Black bread, beer, and beetroot.

[BonVivant]

This is the airport in the Lithuanian capital. It's tiny and looks more like a train station. Nothing that indicates it's an airport.

Just got here today.

 

Hit the supermarket straight away to pick up a few things. Californian pistachio packages have security locks on them.

 

"Super bakery". Didn't see any bread from outside, mostly pastries.

 

Catbus stop (?)

 

Tactile pavings are even next to the river so the visually impaired can enjoy walking along the river, too!

 

Went to the oldest brewery for the first and only meal today. It's a rustic building, the restaurant serves some Lithuanian traditional dishes and some newer ones. We went after lunch time to avoid the crowd. Locals started to come in soon after, for beer and snacks.

 

 

Black beer, lager, and IPA.

 

Guess which is most popular

 

Cold beetroot soup, always comes with potatoes and usually a hard boiled egg, but no egg here.

 

Charcuterie. My favourites are the smoked pig's ear and dried sausage.

 

Matjes with potatoes.

 

Crispy potatoes with mushrooms, Speck and cream.

 

For the cookware enthusiasts

 

It's a porky and potato paradise here. We never pass up an opportunity to indulge in potatoes.

 

Went for a walk during golden hour. So many of these annoying "E-steps" everywhere. Even middle-aged women zip past cars riding these electric bikes standing.

 

It's very warm today, very summery. Many men with fishing rods along the river.

 

[heidih]

Thanks for taking us on another adventure. I enjoyed the black and white photos - really gives a different perspective. Sounds like a pretty "heavy" cuisine.  The crispy potatoes with mushrooms Speck and cream would fit right in with my June Gloom weather here. 

[ElsieD]

How nice to read about your travels once again.  I love matjes, too bad we can't get them in Canada, at least not that I know of.   I'm curious about the potatoes with beetroot soup.  How do you eat the two of them?  On the side, cut up in the soup, or?

[BonVivant]

Lithuanian savoury pies. One of the traditional things to eat here.

 

Black bread. Another must do. Apparently, Lithuanians are the world's biggest rye eaters. We are big bread eaters so we try to eat black bread from a different shop every day.

 

First slice with avocado

 

The partner had to eat most of these as I preferred the black bread.

 

Some tourists ride these bikes. We bike every single day at home so we just want to walk here. Besides, it's easier for me to make photos all the time.

 

So many locals use this thing. They are left behind everywhere you turn.

 

600 year old bell tower. I have heard the views are fabulous up there. The plan is to walk up tomorrow.

 

Wanted to check out some Soviet-era canteens in town. The menu is short, food is simple and looks are not important. They are popular again now that cost of living is soaring. The tables are not cleaned after someone leaves, you bring the dirty dishes to a certain spot near the kitchen door, you don't linger when you are done eating.

 

5 tables with chairs and 5 standing tables. Locals are done eating in 5 minutes or less. The men usually eat standing.

 

People of all ages and walks of life eat at these canteens. The food is cheap and brings one feelings of childhood nostalgia.

 

National dish of Lithuania, "zeppelins", or potato dumplings filled with pork mince.

 

One of the theories is they got the idea from German potato dumplings (Bavarian style), changed the form (zeppelin) and used pork mince as a filling.

 

Cabbage rolls

 

Everyone ordered a cup of salty broth with the food

 

It's very hot and it's not officially summer yet. Have to rest in the shade often. Pubs don't open in early afternoon, this one opens from 3pm is the earliest.

 

One of the highly rated pubs in town. I thought it was just OK.

 

They have 4 fridges of craft beer

 

New deliveries kept arriving. Still not enough to make me stay. Will probably come back one more time before slagging it off.

 

And at the next pub near my lodging. Must have changed owners. Not really a true craft beer bar. We tried a honey ale anyway. Not too sweet, faint taste of honey. Btw, Lithuanians like their beer sweet(ish), I was told today by an employee in a craft beer bottle shop. No wonder most of the beer I've tried so far are smooth, sweetish and not too bitter.

 

Lay's crisps we have at home are almost worthless. Here they have novelties such as barbecue rib flavour and chanterelles.

