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!

Forest walking (and eating!)

One thing visitors to Lithuania will notice is that the locals love to get out into the forest and enjoy the trees, the lakes, the flowers, the mushrooms and many other things.

So many people leave the big cities in search of weekend summer bliss in fact that you could be forgiven for thinking that the city was deserted. So, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Getting out of the city will be a rewarding experience:

Fresh air

Animal and bird watching

Berry picking (yum!)

Mushroom picking

Herb picking

Lake swimming and rowing

Camping

Photo opportunities

and so on...

My personal favourite from all of the above is berry picking. There is nothing quite like walking along and stuffing yourself with sweet berries while enjoying the sunshine and the forests.

Wild Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Cranberries and Cowberries can all be found growing in the wild and are all safe to eat.

When you are out in the forest looking for berries, you might notice other people doing the same. The locals often come to pick the berries as a means of making money. Some grannies and village people are prolific berry pickers and bring home kilos and kilos of berries for freezing, for jams, for eating fresh or even for selling.

When driving along the highway in the summer you will see people crouched down next to their pickings waiting for people to stop and buy the fruits of their labour (pun intended). You can negotiate with these people, but be aware that their backs could be sore from picking all day and might drive a hard bargain!

If you aren't happy with their prices though, you can just go into the forest yourself and try your luck.

After you've had your fill of berries and walking, look for some wild herbs to use when cooking or to dry out and make tea. Thyme is the most common herb along with dill and continental parsley. Once again these are all perfectly edible.

If you know your mushrooms, you can also pick up some chanterelles or champignons, but BE CAREFUL - some mushrooms are deadly and if you don't know what you are doing, it is best not to try. There is an old saying in Lithuania - "All mushrooms in the forest are edible, but some you can only eat once."

Getting out to the forest won't be as hard as you think. Either get a car and just drive somewhere to the forest OR take a train. Many of the train lines in the country go through dense forest where you can get off at a smaller stop and just walk metres to the forest to start walking and picking. Just be careful to find out when the train goes back to the city and make sure you don't go too far from the tracks lest you get lost.

Happy walking and eating!