Lithuanian allowed!

Lithuanian Out Loud is a podcast program that aims to help students with the Lithuanian language. Podcasts come in .mp3 form and correspond with text on a blog, which helps you understand how to read and listen at the same time.

The set up of the podcasts is similar to Pimsleur with speech in English, then in Lithuanian. The podcasts are numerous stretching back to the start of the blog in 2007.

There are many good lessons in the list with perfect native speaker pronunciation in both English and Lithuanian.

The lessons are mostly made for people who are already living in the country or have some knowledge, but combined with a book such as Colloquial Lithuanian or Ne Dienos Be Lietuvu Kalbos, they could be useful for beginners also - especially to get an ear for what the language sounds like.

The authors of Lithuanian Out Loud are not for profit and all the content on the site is free, so support them by taking part in their lessons.

Try it out.

Lithuanian Out Loud
http://lithuanian.libsyn.com/

The sun rises in the east - Lithuanian photographs Japan

Lithuanians are brilliant at visual arts, in particular those who work with video and cameras.

Art experts say that this is the country's forte because Lithuanians suddenly found a swath of electronic equipment flooding into the country after the fall of the Soviet Union, which they took full advantage of.

Visitors to Vilnius during this summer will be able to enjoy one such exhibition of photography.

The Contemporary Art Centre, which has brought Lithuania and Vilnius some of its finest art and exhibitions is opening its new photography exhibition European Eyes on Japan/Japan Today vol.11

Launched in 1999, the European Eyes on Japan/Japan Today takes

European photographers to Japan to discover and document aspects of Japanese contemporary life that local photographers are inured to. In the last ten years, 45 European photographers have visited 30 prefectures of Japan and depicted it in its myriad guises.

The project is scheduled to continue every year and to take photographers to Japan's 47 prefectures. This is the eleventh project in the series and is a group exhibition of three photographers who visited Niigata prefecture. Arturas Valiauga from Lithuania focuses on everyday food shots in an expressionistic manner using specialised lenses.

Other European artists will also be exhibited. Andrew Phelps from Austria documented people, landscapes, and dwellings, and Hans-Christian Schink from Germany took large-format silver gelatine images to create ghostly landscapes.

European Eyes on

Japan / Japan Today vol.11

Opens July 13 and runs until August 16

Artists: Arturas Valiauga (LT), Andrew Phelps (AT), Hans-Christian Schink (DE)

Curated by: Mikiko Kikuta

Contemporary Art Centre

Vokieciu 2

LT- 01130 Vilnius
Lithuania

www.cac.lt

Lithuanians step up for the cure (to cancer)!!!

This collaborative video shows people from all over the world, including Lithuania, stepping up for a mass charity exercise to raise money for a cure for cancer.

Part of the Vilnius European Capital of Culture 2009 (VECC) event is the interactive Haiku poetry competition. People interested in the country with an a creative edge can put their contributions up for the world to see.

It is a continuation of one of Lithuania's proudest traditions: poetry. The country prides itself on its poets and visitors will find that many of the statues and street names in the country are in homage to these masters of the language.

For those who don't know, Haiku poetry originates in Japan. The English adaptation of the style requires a three line poem with five, seven and five syllables per line respectively. Other interpretations have the simple rule of a maximum of 17 syllables. Of course poetry is a fluid art form and people have their own interpretations of it.

Here are some of the best poems from the contributions for VECC. Enjoy!

Vilnius alive
a child is born
history meets future

by Geert Snaet

one and same
a Lithuanian sky
shiver fever

by Irene Pittatore

Vilnius will always be there’
And I want to be in it
Nothing will change.

by Neda Malūnavičiūtė

Užupis morning
Locked in sight
Won‘t give it back.

by Renata V.

I will walk a narrow street
Back and forth.
The pain is over...

by Lukas Bakūnas

More haiku poems can be found at www.culturelive.lt by scrolling to the bottom and clicking on the haiku image (see top right of this blog entry), then selecting English language. You can also contribute your own poems there, or in the comments section of this blog.

What song was it again?

See if you can recognise which song this one copied...