 

 

Supermarkets are wonderful to explore. The herring section is BIG, it puts us to shame. In most supermarkets we have matjes and the kind in brine, that's it.

 

Smoked salmon carcasses! There's also smoked salmon trimmings.

 

I love walking round in a new place with my cameras.

 

Quiet street

 

Female camera operator

 

Fill your bottle for free. I see Lithuanians drink directly from the tap. I'm not adventurous when it comes to drinking tap water in most countries.

 

As far as I know, you eat the potatoes alongside the soup, as in not putting them in the soup. But the eggs can be pureed together with the beetroot and kefir. Btw, I posted this not that long ago (in the lunch thread).

 

HeidiH, Some people carry 2 phones, I carry 2 cameras (and no phone). This camera is for B&W photos.

 

Come back to my lodging, jump in the sauna, eat, drink and go to bed. Not tired from the walking, but I think from the high temperatures (outside).

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by BonVivant (log)

[MaryIsobel]

Thanks so much Bon Vivant for taking us along on your fabulous trips. I too, enjoy the black and white photos and your adventurous nature. It's the next best thing to being there!

 

[BonVivant]

Visited a weekly organic market to have a look. There are about a dozen stalls selling breads, fruits, vegs, dairy, snacks etc. Also plants. Prices are as high as at home,  but quality is higher and there are some interesting things we don't have (at home). I bought lots of fruits but the most anticipated were these lovely and delicious blue honeysuckle berries.

 

Strawberries are piled high everywhere at the moment. Also got concentrated blueberry juice. Every morning I eat a little mount of fresh fruits.

 

Took a short bus ride to a "gourmet market" outside the centre. They say that all this "gourmet" food and craft beer scene was unthinkable 10 years ago. Then ideas from abroad and money arrived.

 

Nothing is cheap here, for Lithuanian standards. Lots of imported high-end foodstuffs, as well as domestic products..

 

 

I like smoked pig's ears. Smoked snouts on right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snack bar makes pie from scratch

 

Took the photo on the way out. It's a new building.

 

Lunch at the oldest brewery again. They have a special day menu on this day. Many locals come to eat the special dishes of the day, but most popular are the zeppelins (potato dumplings).

 

Small knuckle with horseradish cream sauce, and Sauerkraut.

 

Got 2 dumplings. The shape indicates which filling it contains.

 

Left is pork mince, right is cottage cheese. Some fried Speck and lard and a big dollop of (soured) cream. Lithuanians eat a lot of cream. Apparently, it's soured cream but I don't taste it. To me it's mild, full fat thick cream. Very nice!

 

There's a good craft beer bottle shop inside the gourmet market. They have 6 taps for drinking standing or sitting down upstairs in the "food court". I tried the IPA. but bought 2 cold bottles to drink upstairs.

 

A small space with shelves of some international and domestic craft beers, plus 4 fridges of more beer.

 

Young and knowledegable staff told me this brewery is highly regarded at the moment. I got a NEIPA and hazy pale ale.

 

 

Crisps in the flavour of Lithuania's most popular soup (cold beetroot with kefir)

 

Didn't get this one

 

Found these in the supermarket. Of course they make one with potato dumpling flavour for this country.

 

 

Other photos:

 

I see delivery men riding this thing a hundred times a day. Delivery of food is so popular here. Don't people cook any more?

 

As far as I know, only one country has banned the E-step bikes.

 

Many buildings have inner courtyards, you see it after passing under a(n arched) entrance or doorway like this.

 

 

There's a bunch of "Italian" restaurants in town, some of them claim theirs are "true".

 

Timeless classy

 

I see crumbling buildings like this every day. Shame that nothing is being done about it.

 

He took a photo of them, she decided which filter to apply.

 

Nice craft beer bar

 

 

 

"Pink soup fest" is going on this week. A pamphlet lists restaurants serving the cold beetroot soup.

 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by BonVivant (log)

[Maison Rustique]

Wonderful photos! I want to try all the chips!! (Does anyone in So. Calif. remember when we had the eG potato chip tasting get-together a couple of decades or so ago?)

