Estonia is often presented as Lithuania’s archetypical competitor, and, judging from many media reports, it seems that the main goal for Lithuania is to be ahead of Estonia one day. Personally, I grew up with my dad’s stories from Tallinn, after he did an internship there in the 1970s, about how Estonia was more western in many ways. Access to …
The most impressive sights in Seoul
It’s been a long time (3 years) since I went to Seoul, but, having found my guidebooks, notes and other things to lend them to my colleague, I realized that memory is fading fast, so I should record it now. The only blog entry I wrote about that trip .
Cambridge revisited
“… When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils” This is Cambridge – wrapped in greenery and blossoms, full of wildlife and very village-like, although it has been urban and academic since the Middle Ages. This time I stayed at the edge of the town, close to Churchill College.
Better late than never… my trip to NYC
I wrote about my last year when I was still on the road. I edited some of the entries later, adding some reflections and interpretations. But I omitted two stops on my itinerary – a brief visit to New Jersey and three days in New York. The reason for this was that I left immediately after, and I was too …
A week in Baku – the city center and interesting stories
As I have written in the , I spent a week in Baku upon invitation from the NATO International School of Azerbaijan. We stayed in the suburb of Shikhov, close to the Caspian sea. Since it’s low season, there were almost no other guests. The hotel is far away from the city center. Although it provides free shuttle services to …
A week in Baku – some general facts and a walk in the Old City
I finally found a way to visit Baku (Azerbaijan) – just one day before the application deadline, I noticed that there is an interesting conference on the European Neighbourhood Policy and Eastern Partnership. I had several friends from Azerbaijan when I studied at CEU, so I had heard lots of stories about the country. But visiting there is not so …
Winter now and then
It is an unusually warm winter in Lithuania, and of course when holidays come people are discussing the absence of snow. In the meantime I’m slowly arranging some old photos, so I guess it’s a good excuse to share one from Sweden. In 2005 I went to Haparanda in the North of Sweden, where a Swedish family adopted me and …
Colorful fall in Vilnius
View from a hill in Užupis
Perfection of mini vacations in Nida
Some people were suspicious why the New Left 95 movement had its annual conference in Nida, which is a Lithuanian seaside resort. It was too far to go for one day, and an expensive place to be. But in fact, when the tourist season ends, prices drop in Nida, and even middle class Lithuanians can afford having a conference there …
Round two-layer church in Oldenburg
This church was built in a classicist style, but appeared too modest for the local population’s taste. So the inside, a circle symbolizing perfection, remained, but a new neogothic facade was built around the original building.