The song Zombiai (1994) is one of the country's biggest hits from esoteric band Antis. The band was very influential and important culturally during the time when Lithuania was struggling for independence. They released their latest album in 2008.

This weeks events for Vilnius European Capital of Culture 2009

The Vilnius European Capital of Culture 2009 (VECC) event is now well underway with events left right and centre in the capital. It is almost impossible to walk around the city without noticing one of the large green markers telling you about and exhibition or event. The best thing is that almost all of the events are free for all.

There are countless events and mini events, but I have singled out what I believe to be the best things to enjoy in the coming week in Vilnius:

Sculpture: Puskalnis (Half Mountain) by R. Antinis

Neris embankment near the Seimas building, Vilnius

Runs until 31 Dec

Free of charge

Sculpture Dviaukštis (Two-Storey) by M. Navakas

Neris embankment near White Bridge, Vilnius

Runs until 31 Dec

Free of charge

Sculpture Krantinės arka (Embankment Arch) by V. Urbanavičius

Neris embankment near Mindaugas Bridge, Vilnius

Runs until 31 Dec

Free of charge

Network of Footpaths of the Balsiai Mythological Sculpture Park, sculptural park benches

Vilnius

Runs until 31 Dec

Free of charge

EUROPEAN ART SCHOOL NEU/NOW Vilnius’09 - Presentation of the 150 best European art students’ works

www.neunow.eu

Until 31 Aug

Free of charge

NEW CITY FACE - Lithuanian poets’ audio-visual poetry installation 'Poetry Pillar', curated by Julius Žėkas

Vilnius Bus Station,

Sodų St. 22,

Vilnius

Runs until 31 Aug

Mon to Sun

12:00–18:00

Free of charge

EUROPEAN ART SCHOOL - Design for All Latvian Ecodesign Exhibition

Panorama Shopping mall - Saltoniškių St. 9, Vilnius

Runs until 15 Jul

8:00–23:00

Free of charge

EUROPEAN ART SCHOOL - Design for All Exhibition Bruno Award – Best Estonian Design

ContraDesignMuseum, Ševčenkos St. 16A, Vilnius

Runs until 15 Jul

Mon to Fri

10:00–18:00

Free of charge

NEW CITY FACE - Exhibition Ordinary Iconography: Lithuania 1970–1993 by Aušra Petroškienė, Linas Liandzbergis and Rita Mikučionytė

Vilnius Railway Station, Geležinkelio St. 16, Vilnius

Runs until 15 Aug

Mon to Sun

12:00–18:00

Free of charge

KULTFLUX Culture Platform near the Neris - Cinema night

Kultflux pavilion near the Neris and the Lithuanian Energy Museum,

Rinktinės St. 2, Vilnius

7 Jul

21:00

Free of charge

CITY IN THE CINEMA, CITY IN THE CINEMA - Italian feature film review: Roma, città aperta / Rome – the Open City, directed by: Roberto Rosselini, 1945

St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church and the Monastery of Lateran Canons courtyard,

M. Paco St. 4, Vilnius

8 Jul

21:30

Free of charge

Art Fair ARTVILNIUS’09

Lithuanian Exhibition and Convention Centre LITEXPO,

Laisvės Ave. 5, Vilnius

8–12 Jul

Opening: 18:00

Wed to Fri

11:00–20:00

Fri 11:00–21:00

Sun 11:00–17:00

2–10 litas entrance

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon

Skalvija Cinema Centre,

A. Goštauto St. 2/15, Vilnius

9 Jul

19:00

6–12 litas entrance

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA - Italian film review: Caro diario / Dear Diary, directed by: Nanni Moretti, 1993

St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church and the Monastery of Lateran Canons courtyard,