[BonVivant]

Self-respecting food lovers like to (must!) visit a local market in a new place.

 

If anyone doesn't like looking at market photos please skip this one.

 

The capital's central market. Quite nice, like a mini version of Budapest's central market. But Budapest is on another level, however. The fresh meat section is in a separate hall next to the charcuterie and fruit in the main hall. This market is where all the tourists come but locals also shop here. There's even a "guided food tour" but I'm not into that. The meat products in this post are all cured and wonderful looking.

 

Speck and fat slabs. They just don't have Mangalitsa pork fat like in Hungary.

 

 

Lithuanians like to snack on jerky, dried meats and cured sausages. There are beef and pork jerky, and the pork comes in several shapes/thickness/cuts etc.

 

 

Every type of Speck and fat has its use

 

This type of thick, pure fat is to be sliced very thinly and then put on a slice of bread.

 

The cured sausages are nice stuff

 

 

Many types of dried meat

 

A typical charcuterie shop. I looked at them all and decided to buy most things at this shop. The nice girl could vacuum seal all my purchases, besides, no problem with communication which speeds things up considerably.

 

Pickles

 

Gherkin brine

 

Gherkins are ready

 

Pickled garlic. Another stall also has it in a beetroot brine, looks a lot more beautiful.

 

Most people, including me, bought strawberries.

 

The only time I saw "white asparagus" was at the organic market the day before.

 

Rosé tomatoes. Not super sweet but refined in flavour. I bought several types, including this. Tasty.

 

They looked a bit dried out, didn't buy any.

 

Potatoes still have big chunks of soil attached. We have them at home, too.

 

Each is a different type of black or rye bread.

 

I bought a chunk of "heritage black bread" weighing 1,3kg. These rye breads are very heavy and substantial.

 

 

[BonVivant]

Before leaving the market I had a beer at this bar. Exactly what I was looking for, beer and smoked fish.

 

 

 

In Lithuania you can buy draught beer to go. The plastic bottles are 1 litre.

 

Some tourists bought smoked fish whilst I was in the bar.

 

No sturgeon here, just catfish.

 

After the market we had to take all the shopping back to the lodging and did some more walking so I could take photos of non-food stuff. Then it was time for some cold beer and food, in a neighbourhood dive bar.

 

Smoked pig's ear. Served in many non pretentious local bar/pub.

 

Not the fried dumplings I had in mind. These were deep-fried, not pan-fried. They had pork filling.

 

Housemade boiled dumplings with pork filling _and_  extra minced pork. Should have ordered 2 plates of these instead. Tasty filling and good dough.

 

All the IPA we tried

 

 

The cheese curd "pancakes" were also good.

 

And then... more beer, at another bar. Lithuania has an established brewing tradition and it's only natural that the craft beer scene has taken off in recent years.

 

This is the most popular and highly rated craft beer bar in the capital. The beer library. Cleaver logo (book on its spine turns into a beer glass).

 

 

 

A row of taps. Beer at this bar is the most expensive but all the beer enthusiasts come here anyway.

 

 

Back at the lodging we ate a light meal of black bread, young cheese and charcuterie.

 

[lindag]

Can I have your job?  Please?

[heidih]

Wow that black/dark bread selection is great. Reminds me of something a herd tender would put in his Ruksack along with some of the dried/cured meats to sustain himself all day taking the flock to best grazing. I can almost smell that cured meat scent. Walking into such shops (my Madeleine moment) in Ajaccio. Again compliments on your black & whites - great light captures.

[MaryIsobel]

3 hours ago, BonVivant said:

Self-respecting food lovers like to (must!) visit a local market in a new place.

 

If anyone doesn't like looking at market photos please skip this one.

 

The capital's central market. Quite nice, like a mini version of Budapest's central market. But Budapest is on another level, however. The fresh meat section is in a separate hall next to the charcuterie and fruit in the main hall. This market is where all the tourists come but locals also shop here. There's even a "guided food tour" but I'm not into that. The meat products in this post are all cured and wonderful looking.

 

Speck and fat slabs. They just don't have Mangalitsa pork fat like in Hungary.

