Most Lithuanians can sing better than this...

This is the shortened version of this video - I didn't want to put the long one on because I was nearly driven mad by it.

Some funny trivia about these girls is that they said they would sue the show because they "modulated their voices" to make them sound bad. Yeah....fat chance.

Going shopping in Lithuania

Where the Tesco? Wheres Walmart? Where do I buy my food!

There are lots of supermarkets in Lithuania, but not any that westerners coming here for the first time would recognise.

There are now five major supermarket chains in Lithuania - Maxima, Rimi, Iki, Prisma and Norfa. The challenge is that in every supermarket, you will find different products, both in quality and in range. Iki for example is the best place to get fruit and vegetables - they have the largest range of vegetables and they have some exotic ones too.

Do keep in mind though that "exotic" in Lithuania does not mean Dragon fruit or any of these, but it is a cut above potatoes and onions and tomatoes, like one may find at the local Maxima.

Maxima on the other hand is the cheapest and you can get some good, cheap home and kitchen wares there.

MAXIMA

Maxima is the cheapest and the most common of all the supermarkets in Lithuania. The chain, which was originally called VP Market (English translation) is the most powerful chain in terms of buying power and throwing their weight around - the result is that they have good deals in their stores and you will find all the basic goods you need.

The chain is split up into five categories: Maxima X, Maxima XX, Maxima XXX, Hyper Maxima and Maxima Baze.

The lower the X rating, the less you range you have available. Maxima Xs are called "local stores" because they have all the things you need for normal cooking and living - vegetables, fruit, meat, flour, sugar, bread, dairy products, toiletries, etc. The range increases until you get to Maxima Baze where you can buy most product categories such as sports equipment, clothes, food, whitegoods and so on. They also have a cafe inside the store.

Whats good about Maxima is that it has cheap goods and it also sells basic goods under its own brand "Optima Linija" for things like sugar and flour and milk, where there is no room for quality deviation.

Whats bad about Maxima is that it lacks exotic or international products — this is a shop for locals who live the local lifestyle. If you want something else, you will have to go somewhere else.

IKI

Iki supermarkets come in two varieties — Iki and Ikiukas (meaning small Iki). In the large supermarkets, you can get a large variety of products. A good range of fresh fruit, veges and cheese, Iki has what the regular foreigner is looking for.

Keep in mind that you will pay a little extra for the food at Iki, but in some ways it is worth it. The food is often fresher and you don't have to pick through large piles of rotting produce to find it and there is a larger range of non-fresh products. For example, this is the only supermarket of its size where you can get many foreign products, particularly from Asia.

The meat section in the supermarket often leaves something to be desired and this is a major letdown for the chain. Often you will plan out your meal and then go to the shop, only to find that there is no chicken breast or no beef — at all.

The entire feel of the supermarket however makes up for the lack of meat sometimes. People seem to be happier there, there is more light in the shop and there are less alcoholics and undesirables, probably due to the slightly higher prices.

Iki was the first to introduce the self service cashier points to Lithuania, so that is a big plus for me - I always like places that are moving forward.

So anyway, if you don't like either Maxima or Iki, try some of the other ones, or just go to a restaurant!

A realistic look at the capital

Here is a nice little tourism video about the capital city. NB: you will only see the angel and the TVs on the walls if you drink loads of absinthe or take magic mushrooms. Also, nightclubs might not let you in with that hat.

Grybauti Grybauti!

Grybauti - no its not the newest nickname for the country's newest President Dalia Grybauskaite - it is mushrooming!

Going mushrooming is as simple as the name would suggest - picking mushrooms, except you have to go into the forest to do it.

Grab a knife, a basket, some long pants and heavy duty socks (to protect against ticks, spiders and scratches) and you are ready to go.

Usually you will need a car and you will need to go deep into the forest to find a good spot that hasn't already been covered by others, but its nothing like Bear Grylls has to endure, but you will have to walk a good 20 metres from the car. People with poor orientation skills should not leave the sight of mushrooming companions lest they get lost in the forest.

It is of vital importance that you know what sort of mushrooms are edible - eating some species can make you sick or even kill you. You should go with a Lithuanian friend who knows which are good and which are not and even then you should consult a mushroom guide when you get home. Remember that "all mushrooms in the forest are edible, but some you can only eat once."

