August 8, 2015 to August 9, 2015
Bogged down in Vilnius: Saturday and Sunday, Aug 8 and 9
Well, not really bogged down, but I'm spending more time here than I expected.
Vilnius is a big city, much bigger than Tallinn or Riga. And as difficult as it was to bicycle into the city, once in town, there are a lot of cyclists and there is a very active bike share program.
I'm staying at the Do Re Mi Hostel. There is a computer for guest use, so I've taken advantage of it to update my maps to show my route in addition to the accommodation spots. I was having difficulty doing that from my smart phone. The hostel is next to the music school, which the name could be related to, but it's more easily found by noting that it is across from the Museum of Victims of the Holocaust. I have not gone into the museum, which is in a building that was used by the Nazis and then by the KGB during the occupations. I was once in a similar building in Budapest, and it left me feeling hollow for days, and I'm not up for that now. Just walking past it is depressing, as the building is inscribed with names of people killed there.
There is also a spot marked on the sidewalk where someone jumped out of a 3rd floor window while being tortured.
What I did do was take a walking tour. It visited some of the sites and churches in the old town area, and also took in the Republic of Uzupis.
Uzupis is a neighborhood that was run down and revitalized as it was occupied by assorted artists. Then in 1997 it declared itself an independent republic with it's own constitution and government. The constitution is pretty wacky, with rules like "A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need". I've copied the constitution at the bottom of this page for your amusement. The flag shows a hand with a hole in it, which symbolizes openness and honesty. Uzupis has not been legally recognized by any other government, and has no embassies, so it's all really just for fun. Remember that video of a tank rolling over a car that was parked blocking a bike lane? The tank driver was the mayor of Uzupis.
It was fun to visit Uzupis, and the rest of the tour was okay too.
After the tour, I went looking for a pharmacy. One of the reasons I'm still in Vilnius is that I have an infection in my eye. It looks like pink eye (sorry, no pictures) and is uncomfortable. It took 2 tries to find an open pharmacy, and I was able to get some antibiotic eye drops. The pharmacist also suggested that I see an ophthalmologist, at a place that sells glasses. So I went to 3 different places that sell glasses, and none of them had an ophthalmologist in on Saturday. So I've just been using the eye drops, and hanging out to make sure the infection responds to them before I head out of the city.
I've continued sightseeing, and went up the tower on castle hill this morning. It's a bit of a climb, both up the hill and up the tower, but worth it for the view from the top.
Then I wandered around old town a bit, until it started raining. Hopefully the rain will break the heat wave. Weather Underground had given 0% chance of rain, so I was unprepared, and headed back to the hostel, taking refuge under assorted overhangs and tunnels enroute. Back in Tallinn, someone head recommended yr.no for weather in Europe. That website predicted rain, but the timing was off.
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Appendix:
The Uzepis Constitution:
- Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnelė, and the River Vilnelė has the right to flow by everyone.
- Everyone has the right to hot water, heating in winter and a tiled roof.
- Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.
- Everyone has the right to make mistakes.
- Everyone has the right to be unique.
- Everyone has the right to love.
- Everyone has the right not to be loved, but not necessarily.
- Everyone has the right to be undistinguished and unknown.
- Everyone has the right to idle.
- Everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat.
- Everyone has the right to look after the dog until one of them dies.
- A dog has the right to be a dog.
- A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of nee[d].
- Sometimes everyone has the right to be unaware of their duties.
- Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation.
- Everyone has the right to be happy.
- Everyone has the right to be unhappy.
- Everyone has the right to be silent.
- Everyone has the right to have faith.
- No one has the right to violence.
- Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance. [In Lithuanian this reads Everyone has the right to realize his negligibility and magnificence.]
- No one has the right to have a design on eternity.
- Everyone has the right to understand.
- Everyone has the right to understand nothing.
- Everyone has the right to be of any nationality.
- Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday.
- Everyone shall remember their name.
- Everyone may share what they possess.
- No one can share what they do not possess.
- Everyone has the right to have brothers, sisters and parents.
- Everyone may be independent.
- Everyone is responsible for their freedom.
- Everyone has the right to cry.
- Everyone has the right to be misunderstood.
- No one has the right to make another person guilty.
- Everyone has the right to be individual.
- Everyone has the right to have no rights.
- Everyone has the right to not to be afraid.
- Do not defeat.
- Do not fight back.
- Do not surrender.
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