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Hi everyone! This is the start of a new series in which I visit the Baltic countries - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - as well as Helsinki in Finland. To kickstart the series, I visit the capital of Lithuania, namely Vilnius.
As you can probably tell from the thumbnail, it was a brutally cold winters day in Lithuania. I've been to Vilnius before - in 2008 - but that was during the summer months. Also, given all the change that would have occurred during those 15 years, it did feel like I was visiting it for the first time.
The vlog starts with me giving some information about the country and the upcoming series whilst walking around a public park in Vilnius covered in snow. I then talk about the population sizes of the Baltic countries including the apparent disagreement about the largest city in the Baltics. After this, I visit the Frank Zappa monument where I run into a dog owner and his dog, experiencing some language difficulties. I take this as a cue to talk more about the Lithuanian language including its connections to Sanskrit and the Lithuanian Press Ban during the Russian Empire years which, in many ways, rejuvenated the language.
I then proceed to explore more of the city, walking in Jogaila Avenue and Gediminas Avenue. I give a lot more information about the gentlemen after which these avenues are named, as they are both famous Grand Dukes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. I also give my view on the wedding of Jogaila and the Polish queen Jadwiga and how it helped shaped the path of European development and Lithuanian expansion.
I spot a Lithuanian flag and explain the meaning behind the colours, after which I look for a warm beverage to warm my hands! After a brief coffee stop, I walk to Cathedral Square where I see the Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius (or Vilnius Cathedral, for short!) as well as its iconic bell tower. On Cathedral Square, I also notice a monument of Gediminas and get a nice view of Gediminas Tower.
After visiting the square, and noticing the rapidly declining daylight, I briefly explore a little bit of the Old Town. I walk past various churches as well as the Town Hall and Gates of Dawn, which I do recognise from my previous trip in 2008. I even try to recreate a famous photo moment from that trip!
Finally, I show you my accommodation in Vilnius as well as my purchase from a supermarket in the city, to give you an idea of prices.
I hope you enjoy this introduction to the Baltic region! If you haven't done so already, please hit the LIKE and SUBSCRIBE buttons - it really helps me out and allows me to create more free content such as this for you to watch.
Happy exploring!
Willie