When you are picking mushrooms, check to see if it is still fresh and not rotten. You can do this by cutting the stem of the mushroom and looking for holes. If the mushroom is full of holes, it means it is rotten and you can just leave it.

When you get home, peel the tops of the mushroom off with a knife, wash the dirt off, boil them and they are ready for eating. Lithuanians do a number of things with them - eating them with sour cream and dill or just frying them up for a good old village feast.

Also, while out in the forest, keep an eye out for cowberries, which are in season at the moment!

An introduction to Vilnius

Writer and historian Laimonas Briedis has released his new book "Vilnius - City of Strangers." The book is a brief history of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, but unlike other history books it is fun to read and doesn't seek to impart a purely positive or nationalist view of the city on its readers.

The book is a collection of viewpoints of various writers who visited the city over the last half millennium since city founder Grand Duke Gediminas founded it in the 14th century. Various writings and analyses come from authors from the Vatican, Germany, Russia, Poland and more.

The book aims to show Vilnius today as it has been seen for the last 500 years - as a place of meeting and dispersal. It is a place of connections where people, trains, cultures, languages, and even armies have met.
The city is a gateway from east to west, in terms of both geography and culture. To the west is Europe as they knew it, and to the east is Russia.

Vilnius - City of Strangers is remarkably easy to read for a historical snapshot of one of Europe's richest cultural cities. Writings made over 500 years ago are still poignantly relevant to the lifestyle and habits of the city, whose personality hasn't changed dramatically, despite the changing of tenants uncountable times.

The city has been part of numerous empires throughout history, yet it always managed remain unchanged. Partly protected by the forests, swamps and rivers, only reachable in a bitter winter when the rivers were frozen, the city has always had its own spirit, a spirit that amazed and fascinated visitors.

Although not immediately clear from a Western point of view, it has been the city's contradictory tolerance and intolerance of itself and visitors that has allowed it to survive.

Visitors of today usually get drawn to the city by its seemingly impossible mix of cultures and languages that live in harmony. Vilnius has always been a polyglot city with languages like Polish, Armenian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, German, Yiddish and more being spoken as main languages. Surprisingly, Lithuanian has rarely been the lingua franca of the city - in fact, under German occupation, signs were written in five languages to ensure complete understanding.

This multiculturalism has always been the situation in Vilnius with one exception - today the Jewish community is no longer an integral part of the city.

One of the book's strong points is the exploration of the Jewish culture of Vilnius. The Jewish population of the city once made up around 50 percent of the population - a significant portion compared to today's numbers where the Jews are a minority.

The Jewish population of Vilnius earned it the title of the 'Jerusalem of the North' by visiting rulers and brought prominent writers and thinkers to Vilnius to investigate what they described as the 'Ostjuden.'

Throughout the book are various illustrations that will surprise readers and shed light on the development of Lithuania's capital from being a smattering of hovels to the proud city that it is today.

Perhaps one of the downsides of the book is that it constantly fills in the background of the writers of the memoirs, which sometimes takes the reader far from Lithuania. While this is important to develop the background of the information, it often leaves readers wanting more direct information about the town.

This week in VECC (Aug 14 - 23)

Halfway through August in Vilnius European Capital of Culture 2009 (VECC) and the event is still rocking out.

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.

This weeks events:

CULTURAL PROGRAMME OF THE FIRST WORLD CONGRESS OF VILNIUKAI: Polish comedy night

Teachers’ House courtyard, Vilniaus St. 39/6, Vilnius

14 Aug

21:30

Free of charge

CULTURAL PROGRAMME OF THE FIRST WORLD CONGRESS OF VILNIUKAI: Concert Folk – Jazz

Vilnius Town Hall Square

15 Aug

17:00

Free of charge

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon

Skalvija Cinema Centre, A. Goštauto St. 2/15,

Vilnius

16 Aug

21:00

6–12

Art project by Georges Rousse (France) - Creation of installation

Former House of Railway Workers,

Kauno St. 5, Vilnius

17 Aug–3 Sep

11:00–17:00

Free of charge

Exposition - Lithuanian Jewish Child Survivor Talks about Shoah

Tolerance Centre, Naugarduko St. 10/2,

Vilnius

18–31 Aug

Mon to Thu

10:00–18:00,

Sun 10:00–16:00

5 litas

KULTFLUX Culture Platform near the Neris - Cinema night

Kultflux pavilion near the Neris and the Lithuanian Energy Museum,

Rinktinės St. 2, Vilnius

18 Aug

21:00

Free of charge

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA - Films by Artūras Barysas