M. Paco St. 4, Vilnius

9 Jul

21:30

Free of charge

KULTFLUX Culture Platform near the Neris Fishday, electronic music party

Kultflux pavilion near the Neris and the Lithuanian Energy Museum,

Rinktinės St. 2, Vilnius

9 Jul

22:00

Free of charge

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon

Skalvija Cinema Centre,

A. Goštauto St. 2/15, Vilnius

12 Jul

21:00

6–12 litas entrance

Photography exhibition - European Eyes on Japan

Contemporary Art Centre,

Vokiečių St. 2, Vilnius

13 Jul–16 Aug

Opening: 18:00

Tue to Sun

12:00–19:30

Sun 11:00–17:00

4–8 litas entrance

EUROPEAN ART SCHOOL - Art-o-thlon International Art Championship

Vilnius Academy of Arts, other public places in Vilnius

13 Jul (opening) – 31 Aug

Free of charge

KULTFLUX Culture Platform near the Neris Cinema night

Kultflux pavilion near the Neris and the Lithuanian Energy Museum,

Rinktinės St. 2, Vilnius

14 Jul

21:00

Free of charge

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA Polish film review: Kanal / Channel, directed by: Andrzej Wajda, 1957

Holy Trinity Church and the Basilian Monastery courtyard,

Aušros Vartų St. 7B, Vilnius

15 Jul

21:30

Free of charge

HANDICRAFT HERITAGE OF VILNIUS - Educational event Weaving the History of Vilnius: Weavers’ Guild

Geto aukų Square, Rūdninkų St., Vilnius

16 Jul

10:00–18:00

Free of charge

10TH SUMMER CONCERTS - Hevelius Brass Gdansk Brass Quintet

A. Mickevičius Museum courtyard,

Bernardinų St. 11, Vilnius

16 Jul

18:00

Free of charge

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon Skalvija Cinema Centre,

A. Goštauto St. 2/15, Vilnius

16 Jul

19:00

6–12 litas entrance

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA - Polish film review: Zawrocony / Convert, directed by: Kazimierz Kutz, 1994

Holy Trinity Church and the Basilian Monastery courtyard,

Aušros Vartų St. 7B, Vilnius

16 Jul

21:30

Free of charge

KULTFLUX Culture Platform near the Neris Fishday, electronic music party

Kultflux pavilion near the Neris and the Lithuanian Energy Museum,

Rinktinės St. 2, Vilnius

16 Jul

22:00

Free of charge

-----------------------------------------

It should also be noted that Plunge is the Lithuanian capital of culture and is definately worth visiting with different walking trails, concerts and more.

Plungė – Lithuanian Capital of Culture 2009

Different locations in Plungė and district

Runs until 1 Dec

Free of charge

Free trips to Lithuania for the well informed

So you have read the Lonely Planet for Lithuania, but how much do you really know about the country and its rich history?

If you have been curious about the country or you just want to test your history knowledge, try the quiz that the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made.

Winners will get free flights to Lithuania and the ten runners-up will get smaller prizes.

The quiz consists of 15 multiple choice questions about the country's leaders, its wars, its culture and so on. Give it a go and maybe I'll see you at the airport!

Take the quiz in English or Russian at: http://quiz.mfa.lt/

Lithuania turns 1000!

On July 6, Lithuania turned 1000 years old. The country was first mentioned in monk scrolls in 1009 describing a strange land to the East. This is what the Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus had to say on the occasion of the country's 1000's birthday. (speech text courtesy of www.president.lt)

"Your Majesties, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests of Lithuania,
Dear Fellow People of Lithuania,
My Fellow Citizens of a Thousand Year Old Nation,
In 1009, five letters were written by the hand of a convent nun: LITUA. These letters signified the name of Lithuania - a name that arrived as news from the fringes of the world discovered and incorporated into European history by Christian missionaries. A woman from Saxony inscribed a passage which has led to today's celebration of the Millennium of Lithuania with its capital city of Vilnius serving as the European Capital of Culture in this jubilee year.

The birth of a nation, like the birth of a person, is symbolized by a name. The emergence of the name of Lithuania witnesses the historical beginnings of a political community and national self-awareness. Lithuania, then and today, is not just a territorial area - it is its people who are aware of belonging to one single nation. This awareness is conveyed not only inside the country, but also through its links with the outside world, which make us richer in knowledge and spirit.

Therefore, when we celebrate the Millennium of Lithuania, we are celebrating our millennium in EUROPE. The marks left by Lithuania on its historical pathway are the First Statute of Lithuania (1529) - which signified a shift towards a new concept of European law, Vilnius University (1579) - which brought the western notion of education to Eastern Europe, the Constitution of Lithuania and Poland (1791) - Europe's first constitution, the Baltic Way (1989) - a human chain symbolizing the freedom loving spirit of the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian people, and many other important events.

