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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
May 04, 2016 06:00 PM To the Hill of the Crosses
Lithuania is not a huge country and has good roads. I decided to rent a car for 24 hours (24 euro, unlimited mileage, basic insurance) and drive north of Kaunas. First stop was in the old town of Kieidanai (Kiejdany in Polish) connected also with history of Poland. Today Kiejdany can offer to the tourist many nicely restored old houses, churches and sinagogs. The old town is compact, so one hour was enough for visit and pictures.
Then I was driving about 100 kms to the Hill of the Crosses near Szawle. It is unique place. Imagine small hill completly covered by crosses of different size. Pilgrims from Lithuania and abroad are bringing them here since 19th century. Very interesting place, but today there were more tourists then pilgrims. Sorry, I do not like the noisy crowd.
In the afternoon I was driving back - south via Panevezis (Poniewiez) -quite a big town with few nice churches. It was lovely, sunny day and I enjoyed the landscape of forests and lakes and the local people.
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May 03, 2016 06:00 PM Kaunas -Kowno, Lithuania
My first flight took me early in the morning from Gdansk to London Luton. This was my first time in Luton and I am not impressed. Long, long and narrow corridors will take you to immigrations (be prepared for the bottlenesk here.Those with e-passports have a separate, faster lane. Something like transit channel does not exist here so you must go out of the arrival building walk 150 m and enter the other one - departures. Allow minimum 1 hour from the plane to the departure security stands. My second flight was from Luton to Kaunas on Ryanair. From little Kaunas Airport I took city bus 29 paying 0,80 euro to the centre of the city. Kaunas is the second town of Luthuania and has long and rich history. There are old churches in the old town. Many streets were converted into pedestrian zones. There are remains of the castle and nice park at the conjunction of Niemen and Neris rivers. I was walking around till the late evening. The highlights of the day: meeting with the girls in national costumes on market square and very tasty, dark Lithuanian bread.
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May 02, 2016 06:00 PM New European voyage
New European trip! I'll be off for several days to visit our eastern neighbors - Lithuania and Kiev. In Lithuania I wasn't 30 years, and Kiev saw 40 years ago... Eastern Europe from Soviet times had changed a lot, I'll get to know it again. I'm going not only to visit cities, but also to meet new friends, to give lectures about my traveling around the world and to reach new, completely unknown places. The white line on the map below looks like a product of the mad traveler, but that's how it looks now, in the era of low-cost airlines - it is now much cheaper to fly Gdansk to Vilnius via London then via Warsaw. Also return via Malmoe is cheaper... :)
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Apr 18, 2016 06:00 PM End of the Transylvania voyage
Low-cost airlines start their flights early. It was still dark in Timisoara when my new friend Sorin was driving me throuch the center of the city to the airport. We passed beautifully illuminated orthodox cathedral and opera (sorry Sorrin, I think that it looks better in the night then in the day).
We spent two evenings watching our pictures from all over the world... Thank you Sorin for your invitation and the time we spent together!
Beware of the guys from the security control in Timisoara airport! During last year I passed through security in many airports on 6 continents including USA, Australia, Russia, Germany, but it is hard to believe what they do here! What they are looking for, taking many things out of my backpack? Very rude and incompetent people. They should be trained again.
OK. We boarded wizz air flight to Dortmund, then I was waiting few hours for the connection to Gdansk. Sorry, no free wi-fi in the Dortmund airport... I landed in windy Gdansk before 2 pm. Only 8 deg Calsius here - in Timisoara I enjoyed summer temperatures.
Another short, but very pleasant and interesting voyage is over... It is time to plane the next one! :)
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Apr 17, 2016 06:00 PM Timisoara in Romania
Timisoara is probably the third biggest city in Romania. I have a pleasure to be hosted here by Mr Sorin from Couchsurfing. He also travelled a lot, speaks fluent English so we have a good time. I tried for the breakfast Romanian zakuska - vegetable pasta eaten with bread.