Observation deck in front of Vilnius Sport and Concert Hall,

Rinktinės St. 1, Vilnius

19 Aug

21:30

Free of charge

HANDICRAFT HERITAGE OF VILNIUS - Educational event The Old Wood Processing Craft in Vilnius

Open workshop

Amatų gildija, Pranciškonų St. 6, Vilnius

20 Aug

11:00–19:00

Free of charge

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon

Skalvija Cinema Centre, A. Goštauto St. 2/15,

Vilnius

20 Aug

19:00

6–12 litas

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA - Modern city in Lithuanian cinema: Dviese ant tilto / Two on the Bridge, directed by: Valdas Navasaitis, 2004, Troleibusų miestas / Trolleybus City, directed by: Giedrė Beinoriūtė, 2002

Observation deck in front of Vilnius Sport and Concert Hall,

Rinktinės St. 1, Vilnius

20 Aug

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

20 Aug

22:00

Free of charge

HANDICRAFT HERITAGE OF VILNIUS - Fair of St. Bartholomew

Vilnius Town Hall Square

20–21 Aug

Free of charge

Audiovisual-multimedia project The Flood Text author: Frido Mann; composer and director: Vladimiras Tarasovas

Contemporary Art Centre,

Vokiečių St. 2, Vilnius

21 Aug

19:00

Free of charge

Kaddish (Requiem)

for Holocaust Victims

Vilnius

23 Aug

Free of charge

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon

Skalvija Cinema Centre, A. Goštauto St. 2/15,

Vilnius

23 Aug

21:00

6–12 litas

Exhibition of Andrzej Strumillo PAN catalogue TORS. - Presentation of the book Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (The Grand Duchy of Lithuania)

Vladas Vildžiūnas Gallery, Lobio St. 6A, Vilnius

8 Aug–31 Oct

Opening: 16:00

Free of charge

CULTURAL PROGRAMME OF THE FIRST WORLD CONGRESS OF VILNIUKAI: Retrospective and art exhibitions What Was Hidden in the Repatriates’ Suitcases?

House of Polish Culture in Vilnius,

Naugarduko St. 76, Vilnius

9–31 Aug

Opening: 17:30

9:00–18:00

Free of charge

Photography exhibition - European Eyes on Japan

Contemporary Art Centre,

Vokiečių St. 2, Vilnius

Until 16 Aug

Opening: 18:00

Tue to Sun

12:00–19:30

Sun 11:00–17:00

4–8 litas entrance

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 - Art-o-thlon International Art Championship

Vilnius Academy of Arts, other public places in Vilnius

Until 31 Aug

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

Mexicans in Vilnius?!

It may seem crazy and out of place in a country that is almost ethnically pure, but there are three Mexicans in Vilnius who are looking to make an impact with their restaurant, aptly named Tres Meksikonai.

The restaurant serves traditional Mexican cuisine, albeit with a bit less chili to suit Lithuanian taste buds.

My personal favourite there is the burrito, which comes either with beef or chicken. The rice, vegetable and meat bundle of joy weighs in at 12 litas (3.50 euros).

There aren't many places in Lithuania, let alone Europe, where you can eat that cheap. Not only that, the food is nutritious and delicious!

Wash it down with a nice Sol beer and you are ready for the evening, wherever that may take you.

Tres Meksikonai
Tilto g. 1 Vilnius (Opposite the cathedral)

Let the sun shine

One of Lithuania's favourite jazzy pop bands.

Beers ahoy!

Not many people are aware of it, but Lithuania is somewhat of a beer kingdom. Many beers can be found in the country, especially the "gyvas Alus" (Living beer) type, which is unpasturized.

Some of the brewers are really cool looking (see photo of Snekutis brewer).

