THE BUMPY RIDE THROUGH LITHUANIA
 Linking up the capitals of the Baltic states is a highway with the posh name
of Via Baltica. It runs from Tallinn in Estonia through Riga in Latvia and then to Vilnius
in Lithuania.
For an inter-capital highway, printed broad red on road maps, drivers may be expecting
a smooth motorway. But, as Reg Butler discovered, the reality is more like a country lane for much of the distance,
rich in pot-holes for a bumpy ride.
On our coach-tour of the Baltic, all the passengers were car-drivers at home. But we were
quite happy for Sean, our driver, to concentrate on the pot-holes while we admired the
scenery.
The countryside is a green mix of woodlands, lakes and farmland. There are horse-drawn
carts to admire, grazing cattle and timber barns and farmhouses. Little groups of farm
workers trudge along with scythes and pitchforks, as though rallying for a peasants'
revolt.
 Even the
main city highways aren't much better than out-of-town. In the 20th century, it's curious
to see gangs of men re-laying a road with new cobbles. Tramlines don't actually
match the level of the road surface, so it's like a test-bed for vehicle suspension.
That's rather like Lithuanian history, which has followed a very bumpy ride over the
centuries. At one time, Lithuania controlled territories from the Baltic to the Black Sea, mainly in association with Poland. But for the past 700 years, the country has been buffeted around by its big-boy
neighbours - the Teutonic Order, Poland, Russia, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
Lithuania finally steered itself loose from Soviet occupation in 1990, and waved the last
Russian soldiers goodbye in 1993.
Since then, independent Lithuania has moved towards ever-closer links with the West, and
aims to become a prime tourist destination.
The capital is Vilnius, with 576,000 population and an Old Town which is listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most of the centre is centuries old, and big efforts are being
made to preserve the olde-worlde look and keep out concrete and glass for the
suburbs.
Medieval buildings are getting a face-lift, with a new sparkle to the old
crumbling walls. Interiors are being upgraded to 20th-century standards. Elderly mansions
have been converted into comfortable hotels and trendy restaurants, oozing with
'character'.
Obviously the most important buildings have had priority, with old timbers replaced. You
can see the 'before and after' effects. Maybe half a church is completely renovated and
repainted in bright pastel colours, while the other half is smoky grey beneath the
scaffolding.
Like any historic town, Vilnius is thick with churches.
Among the highlights is the first baroque-style church, St. Casimir's, which has been
converted several times.
It started out Catholic in 1604, became Russian Orthodox with an onion dome in 1837, and
turned Lutheran under German rule from 1916 to 1918. In Soviet times it became a Museum of
Atheism, and returned to the Catholic fold in the 1980s.
Lithuania was the last nation in Europe to adopt Christianity, in 1387. To mark their
conversion, they demolished a pagan temple, and constructed a Catholic church in its
place. Since then, the church has been rebuilt five times, with the latest reconstruction
in 1784. During Soviet times, the building was used as a National Art Gallery, but was
re-consecrated in 1989.
When the town was laid out, the medieval rulers didn't foresee a rosy future when tourists
would want to ride around in tourist coaches. So visitors have to dismount and walk the
narrow streets which are more like pedestrian precincts. It also makes it easier for
shop-gazing at the little boutiques which have sprung up like mushrooms.
Most prices, except for imported items, are very attractive. The
best tourist buys are amber and leather goods, and folk-art fabrics, pottery, wood-carvings and metalwork.
Bus or trolley-bus tickets cost only 20p for any distance around town.
Food and drink prices are cheap by Western standards, with a good substantial meal in a
decent restaurant for less than £10. Lithuania, like the other Baltic States, is a smokers'
paradise, with Marlboro or Dunhill International available cheaply. But with Lithuania's accession to the European
Union, prices are set to rise steadily until they reach EU levels by 2009.
Before leaving Lithuania, our coach driver bought his fag supplies for the next two weeks,
while refuelling with diesel at £2 a gallon. But for a local person on local wages,
all these prices seem high.
Consider these other Baltic destinations
ESTONIA - plenty to sing about
HELSINKI - go when the sun
shines
LATVIA - Varied
weekend in Riga
"Books to read - click on cover pictures" or
click on the links belowLithuania
by Gordon McLachlan - Published by Bradt Travel Guides which specialise mostly in
off-trail destinations, this is the best and most detailed guidebook devoted entirely to
Lithuania and its history, culture and sightseeing.
Lonely
Planet: Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania - A collaboration of three authors
to cover each of the three Baltic States.
Baltic
Capitals - A perfect buy for a multi-capital journey that features
Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius and the very off-beat Kaliningrad, and including a
brief glossary for each language.
Baltic
States Insight Guide - a comprehensive survey, to be published from
April 2005.
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