Timisoara has a lot of parks where flowers and trees are in blossom and three big square with historic buildings. The biggest - Piata Uniri has nice Catholic Cathedral and Serbian Church. Piata Libertatii - old city hall and Piata Victorei opera house on one end and orthodox cathedral on the other. Thich church has extremely ornate ikonostas - - I did not see such a altar in the Balkan. Old trams in the peak hours are faster then smogging cars. The ride on the tram cost 2 lei. During the day it is worth to escape from the crowded streets to the parks. One of them is close to the restored fortress - in the old basion they opened shops and galeries. Nice city! But it is my last day in Romania - tomorrow I am flying home...
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Apr 16, 2016 06:00 PM Hunedoara Castle
Romania has few beautiful castles. Corviv Castle has the opinion to be the most important and most picturesque Gothic castle in this country. To get there I took the bus from Alba Iulia to the city of Deva, overlooked by a citadel built on the high mountain. Bus travel cost me 16 lei. Then from the station square there are frequent minibuses going to Hunedoara. You pay 6,50 lei. Once in unimpressive, industrial town of Hunedoara you have to walk some 2 kms to the castle. It is worth! Corvin Castle is not so big, but really nice - see the picture...
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Apr 15, 2016 06:00 PM Citadel in Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia was founded by Roman Emperors but now it is famous for its citadel, buit by Austrians. It is huge fortress with few ornate gates and lovely promenade outside high walls. Wide terrain of the citadel is housing two cathedrals (catholic and orthodox) luxury hotel, museum, university located in the former palaces and more. For Romanians it is first of all the place, where the act of unification of Romania was signed. The fortress is nicely restored and it is good idea to spend here few hours... Apple trees are already in blossom here, the sun is shining and the birds are singing - I hope that such a lovely spring will come soon also to Poland!
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Apr 14, 2016 06:00 PM Sibiu in Romania
Intercity bus travel in Romania is provided by many small companies so foreign tourist has a problem to manage. But I discovered very useful web page to check almost every intercity connection. Try www.autogari.ro it is updated and you will find also there reservation phone numbers. The only problem is that this help desk as a rule do not understand any foreign language so you have to ask you Romanian friend to make the booking for you.
Today I spend 3,5 hours in the bus traveling from Cluj to Sibiu. Ticket cost me 35 lei. Sibiu is well-known historic town, also the informal capital of German minority in Romania (yes, they have Grermans here since ages). The old part of the town is very compact - located on the hill with 3 elegant squares filled with old achitecture. Squeres architecture is renovated and bright, but in the side streets hundreds of stylish houses are waiting for restoration.
I took city bus no 13 to get to ASTRA open air folk museum. Before boarding the bus you have to buy a ticket, ot better two in the vending machine - it will cost you 1.50 lei each way. From the last stop there is like 200 m to walk to the gate of the skansen. They brought from the whole province, windmills, watermills, ferries, workshops, wooden churches and plenty of different stylish houses. It is worth to see. I paid 3,50 for discounted ticket. The only problem was that all those buildings were closed, so you cannot see what is inside. Maybe because it is not a tourist season yet...
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Apr 13, 2016 06:00 PM Cluj in Transylvania
After 3 hours drive in the public bus (ticket costs 28 lei) I am in Cluj - Napoca - historic city founded by Roman emperor. Cluj is famous for its universities (a lot of students in the streets) and many monuments. I enjoyed rich interior of Franciscan church and ornate opera house. They have here very strong Hungarian minority and you hear Hungarian language on the streets very often. That's because before WW1 whole Transylvania was a part of Austro-Hungarian Empire. I had a pleasure to meet here new friend Florin - he lives here since years and he explained to me the present situation. He also gave me a chance to taste traditional local dish - mici (mititei) - a kind of fried meatballs. Thank you Florin!
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Apr 12, 2016 06:00 PM Oradea in the sun
Last time I have been to Romania in the communist period, some 40 years ago, so everything is new to me... People do not smile... But Oradea is very nice and partly restored. Union Square with its palaces and churches is the highlight of the city - see the picture.
They just finish the restauration of the fortress built by Austrians. I took a long walk along the picturesque river to go to the northern bank where is located Republic Street - the main street of the old part of the city. Ornate theatre building is worth to photograph, but many palaces from the Austrian period are in ruin. On the left side of the theatre there is very helpful tourist information office - the distribute the maps of the city and can book for you the bus for onward travel. I am going by bus to Cluj-Napoca and there are 3 different bus stations in Oradea!
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