Lithuania has literally hundreds of microbrewies who are usually operating out of their own homes. A lot of them add a bit of their own sweat to each beers for taste (involuntarily) as they put all their love and attention into their brew. The effect is evident - some of the tastiest beers in Europe. Real Lithuanian beer will also not give you a bad headache, even if you are like me and like to indulge.

Most beers come from the area surrounding the northern town of Birzai. This town is interesting in itself and not just for beers either! It is close to the Latvian border and is almost smack-bang on the road from Riga to Vilnius, so there are no excuses for not stopping there.

People drink so much of the beer that they come out with quotes like this about it: "According to historians, the local beer has been talking to people for more than 1 100 years. Only here you will find that local malt liquor is hard as oak, sweet as honey and strong as dynamite."

I won't go into the many many excellent breweries because it would be unfair if I didn't name all of them, but I do warn you to avoid the major beer labels as they do not put the same care into their beers as all the rest.

Those coming to Vilnius are urged to go to Alaus Namai - the bar where all the good local beers can be tried - without the commercial rubbish.

Something you need to know when going to a Lithuanian bar is how to say "cheers." Locals get really impressed if you can pronounce, or try to pronouce, "I Sviekata" (eeh - svee - kah - tah), which literally means "to health"

Tikras Alus (Real Beer) is a good blog with information on Lithuanian beers - check it out. Some articles are in English, but others can be translated fairly successfully with Google Translate.

I Sviekata!

Born sportsmen

Lithuanians love sport

VECC this week (Aug 2-9)

August has rolled around for The Vilnius European Capital of Culture 2009 (VECC) and the event happening everywhere 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.

This weeks events:

KULTFLUX Culture Platform near the Neris Cinema night

Kultflux pavilion near the Neris and the Lithuanian Energy Museum,

Rinktinės St. 2, Vilnius

4 Aug

21:00

Free of charge

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA - French film review: Le Samourai / Samurai, directed by: Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967

Vilnius Franciscan (Friars Minor Conventuals)

Monastery, Trakų St. 9/1, Vilnius

5 Aug

21:30

Free of charge

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon Skalvija Cinema Centre,

A. Goštauto St. 2/15, Vilnius

6 Aug

19:00

6–12 litas entrance

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA - French film review: Les Amants du Pont-Neuf /Pont-Neuf Lovers,

directed by: Leos Carax, 1991

Vilnius Franciscan (Friars Minor Conventuals)

Monastery, Trakų St. 9/1, Vilnius

6 Aug

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

6 Aug

22:00

Free of charge

Exhibition of Andrzej Strumillo PAN catalogue TORS. - Presentation of the book Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (The Grand Duchy of Lithuania)

Vladas Vildžiūnas Gallery, Lobio St. 6A, Vilnius

8 Aug–31 Oct

Opening: 16:00

Free of charge

ARTSCAPE/United Kingdom/Visual art

Fine arts: Roger Palmer, Eglė Paulina Pukytė

Cinema: Red Shoes, directed by Michael Powell; Life of Brian, directed by: Monty Python; Orlando, directed by: Sally Potter; 39 Steps, directed by: Alfred Hitchcock; The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, directed by: Peter Greenaway (shorts)

Gallery Vartai,

Vilniaus St. 39, Vilnius

Until 8 Aug

Opening: 18:00

Tue to Fri

12:00–18:00

Sat 12:00–16:00

Free of charge

2nd Polish Organ Concert - Henryk Gwardak (Finland-Poland)

Vilnius St. Casimir’s Church, Didžioji St. 34, Vilnius

9 Aug

13:00

Free of charge

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon

Skalvija Cinema Centre,

A. Goštauto St. 2/15,

Vilnius

9 Aug

21:00

6–12 litas entrance

CULTURAL PROGRAMME OF THE FIRST WORLD CONGRESS OF VILNIUKAI: Retrospective and art exhibitions What Was Hidden in the Repatriates’ Suitcases?

