Vilnuis (Lithuania)

So here, first of all, is a fairly decent view of the center of Vilnius from on high. The prominent building in the center is a church that is right next door from where we were staying.











Here you can see a nice pub by the river where I had some authentic Lithuanian food and beer.










This is a traditional white beer. Usually white beers are much too sweet for me, but this one was well balanced and spicy. It went down very smooth on this hot day while I enjoyed the cooling effects of the canopy and the running water below. I detected a hint of clove amongst the spicy flavors in this wonderful beer. ($2)












This is certainly the most well known Lithuanian dish. The two blimps you see are aptly named "Zepplins" (don't ask me how you say that in Lithuanian, the language is quite a mystery). Basically you have a potato dumpling encasing a bit of minced-meat topped with grilled onions. On the side you get a huge dallop of sour cream and what can only be described as a pool of oil. Not exactly health food.





There are so many historical sites that this one isn't even considered one of the major ones. But you can't miss this church when you come to Vilnius. I saw a Russian couple getting married here.













Now this is a historical site. The Golden Virgin Mary above the only existing gate left from the original city wall is considered a miracle by the traditionally minded. Back in the day, men would take their hats off and bow before passing under. Today, only the most pious of the elderly cross themselves before going under.






Here you can see the whole gate. Originally there were (I believe) 5 of them. This is the only remaining.















As an example of the destruction of artifacts, here you see the crosses on the hill that the Russians knocked down....












Here is the story. (Click to make bigger)











This plaque commemorates George W Bush's visit to Lithuania (the first American president to do so). It is proudly displayed on City Hall. If you look close, you can see where someone threw something at it. Click on it and see what it says. All I can say is, "yeah right. And what?"
Didn't WWI take off because of excessive treaties? That is a rhetorical question.