 

 

Lithuanians like to snack on jerky, dried meats and cured sausages. There are beef and pork jerky, and the pork comes in several shapes/thickness/cuts etc.

 

 

Every type of Speck and fat has its use

 

This type of thick, pure fat is to be sliced very thinly and then put on a slice of bread.

 

The cured sausages are nice stuff

 

 

Many types of dried meat

 

A typical charcuterie shop. I looked at them all and decided to buy most things at this shop. The nice girl could vacuum seal all my purchases, besides, no problem with communication which speeds things up considerably.

 

Pickles

 

Gherkin brine

 

Gherkins are ready

 

Pickled garlic. Another stall also has it in a beetroot brine, looks a lot more beautiful.

 

Most people, including me, bought strawberries.

 

The only time I saw "white asparagus" was at the organic market the day before.

 

Rosé tomatoes. Not super sweet but refined in flavour. I bought several types, including this. Tasty.

 

They looked a bit dried out, didn't buy any.

 

Potatoes still have big chunks of soil attached. We have them at home, too.

 

Each is a different type of black or rye bread.

 

I bought a chunk of "heritage black bread" weighing 1,3kg. These rye breads are very heavy and substantial.

 

 

Amazing! I have very serious market envy and as usual, your photos are fabulous.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 hours ago, BonVivant said:

Before leaving the market I had a beer at this bar. Exactly what I was looking for, beer and smoked fish.

 

 

 

In Lithuania you can buy draught beer to go. The plastic bottles are 1 litre.

 

Some tourists bought smoked fish whilst I was in the bar.

 

No sturgeon here, just catfish.

 

After the market we had to take all the shopping back to the lodging and did some more walking so I could take photos of non-food stuff. Then it was time for some cold beer and food, in a neighbourhood dive bar.

 

Smoked pig's ear. Served in many non pretentious local bar/pub.

 

Not the fried dumplings I had in mind. These were deep-fried, not pan-fried. They had pork filling.

 

Housemade boiled dumplings with pork filling _and_  extra minced pork. Should have ordered 2 plates of these instead. Tasty filling and good dough.

 

All the IPA we tried

 

 

The cheese curd "pancakes" were also good.

 

And then... more beer, at another bar. Lithuania has an established brewing tradition and it's only natural that the craft beer scene has taken off in recent years.

 

This is the most popular and highly rated craft beer bar in the capital. The beer library. Cleaver logo (book on its spine turns into a beer glass).

 

 

 

A row of taps. Beer at this bar is the most expensive but all the beer enthusiasts come here anyway.

 

 

Back at the lodging we ate a light meal of black bread, young cheese and charcuterie.

 

 

Wonderful that they could vacuum seal your purchases to order.

 

[MaryIsobel]

11 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Wonderful that they could vacuum seal your purchases to order.

 

 

11 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Wonderful that they could vacuum seal your purchases to order.

 

We are fortunate enough to have a multi generational butcher/ sausage place nearby. They are so accomodating, We buy a couple of pounds of their fabulous bacon a few times a year. They always ask how many strips do you want (vacuum packed) in each package. One time my husband jokingly said "one" and had to convince the woman he wasn't serious. It's a great service and smart marketing because if you're there anyway, why not buy more since it is so well packaged?

[BonVivant]

We walked up a hill for the views

 

That's the hill and former castle from where I took the photo above

 

Colours of Santorini

 

Young people enjoying the summer

 

For lunch we went to a basement restaurant. The kind of restaurant where the staff are dressed in traditional garments and the deco is traditional, and the food is also mostly traditional. It's a nice place, like being transported back to another age. But then Lithuania was like that not that long ago.

 

Cold beetroot soup

 

"Farmer's Feast" is a big meal. We managed to finish half and took the rest back to the lodging for another day.

 

Zeppelin dumpling, mashed potatoes in a sausage casing. And back there are potato pancakes.

 

The potatoesausage thing had an intense smell, it came from the sausage casing. The smell also penetrated the potato so the partner ate my half, too. Rendered Speck in a little pail for topping and moistening these specific things.