House of Polish Culture in Vilnius,

Naugarduko St. 76, Vilnius

9–31 Aug

Opening: 17:30

9:00–18:00

Free of charge

Photography exhibition - European Eyes on Japan

Contemporary Art Centre,

Vokiečių St. 2, Vilnius

Until 16 Aug

Opening: 18:00

Tue to Sun

12:00–19:30

Sun 11:00–17:00

4–8 litas entrance

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 - Art-o-thlon International Art Championship

Vilnius Academy of Arts, other public places in Vilnius

Until 31 Aug

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

Ignalina - not all that bad

People know Ignalina for the nuclear power plant, but after going there this week, I have found that it is among the most pleasant spots in Lithuania.


View Larger Map

People are amazingly friendly, the city is good looking (outside the Soviet built centre) and it is cheap as hell.

Even those coming from Vilnius will notice how cheap the place is because it isn't a capital city and is off the tourism map.

What many people don't know is that Ignalina, where the country's nuclear power plant is located, is that it is on the edge of the Aukstaitija National Park (ANP). ANP is arguably the country's nicest inland location with beautiful lakes, forests full of berries, wild camping in the forests, fishing and more. ANP was the location for the esoteric Lithuanian film, which is worth seeing, "Aš esu tu".

When I went there, there was good weather, a breeze smelling of fresh forest flowers and great scenery. Perhaps the only bad thing about the city is that its only real restaurant is not easy to find. Of course, once you get there, it will be a great experience - in fact it was probably one of the best Lithuanian restaurant experiences I've had in recent years.

Getting there is really easy too - take the train from Vilnius to get there. The train costs around 15 litas and various discounts are available for those under 26 and more. Check the train website for times.

Relaxing traditional music

A song that all Lithuanians know. Be warned - this may soothe you!

Seaside bliss - go there while you can!

Palanga is the seaside resort that Lithuanians, Russians, Latvians, Swedes and Germans alike flock to in the summer time looking for a nice beach.

This white sands getaway is beach, beach and more beach (something like 18 kilometres of uninterrupted sand) with some other nice features to boot. While you're not relaxing on the beach getting a tan, you can go shopping for souvenirs and other kitschy rubbish on the central Basanaviciaus street where they have restaurants blaring out Russian pop and kalinka classics. On the side of the street is an amusement park with rides and other entertainment.

Of course that's not all folks - there is the Palanga botanical gardens which has a number of attractions of its own such as Birute's hill - an archaeological site of a town covered by a sand dune. The gardens also have the museum of Amber, which the Lithuanians are famous for. The museum used to be the Tiskeviciu palace and is surrounded by gardens, fountains and statues.

Despite all these other attractions, the main reasons people come to Palanga is still the beach and to party, which often occur at the same time. While lazing in the sun, on your towel soaking in the rays, you can buy beers and fried bread. Often people working in the restaurants will come to you with the food ready. While this can be pretty annoying when you don't want a Ceburekas (deep fried pancake with pork filling) or Kepta duona (fried black bread with garlic and salt), it is nice when you are getting a bit peckish. Beers usually go for 1.20 and the bread is about one quid.

Be aware that you can get burnt in this sun!

Swimming is good even though you can't see your feet in the greenish water once you are in knee deep. The water is clean, but has some algae and seaweed floating in it, clouding the view, but never fear.

Food in the city is all traditional Lithuanian and Armenian for some reason. It is the only place I know in Lithuania that has any noticeable Armenian cuisine and it is voluminous. Make sure you go to the restaurants hungry, but also bring enough cash because it is more expensive that other places.

Finding a place to stay in Palanga is easy as pie - just turn up and find one of the old ladies at the bus station who will take you to their house. A room can be anywhere from 40 litas (about 10 pounds at the time of writing) to 100 (25 pounds) for a fairly nice room for two. These are usually near the beach, but be aware that conditions vary significantly. You get what you pay for.

As the Lithuanian saying goes "a greedy person pays twice (later)"

Getting there is easy - there are trains to nearby Kretinga or you can take the bus or fly to the Palanga international airport.

Unseen Lithuania

Unseen Lithuania is the English version of Neregeta Lietuva, the famous aerial photographic series by Marius Jovaisa.

The whole series is devoted to the landscape of Lithuania from the air.

Lakes, rivers, dunes, islands, churches, cityscapes and more are shown in panoramic photos taken from over 50 helicopter journeys – and like the name of the series suggests, it is something that not many people have seen before or expect from the small Baltic nation.

