Vilnius and around part 3

The village of Trakai

In the museum at Trakai 

Vilnius 

At Kernave, why do the kids have the fun?

And our picnic spot 

Vilnius and around part 2

Our third day was spent at the wonderful Kernave Archaeological Site (UNESCO of course) an hour away.  Occupied since prehistoric times and once the capital of Lithuania, sacked and burnt in the 14th century, it's now just grass and trees.

Great museum with all sorts of finds and well documented information through the ages. Followed by a lovely walk through the site with its three castle mounds and reconstructed medieval houses.  Lunch by the river.

Lots of school parties as it's the end of the school year here. 

Learned a bit about "straw gardens" too.

Off to the far south of Lithuania and a national park tomorrow.

Oh and the jazz group were brilliant!

Vilnius and around part 1

Arrived here on Sunday, the last day of the annual "Pink soup" festival (beetroot) - well, it is almost the national dish!  But found a great Asian stall in the market.

Monday to the much-restored but still lovely castle at Trakai, in a beautiful setting, 

surrounded by a lake.  A great museum with loads of Lithuanian history and then picnic in the sun.  

Decided to do without the many Lithuanian forms of potato so bought a load of salad, easy in our apartment.  And it's strawberry season here now, so two this year.

Tuesday spent the day wandering around Vilnius not quite so flamboyant as Riga,

visiting the cathedral 

and the museum in the Palace of the Grand Dukes.  

Lots more tour groups here than Riga.  A jazz concert tonight by a group who play the music of Claude Bolling, apparently a well-known French jazz pianist.