 

Sausage and pig's knuckle/hock, both small in size. If you have eaten Schweinehaxe in Germany this one is a mini version of that, the part lower down the leg.

 

Dinner back at the lodging later...  In a big supermarket I was observing locals who came to the smoked fish counter. Many of them bought smoked salmon carcasses. They looked good and I was curious so I had to buy one. Basically, it's a carcass with some meat still attached, and is hot smoked. The tail is folded in the photo.

 

Pea shoots and broccoli cress bought at the organic market. I also got sunflower and radish cresses. After trying sunflower and pea shoots I now scoff at radish and broccoli cresses.

 

Bought the black bread at another market. This chunk here weighs 1,3kg (about 2,8lbs).

 

This is actually vegetarian "trout roe". Looks exactly like the real thing, doesn't taste half bad, either. It's the first time I've come across such a thing so I had to try it.

 

The smoked salmon has spices and chilli flakes. Buy this if you like to gnaw on bones (I do).

 

A couple of beer after our sauna session

 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by BonVivant (log)

[BonVivant]

B&W photos that are not food related.

 

Nice iron gate that opens to an inner garden and is an access to flats. It's a common setting.

 

Strong backlight and deep shadows

 

 

 

The black outline on these white structures makes them look like a drawing.

 

Street lamps and the hangers

 

Kayakers were passing by at the exact moment

 

Menu spotted on pavement. Beaver pâté is part of a multi-course meal.

 

Part of a structure (in photo below).

 

One of the remaining Soviet-era structures. Back then it was a "palace of sports". There are plans to renovate and turn it into something modern in a near future.

 

Hold still! The white bell tower in the national square, where locals and tourists like to visit or hang out. Many national events also take place here.

 

Coffee culture, they have it here, too.

 

I've been looking and finally found it. A manhole cover from Soviet era.

 

Street name signs are big are number signs are even bigger. But why don't they put the number dead in the middle, though?!!!

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

@BonVivant, what technology do you use for your b&w photographs?  Are they film, a monochrome sensor, or were they originally color images?

 

Also, with regard to the scent of the sausage casing permeating the potato, was that smell a good flavor, or was your partner being kind?

 

[BonVivant]

Did lots of walking today. Beetroot soup fest was going on in the capital and there was this huge thing nowhere near the touristy centre that I saw by chance. Had to make this photo in colour, obviously.

 

Kept running into wedding photo shoots every day. They are exactly like people on "socials", striking a super fake pose in the blink of an eye and then seamlessly flipping back to their normal selves.

 

This most popular shopping street in the centre is closed to automobiles at weekends. Restaurants and cafes on both sides of the street take advantage of it. It got crowed soon after I made the photo, which was earlier in the day.

 

Across the street from my lodging... sun shines on an old iron gate, droopy branches as a frame.

 

There are many nice parks and green spaces everywhere. Unlike at home, the government can't wait to turn every last patch of greenery into houses and flat buildings!

 

The capital still has trolley buses in service. They use both old and newer trolley buses for different routes.

 

An enduring icon of Lithuania, seen through the high columns.

 

And between the trees

 

I'm always on the look out for urban geometry and minimalism.

 

Central market, the one I visited first soon after my arrival. It's touristy but still one shouldn't skip it.

 

A mini flea market a couple of streets from the central market

 

I've taken many photos of door handles everywhere I visit but the following 2 are quite different.

 

 

-----------

Lunch at a restaurant-pub (pub that also serves freshly cooked food). We beat the peak lunch time by about 5 minutes. Many employees in the area came here on their lunch break. We were the only tourists, we had the time to eat slowly and drink many beers. The pub has a dozen beer taps and is on many beer enthusiasts' itinerary but because it's a bit far to walk from the centre they don't usually come round till later.

 

We ordered soup and warm meals of the day. The nice employee translated the menu to me. Every day of the week they have a different set of meals, the menu also changes every week and with the seasons.

 

Potato pancakes

 

Chicken with mushrooms in cream. Roasted potatoes underneath.

 

Beers on tap were also good.

