“Those little grey cells” – Hercule Poirot. In 2015 for the first time in my life, I backpacked through Lithuania, visiting Kaunas, Pažaislis Monastery, Vilnius, Siauliai, Kryziu Kalnas and even the Republic of Uzupis (“the sink is full of fishes, she’s got dirty dishes on the brain” – Noel Gallagher) It was my first time…
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I have thrice backpacked Uzupis. In 2015 once and in 2021 twice. It is a fully separate republic that borders Lithuania in the city of Vilnius, where Iain “Iain Dowie” Dowie Dowied back in 1993. The Republic of Užupis is quite small and isolated, being only about 148 acres (0.60 km2) in size; it has…
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“I used to think that the day would never come” – New Order. When I flew from Amsterdam Schiphol till Warszawa Chopin airport on the 22nd of February 2020, I had no idea that it would be 19 months before my next trip abroad. That Amsterdam flight was part of a triple connection from Cape…
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Your mental travel life continues to surprise. I was absolutely convinced that the town of Siauliai would be coming down with backpackers. I was ready for the onslaught and sharing 2 litre bottles of cider on quiet street corners. Not so. Siauliai is 12 kilometres from Kryziu Kalnas and makes a decent stop over on route…
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My backpacking in Lithuania adventures continued north towards the Latvia border. After exploring the bars and sights of Kaunas, the crazy self proclaimed Republic of Uzupis and the capital city Vilnius, I got a bus up to Siauliai. Siauliai is pronounced “Shough Lay” (use the “ough” sounds from the word “bough” or “Slough”). Siauliai is…
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Lithuania is awesome. That’s your starting point. Now you want to try the local food, meet the people, learn the history, cross the border into the Republic of Uzupis and be the only backpacker in Siauliai. Well you can, and quite comfortably. Lithuania asks for nothing from you, but leaves you with it’s soul. “I’ll…
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Kaunas is a real under-rated gem of a city. If you’re ever in Lithuania try and give this city a visit. It’s yet to take off tourist wise but it really should be about to boom. Swanky, cosy cafes and bars, friendly people and loads of Lithuanian history mixed in with Soviet times to keep…
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“The sink is full of fishes, she got dirty dishes on the brain” – Noel Gallagher. I’ve been to some off the wall / off the wheaten craic destinations on my travels. Countries that are unknown to many such as Nagorno Karabakh, Transnistria, Kosovo , Romkerhall, Austenasia, Druze, Adammia, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Christiania and East…
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While backpacking in Lithuania I decided to concentrate on just seeing five main places in my week in the country – Kaunas, Vilnius, Uzupis, Kryziu Kalnas and Siauliai. Kryziu Kalnas is known in English as the Hill of Crosses and is a stunning place in the middle of Lithuanian countryside about 12 kilometres outside the town of…
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Believe it or not, this journey was my first ever land border crossing in the Baltics. I had crossed other ex-Soviet nations by land of course (Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Georgia and Azerbaijan) but having explored Lithuania, it was time to head north into Latvia, where I had previously been back in 2007. My final stop…
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