Lithuania 17-18/7

It was very interesting but mostly funny, and particularly stupid. We visit a Russian underground missile launch station . There are only 4 of these types in Europe. This one covered the Cold War. Just to see the amount of money spent in creating, supporting, managing, resourcing these places you just have to laugh at the futility of all. And everything looked so obsolete!! It reminded us of the Get Smart series (Super Agente 86)! And we slept just outside this "top secret place"!!!

A very powerful message...."the Hill of Crosses", on the outskirts of Siaulia at Jurgaicaiai.....there are now millions of crosses; erected, one on top of each other, different sizes....they are there as a reminder that faith's strength can overcome the most difficult challenges. It was here where people started building crosses to commemorate those who died in the uprising of 1863. It was a sign of opposition to Tsarist rule, which having subdued the rebels punished everyone whose farmstead coined crosses and tore them down. Religious people decided to build crosses on the hill and did so at night time so that no one would spot them. When Lithuania regained its independence, the Hill of Crosses started attracting crowds of pilgrims from all over the work who started building and bringing crosses to the hill.

We keep moving from castle to castle crossing forest and rivers.

The weather is creating havoc with our diet and exercise. It is so cold and mostly raining so we haven't been able to pick up our running since we come from Fiji. And the food certainly is not helping!!! The black breads (caraway seeds!), smoked cold meats, herings, potatoes in every form and shape.....this trip to the Baltic's is going to be costly for our bodies!!)

We are crossing to Latvia, this was only the  west side of Lithuania we are coming back for the capital Vilnius and the east.