooms of the antiques shops. For those of us who prefer the righteous path, on the other hand, I recommend buying crafts rather than antiques. After all, the good hand made products of today are the antiques of tomorrow.   

Lithuanian licence plates

Driving around in Lithuania can bring quite a bit of amusement to people with childish humor and a keen eye for details. Not so much because of traffic itself, which is among the deadliest in Europe, but rather because of Lithuanian registration plates. Unlike in many other countries, they are equipped with three letter, which gives the opportunity of some interesting combinations:

 

Bob the Builder. Apparently he had to og to Lithuania to find work.




Almost a vanity plate. Pity the car is not pink.




This one had shopping bags in the back seat, so I Guess it was the BBC Home Service

Toyota - gamers choice




And last, but not least: God drives a Volkswagen!
 

It is obvious that Regitra either did not bother to check whether the combinations on license plates have lexical meaning in other languages, or that they just don`t care. Either way, the results are sometimes quite amusing. As a true Norwegian tourist, I am of course still looking for a car registered as KUK.


Fishing in Lithuania

Well, let`s face it…fishing in Lithuania is rather crappy. In more ways than one. First of all, the fish itself is rather small, at least from the perspective of a Norwegian islander used to “going to collect the fish”, rather than actually hunting for it. The sizes are also somewhat different from what I am used to. The fact that a famous long-distance swimmer allegedly had to abort his attempt to swim up the Nemunas after contracting some vicious rectal infection is also somewhat discouraging.

 

Your typical Lithuanian river Catch. Not really one for the books.

Nevertheless, judging from the selection of fishing gear in the sports shops, and the number of fishermen I have observed on the riverbanks, fishing seems rather popular among locals. Whether they actually eat the fish is a different matter. Judging by the obvious water quality of most rivers, I guess they don`t. But there are plenty of lakes where the water quality seems to be impeccable, for instance in the national parks. If you want to be sure that you are eating healthy fish, I suggest trying your luck there.

 

Nemunas. The biggest river in Lithuania, but hardly the cleanest.

On the other hand, they say that what doesn`t kill you only makes you stronger. And the shittiest place of any river is always its final outlet. In the case of most Lithuanian rivers, that would be the Curonian Lagoon. The home of the famous Lithuanian smoked eel, a treat treasured by both locals and tourists, and a true fan of a life in the mud. Any mud. So if you can eat smoked eel there, I don’t really see the problem with eating fish caught upriver. As Norwegians say: “You can eat the devil himself, as long as you cook him long enough”.

 

 

Lithuanian smoked eel. Tastes great, regardless of what it contains.

 

People looking for big fish in Lithuania are however likely to be disappointed. If you want to kill something big in this country, you will have better luck hunting. Then again, for true fishermen it`s not the fish that matters, but the fishing itself. Those fishing for sport, that is.

Soviet architecture in Lithuania

There are still many soviet-style public buildings left in Lithuania, and it is a common misconception that many of these are ugly. As a concrete enthusiast, I must point out that this impression is incorrect. The main reason why so many buildings appear to be bad looking is that they have not been maintained properly. In many cases, they have simply been neglected. Concrete exteriors deteriorate quickly, and soon become eyesores if not routinely maintained. Nevertheless, if maintained, they can look great even if the building is old. A city like for instance Prague holds many examples of this.




One monumental building already fallen victim to modern day craziness. The shopping center Merkurijus in Kaunas rather recently was sacrificed upon the altar of modern day revisionism. I can`wait to see what the replacement will be.

There are no structural reasons for tearing down these buildings, since the concrete they are made of in fact hardens with time for many years. Some say such buildings are at their strongest after about 50 years. Nevertheless, such buildings seem not to be very appreciated by Lithuanians, so many of them will live dangerously in the years to come.

 



It looks terrible, and I suspect it is also not from the soviet era, but the structure is strong. And it is not finished. Who knows what an architect could have made of it. An older one, that is.

As long as people nowadays have the sense to replace older buildings with new ones that are both functional and esthetical, it is not really a tragedy. Even if the building could have stood for a couple of hundred years more. Replacing the old with something new does however not always work out well, as this example shows.

 



No, the picture is not photo shopped. There is actually such a building, and it is a monument to either corruption or to the need for building regulations.



There were after all quite a lot of buildings and monuments erected in Lithuania during the soviet era, and many of them were quite unique for that particular time. Even though they might look outdated at present, I still think it would be a wise choice to keep them. After all, how decorative is present day architecture? Not to mention, how original is it? Commercial buildings and even many official buildings increasingly look the same all over Europe.

 

Some kind of yacht club buildings in Trakai. In my mind, just as important to protect as the Trakai castle itself. After all, that place was also a dump until it was refurbished.

 

 

The Lithuanian countryside

A visit to the countryside always gives a good insight into the lives of ordinary people in any given country. I therefore make a point of going to some random villages whenever I visit a new country and has a chance to do so. In the case of Lithuania, I was pleasantly surprised. Although many villages clearly have seen better times, it is obvious that the country holds great potential for development in agriculture. The soil is good and the forests are well maintained, even though some houses look like they are about to collapse on the occupants heads.



Where the paved road ends, is often where the fun begins. I would recommend just picking a place at random

 

Some people might view my excursions to the villages as a form of slumming, but one should keep in mind that I come from a country where rural life is idealized as “the real way to live” – for various reasons. This is however, a concept totally lost on most Lithuanians. It seems that city life has a much higher status in this country, and that many people dread having to live in a village. Because of this, you will most likely be met with confused looks if you as a Lithuanian to help organize a visit to some remote village. Unless you know someone there, he will most likely not understand why you would make such a preposterous request. “There is nothing to see!”




Nothing to see? Pay attention to the forest behind the farmhouse – it is full of narrow gravel roads.

 

There is in fact plenty to see. Both on the way there, and in the village itself. You get a perception of how ordinary people live that most tourists never will get. They usually turn back once they come to the end of the paved road, and realizes the beating the car will take from the gravel road. Should you decide to go on such an outing, I suggest bringing a map. If the place you have chosen is any good, you will almost certainly be lost. Unless you bring a guide, of course.



Most tourists prefer such roads. Look familiar, don`t they.

 

Driving on the smaller forest roads are also gives you a good chance to see some Lithuanian wildlife without even leaving the car. It`s not like you are likely to see a bears and European buffalos or anything, but foxes, deer and various birds of prey are rather common. A good way to locate there roads is through Google Maps, since they are not marked on all roadmaps.



There are plenty of these around, but they prefer rural surroundings.

 

And even if you brought your own car, rent one if you are going on a long rural safari. The reasons for this will be self-evident once you reach the gravel road. Unless of course you own a Land Rover or something similar.

Rating: Recommended