In the Country The Lithuanian countryside is softly rolling, having only a low hill here and there. There is seldom any exposed rock. It is mostly green. At harvest time the blue fields of flax are like beautiful coloured patches in the landscape, just as the yellow rapeseeds. Lithuania exports a lot of flax and flaxen products, tablecloths, clothes and handicraft.   General Views Here are all the beautiful pictures I couldn’t put anywhere else, landscapes so fine that they resemble the Windows XP wallpaper, storks, evening mist, flowers and houses.   Kernave, Lithuania’s First Royal Castle Lithuania’s first royal castle was situated in Kernave, some distance outside Vilnius. King Mindaugas built it in the 13:th century, but there has been a fortification there since 1000 BC. Today the buildings are nothing more than grassy castle-hills.   Trakai, Lithuania’s Second Royal Castle The medieval castle Trakai, situated in the middle of Lake Galve a few kilometres outside Vilnius, is the pride of Lithuania. It was the hub of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Grand Duke Gediminas.   Paluse in Aukstatija The most touristy place in the country’s eastern part in Aukstatija National park (the Higlands), having the country’s oldest wooden church. We also saw a wedding here, yessir. Those interested in headwinds can rent rowboats and exhaust themselves on the Luse lake (Paluse = At [lake] Luse).   Beekeeper’s Museum in Aukstatija Eh? A beekeeper’s museum? Some bees on pins in a box, different types of buzzing perhaps, I thought, and nearly missed a high-ranking art collection. Beehives don’t have to be square boxes. They can just as well be works of art, or monsters.   Ignalina in Aukstatija A very futuristic church visible from far away, over the otherwise lowly buildings. Fantastic food prices. But the nuclear power plant is not here. It is in Visaginas. See below.   Visaginas in Aukstatija The “nuclear village” by the Ignalina nuclear power plant, built in 1975, is very interesting. It is completely Sovieticus. There is also a short-short guide to the power plant. It is impressive! Don’t let your thoughts run away to Chernobyl. It is all wrong.   Zemaitija Zemaitija, the Lithuanian lowlands, lies by the coast (zemes = low). The Zemaitijans are a different kind of Lithuanians, sparing of words, using a dialect that is somewhat incomprehensible to a Vilnius resident. It is an agricultural district with lots of hidden golden nuggets and surprising cathedrals. The food is potato-dominated: the Zeppelin is an all-time high.   Orvydas’ Sculpture Museum in Zemaitija Kazimieras and Vilius Orvydas, father and son, their Christian belief mixed with mysticism, has resulted in a sculpture park with an exotic taste, a display of popular monumentalism. Orvydas were continuously burdened by Soviet harassment for their belief, but they “won“ in the end. Today the park in Salantai is a place of pilgrimage.   Salantais’ Cathedral in Zemaitija The Zemaitians are cunning folks. Right in the middle of nowhere a giant cathedral pops up. It is the Church of the Virgin Mary’s Ascension, a fantastic building worthy of a big city, stuck in this remote place among the cows and haystacks.   Other Cities and Villages Some cities I have just quickly swept through. They are represented here. The image to the left shows the Moletai Church, on the road between Utena and Vilnius.