When leaving Neringa we met Leva & Martynas who looked far too respectable to be asking people for a ride to Vilnius and given that it was starting to rain we agreed to take them the 130 miles to Kaunas which was our next destination. They had been visiting family on the island and were returning home - it seems this is a popular way to get around in Lithuania but we've not seen anyone we'd invite into our van before or since!
As it turned out Martynas was full of information and most of the trip was spent collecting tips on where to park and stay both in Kaunas and the capital. We dropped them off at the Kaunas junction and they e-mailed us later to thank us for the ride - we wish you well!
In Kaunas we parked exactly where Martynas suggested and alongside two other motorhomes. After being severaly reprimanded by the Swiss van next to us for our dripping waste tank which had opened on the rough roads, we wandered into the city to explore.
As with many cities in Lithuania it is broken into 'Old' and 'New' towns with a clearly modernized high street but wander too far from the beaten track and you are instantly taken back 20 years into Soviet rule. Clearly much progress has been made, but much more is still to be made. We were able to get a new battery for Sophie's watch so all was well.
When we returned to the van we were greeted by the same Italian van we had parked next to in Neringa. With neither of us having a common word between us we conversed by way of Google Translate, pointing and the universal sign for "sleep" (two hands together, head crooked) - they wanted to know if we were staying the night.
The following morning we visited the Ninth Fort - a sort of mini Auschwitz where 30,000 Jew's were murdered. We decided against visiting the Museum but had a good wander around the enclosure before it opened which purveyed a chilling sense of calm.
As it turned out Martynas was full of information and most of the trip was spent collecting tips on where to park and stay both in Kaunas and the capital. We dropped them off at the Kaunas junction and they e-mailed us later to thank us for the ride - we wish you well!
In Kaunas we parked exactly where Martynas suggested and alongside two other motorhomes. After being severaly reprimanded by the Swiss van next to us for our dripping waste tank which had opened on the rough roads, we wandered into the city to explore.
As with many cities in Lithuania it is broken into 'Old' and 'New' towns with a clearly modernized high street but wander too far from the beaten track and you are instantly taken back 20 years into Soviet rule. Clearly much progress has been made, but much more is still to be made. We were able to get a new battery for Sophie's watch so all was well.
When we returned to the van we were greeted by the same Italian van we had parked next to in Neringa. With neither of us having a common word between us we conversed by way of Google Translate, pointing and the universal sign for "sleep" (two hands together, head crooked) - they wanted to know if we were staying the night.
Overnight Location GPS: (54.89985, 23.88706) - Large
carpark next to the old town with toilets. No marked bays so suitable for any
size motorhome. 8-17 25p per hour.
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