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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
May 07, 2016 06:00 PM Walk around Kiev
Cloudy day, raining from time to time but I took the walk through the center of Kiev. On the streets you still hear mostly Russian language. This is the result of the decades of soviet domination. It is not far from my mini-hotel to St Sophia monastery converted into museum. Entry fee is 80 hr if you want to see ornate church or 20 just for the courtyard.
Famous Michaylovski Golden Domed Monastery is visible from the St Sophia gate. This moonastery still works and you can visit for free nicely painted church. From Michaylovski it is already not far to the heart of Kiev - well known Maidan or Independency Square with high column and nice fountains. Kreshchatik - the main street of Kiev goes from the square to the south.
My Ukrainien friends showed me also Andreyevski Uzviz - very seep and picturesque street of the old town going down to the river.
In the evening at their home I was giving a slide-show about my theveling through the world. We had a great time. Very hearty people!
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May 06, 2016 06:00 PM Kiev - Ukraine
I am flying on Ukraine International from Vilnius to Kiev. The ticket is cheap assuming that you fly only with a cabin baggage. Nobody checked the weigh of my backpack in the old-fashioned Vilnius airport.
But on board of the plane they serve for free only mineral water.
After 1.5 h flight I landed in Kiev Borispol airport. The terminal is much more modern and impressive then in Vilnius but do not expect any tourist info here. It is better to bring a city map with you!
There are money changers in arrival hall - I was positively surprised - they are giving the same rate like in the city! Once you left the terminal on the right there are skybus stops - that is the best way to go to the railway station or to the nearest subway station "Kharkivska" - you pay on the bus 50/35 hryvnas. For one euro you will get 28 hr.
Kiev subway is one of the cheapest in the whole world - the token for one ride will cost you only 4 hr - less then 20 UScents.
I get of the subway at Zoloty Vorota station, walked 200 m to the opera. Just opposite the opera there is budget traveller's paradise: mini-hotel on the 11th floor of the huge building (bookable via booking.com) For just 20 euro I got here clean and quiet single room with bath, TV, fridge.
But the main advantage is the view over the roofs of Kiev and very central location. Well, they do not speak any western language here, but it should not be a problem since the receprionist is ver friendly...
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May 05, 2016 06:00 PM Most beautiful Lithuanian castle
Panevezis -Poniewiez - big city in the central Lithuania disappointed me - in fact it has not an old toown and the only attractions for the tourist are few churches. So soo I was diving further south by excellent and empty highway A2. Before the sunset I reached Trakai - Troki in Polish where on the island on the lake you will find nicely restored castle. It is very picturesque place so no wonder that crowds of tourists are coming here. Locals charge 3 euro for parking the car in their courtyard. I strongly recommend to come here by local transport (train or bus) from nearby Vilnius... But this is obligatory place when you are coming to Lithuania.
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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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