After the first mention of its name, Lithuania vanished from the civilized world, remaining for several centuries beyond the horizon of Christian missions. This fading away and eventual coming back is the best reflection of our historical life. At times it seemed that Lithuania and Lithuanians might disappear altogether, but as soon as the critical limit was reached, the spirit of the nation would bring the people together and give them courage and strength to stand up once again and fight for freedom. And so it continued for centuries and throughout the millennium.

Today, as we look back from the perspective of a thousand years on the existential efforts of the Lithuanian nation and the pain and sufferings it endured, we sometimes feel sad that the past was not as easy as we would have liked it to be. At the same time, we should be grateful to God, to our history and, of course, to our ancestors that we had escaped the fate of the Old Prussians, Yotvingians and other Baltic tribes that became extinct.

From the times of the Lithuanian State of King Mindaugas to January 13, Lithuania had faced many challenges and lost many lives. However, in critical moments our true values would be always placed at the forefront and we would always know what was of utmost importance to all of us. But in all times, the impelling force of our survival was spiritual strength and solidarity with other nations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, as I compare the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which covered a huge territory in Europe, with the European Union, I believe that they are spiritually close formations. All nationalities would find their own place there, enabling them to fulfill their physical and spiritual potential and retain their unique identity. And that is how it is today as well.
Genuine full-fledged existence means people living among people, nations living among other nations, and states coexisting with other states. It means searching for compromises when different interests have to be brought together, but never giving in when addressing fundamental time-tested values. And FREEDOM is the key value. Today Lithuania is happy to celebrate its jubilee together with neighbors and friends. Such openness and solidarity is a perfect pathway to build the future of Lithuania, the Baltic region and Europe. I firmly believe that this experience of ours will be used by the architects of history, just like we are learning from the past of our country, from our victories and defeats.

I bow with respect before all those who are writing the book of our history. I lower my head in gratitude to those who, in all the times and places, protected and protect our country, to those who created and continue to create Lithuania. I extend greetings to Lithuania, crossing the threshold of a new historical era, I send my cordial wishes to all the people of Lithuania, and I welcome our dear friends who have come to celebrate together with us as we open the door to the second millennium.

Welcome LITHUANIA of the New Age!"

H.E. Mr. Valdas Adamkus, President of the Republic of Lithuania

Yummm... (at home!)

Those who have been to Lithuania will know that the country has a very unique and specific cuisine. Did you come in Summer and try Saltibarsciai? Or did you come during the winter and try Cepeliniai?

Instead of leaving this all behind, you can cook them at home with the comprehensive guide Lithuanian Traditional Foods by Birute Imbrasiene.

The book covers all aspects of Lithuanian cooking and gives introductions into the country's food culture. For example, did you know that in traditional Lithuanian families, the girls would only be considered ready for marriage when they were able to cook good black bread?

There are more that 300 authentic recipes in the book that are divided into 14 catagories: Traditional Bread Making, Traditional Cheese Making, Bread, Soups, Meat, Potatoes, Milk, Mushrooms, Fish, Vegetables and Fruits, Grain, Eggs, Baked goods and Sweets and Drinks.

The book carries the stamp of the Lithuanian Culinary Fund verifying its authenticity. I myself have used the book and the food has come out great.

A quirky country

One thing that people will notice when they step of the plane or bus in Lithuania is that everything is a little bit strange. People speak a funny language, the signs look crazy and food tastes different. Watch this video for a bit of an introduction to the country.

The song "Welcome" by the band Inculto was originally intended for Eurovision.

Enjoy

A small introduction

A short film made by the government to promote the country for
business people.

Brits get best air deals

As documented in my previous post, it isn't easy to get in and out of the capital Vilnius, but you can get to the country somehow and the cheapest flights on offer are to the U.K. and back (at the time of writing).

If you are willing to fly to Kaunas airport, Lithuania's second biggest city situated 90km from Vilnius, you can book a Ryanair flight from London Stanstead for 6.58 litas (1.91 euros). Not bad really. Other cheap flights also to Kaunas are from Luton, Birmingham and Liverpool all for under 100 litas (29 euros).