There are two books available in English – the 2008 and the 2009 editions, but both show excellent scenes of the country. A DVD has also been released with a selection of the best photos from the shoots.

I would personally recommend the books as the best way to go for many reasons – first and foremost is that the book is big and has large and thick pages with the photos in excellent colour and perfect focus. This is not the case with the DVD – there is a very noticeable loss in quality that is off-putting. Plus the photos on the DVD move around in the slide show making them hard to look at.

Perhaps the funniest thing in the series is “Lithuania in the World” where photos from Lithuania are compared to other locations in the world. The only reason I can think for including this is to enforce the nationalist illusion that most Lithuanians have that “our country is the same as everywhere in the world!” Either that, or better than everywhere.

Whats funny about this segment though is that the authors of the series get a photo from some place in the world and get a similar looking photo from Lithuania and place them side by side. For example, a bird’s eye view of a shallow reef in the Maldives is compared to tufts of grass and dirt poking out of a bog in Lithuania. Crystal clear turquoise water compared to muddy brown/green water. Not exactly the same, is it?

Anyway, apart from that terrible mistake they made of comparing mundane geographical locations to world wonders, the series is great and shows the natural beauty of Lithuania and the cities too.

It would make an excellent coffee table book or present.

Lithuania all over the world

Brilliantly detailed Lithuanian art for VECC

Part of the Vilnius European Cultural Capital 2009 (VECC) are the art exhibitions going on around the centre.



I went to a the Old Town Youth Gallery (my own translation from Lithuanian), which is at Totoriu street, number 22. It is in a small courtyard behind the bar Transylvanija and there is a red plane suspended in the court yard.


Go into the gallery on the left to see some great canvas paintings of Lithuanian life.

A small display of wackiness

This song from the 2006 Eurovision is a small sign of the sort of wacky people you might meet in the Baltics. This song was the best ever performance by Lithuania finishing in 6th place. The group LT United is made up of famous Lithuanian musicians and TV personalities.

Be warned...its addictive.

Upcoming events for VECC

The Vilnius European Capital of Culture 2009 (VECC) event booming 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.

This weeks events:

EUROPEAN ART SCHOOL - Explore Vilnius – Design Vilnius Public lectures

Kultflux platform near the Lithuanian Energy Museum,

Rinktinės St. 2, Vilnius

21–25 Jul

19:00

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

21 Jul

21:00

Free of charge

ARTSCAPE/United Kingdom/Visual art

Fine arts: Roger Palmer, Eglė Paulina Pukytė

Cinema: Red Shoes, directed by Michael Powell; Life of Brian, directed by: Monty Python; Orlando, directed by: Sally Potter; 39 Steps, directed by: Alfred Hitchcock; The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, directed by: Peter Greenaway (shorts)

Gallery Vartai,

Vilniaus St. 39, Vilnius

22 Jul–8 Aug

Opening: 18:00

Tue to Fri

12:00–18:00

Sat 12:00–16:00

Free of charge

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA

Ukrainian film review: Raspad / Collapse, directed by: Mikhail Belikov, 1990

Holy Trinity Church and the Basilian Monastery courtyard,

Aušros Vartų St. 7B,

Vilnius

22 Jul

21:30

Free of charge

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon Skalvija Cinema Centre,

A. Goštauto St. 2/15, Vilnius

23 Jul

19:00

6–12

CINEMA IN THE CITY, CITY IN THE CINEMA

Ukrainian film review: Mijniki avtomobiliv /Car Washers, directed by: Volodymyr Tykhyi, 2001

Holy Trinity Church and the Basilian Monastery courtyard,

Aušros Vartų St. 7B,

Vilnius

23 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

23 Jul

22:00

Free of charge

EUROPEAN ART SCHOOL - Explore Vilnius – Design Vilnius Installation exhibition

Lithuanian Energy Museum,

Rinktinės St. 2, Vilnius

25 Jul–1 Aug

Opening: 17:00

Tue to Sun

10:00–17:00

5–10

52 Weeks. Cinema Marathon Skalvija Cinema Centre,

A. Goštauto St. 2/15, Vilnius

26 Jul

21:00

6–12

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

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

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

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

One of the fun ones...

Biplan - Šok ir nesustok