The Germans have the next best rates from Frankfurt Hahn (10.08 euros) and the new route from Dresden (41.80 euros), also with Ryanair.

The Irish, Norweigians and the Swedes also have fair deals (considering the earning power of these countries) to the country, but nothing particularly competitive against rival Riga.

For those who do not want to/can't fly directly to Lithuania could fly to Riga (350 km from Vilnius and 11 euros for the bus) or Warsaw (450km and 22 euros for the bus).

KAUNAS CONNECTION

When flying to Kaunas, be very aware thet the airport is not in the centre of the city and most flights come in late at night. This can leave you stranded or having to take a taxi into the centre, which can be expensive for foreigners.

To take the bus to the city, you can use Bus 29 or the Shuttle bus 120. Check the price before getting on board and make sure you validate your ticket.

Taxis in Lithuania are always cheaper if you call them to you - do not hail them on the street or it could cost you double or triple the regular amount. This still goes even if you call the taxi waiting at the airport that is standing directly in front of you. Look at the number on the taxi and call it.

Buses to Vilnius run according to the schedule of the planes. The cost is 39 litas (11.30 euros), but tickets should be prebooked on www.kaunasair.lt

The situation in Vilnius Airport...

Vilnius International Airport is the biggest and most frequented airport in Lithuania. It is also the only airport in the area of the capital city of the country.

This airport suffers from a number of ailments. The first and most painful is that you can't actually fly anywhere from it for a number of reasons. It was up until recently the most expensive airport in the region in terms of taxes. Also, until recently and one of the main airlines, FlyLAL, which used to have many destinations out of it, suddenly folded at the beginning of 2009 leaving only a handful of places to go.

The other company that used it regularly, AirBaltic, based in Latvia, then decided to withdraw all of its flights except for those connecting with Riga in an attempt to make more money in Riga. The result is that people looking to actually fly somewhere overlook the airport completely because it is a waste of time.

Of course if you are Mr. Money bags and can afford to fly with an expensive airline like LOT or Lufthansa, the airport is still accessible from some places directly, but otherwise you will have to change in Riga to get there. This can mean a 400 kilometre flight could take up to 10 hours or so depending on the connection in other airports.

Recently Swedish airline Skyways begun flights to the airport, but only to Stockholm and Copenhagen.

Apart from the dearth of flights to the airport, it isn't too bad. It is a very small airport with a simple layout, good for those in a hurry.

The building is as such -

walk in the door, check in, get to the gate, all within a few minutes. It is unlike airports like Brussels, Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt AM, Heathrow etcetera where one needs a GPS and a motorbike to get between gates in time and without extra fuss.

Of course this smallness makes it a boring airport to wait in. There are a handful of dutyfree shops, which offer close to nothing except perfume and sunglasses - stuff which you can get anywhere. There are no tourist trinket shops worth mentioning, but you can buy bus tickets for the city you are leaving in the kiosks there. It makes perfect sense.

There is not free wireless internet.

Baggage handling is quick and I have yet to lose a bag there. There is no restaurant, but people can buy snacks in the cafe, which sells packaged sandwiches, croissants and chocolate bars.

To get the airport, a number of buses and minibuses are available depending on where you are. As these change, it is better not to list them here, but ask for them when you get to the city.

A new train from the airport to the city was recently built and can be used, but it is about 200 metres from the terminal and you will need to look carefully for it. There is little signage.


AIRLINES SERVICING THE AIRPORT (at the time of writing):
Aer Lingus
Air Baltic
Austrian Airlines
Aviavilsa (cargo)
Brussels Airlines
Czech Airlines
Donbassaero Airlines
Estonian Air
Finnair
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
Norwegian Air Shuttle
Skyways
Star1 Airlines
UtAir

Welcome to Lithuania

In the absence of blogs about tourism in Lithuania, I have created this in an effort to bring you all the best insights into the country for travel. A lot has been written about the country in guide books, but that is often out dated or has been influenced by commercial interests, whether officially or just in the form of a bribe to the writer.

I will cover all aspects of the country here and I hope to enlighten you about how to enjoy it.

Happy reading.