 

They have 4 cask taps, but unfortunately, only in use when the beer is in good condition. Btw, the massive facial hair trend in the craft beer scene has not reached Lithuania. How refreshing. In certain countries it's so prevalent, exactly the same look or style in every beer bar. And unlike in some countries, the bald gene in Lithuania is rare, at least in the young. I counted 3 (old men), never once in a beer bar.

 

Supermarkets stock good quality craft beer. Much better than the same boring stuff we have at home.

 

 

 

My first sweet IPA. Couldn't drink it. Non sweet IPAs I had were all fine.

 

On 7/2/2023 at 11:23 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

what technology do you use for your b&w photographs?  Are they film, a monochrome sensor, or were they originally color images?

 

Also, with regard to the scent of the sausage casing permeating the potato, was that smell a good flavor, or was your partner being kind?

 

This is my "monochrome" camera (see beer photo in restaurant above). These days I only use it for B&W photos. Fujifilm cameras are highly configurable to achieve the looks of film stocks or any style you want by adjusting colours/contrast/clarity/highlight/shadow/white balance shift etc. I take all B&W photos using in camera B&W settings.

 

In digital camera world it's considered a "dinosaur". I have had it for 10 years. The old bird (my camera that is!) still turns heads! I got asked many times if it's an analogue camera.

 

The sausage casing is from the large intestine, and the stench comes from the colon. I know people in some cultures enjoy eating and smelling it.

Edited July 9, 2023 by BonVivant (log)

[BonVivant]

Wanted to browse this market but it was closed on this day of the week.

 

I noticed many (beautiful) old houses in the area of the market so I decided to look round. Picked a side street across from the market and started from there.

 

Sheds and letterbox station

 

Letterbox station

 

All the old/traditional houses have natural wood exterior. Some are well maintained, many are not.

 

 

Some are "abandoned". I think so. Doors and windows are boarded up. I approached a young man walking towards me here, asking about the old wooden houses in the area. As I have suspected and the young man confirmed it, nobody takes care of the property after the owners pass away. One day they government will give everyone in this neighbourhood an offer they can't refuse. They'll buy the land and turn it into a new modern commercial district. The young man said only a couple of years ago this very street was just a dirt road. Today it's professionally sealed and has a raised bike lane.

 

Eerily beautiful.

 

Here you can see a brand new glass-covered building right next to a wooden house.

 

And in front of the glass building in photo above is a dirt road, as mentioned by the young man I spoke with.

 

Whole logs on the sides of the house

 

Huge house number with street name. The same all the way to Georgia Republic. I guess it's Soviet style.

 

Next to a Soviet-era flat building is a simple swing set. The seats are very thin now.

 

 

Only 2 streets away is the all-new development. They have these wooden pod-like things on the grass, like a private space in the open to chill. If we have this at home they would vandalise it if they can't steal it!

 

A public bench.

 

This is a common thing as I kept seeing it all day: an old door with code lock.

 

Even the door knob is made of wood (same door in photo above)

 

There are many designs, I took photos of a couple nice ones only.

 

One of the analogue clocks on the street

 

 

[BonVivant]

Traditional pastry from a town somewhere else in Lithuania but is popular all over the nation, sold at kiosks in various locations. It's OK. Give me Bolivian salteña any day.
I got 1 with lamb and 1 with mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light meal and beer later

 

From Latvia

 

Salmon roe

 

 

 

 

And more beer at a nice local pub earlier

 

 

 

 

[KennethT]

I just saw this!  Thank you very much for posting your travels. Lithuania (and the other Baltics) is somewhere I may never get to.  Do you speak any of the local language or do you find that English is widely spoken?

[BonVivant]

Went back to a market we had wanted to visit the day before, it was closed then. This very local market is nowhere near the touristy centre, located in a neighbourhood full of traditional houses with natural wood exterior. Seemed we were the only 2 tourists there. I didn't make many photos as it was crowded. Fish and meat halls are in another section, charcuterie and a couple of cheese stalls share the same hall.

There are 2 wonderful herb stalls immediately after the entrance. Herbs that are hung upside down are drinking or something else.

 

Looks like fresh yeast I have at home. Turns out it's halva. (The yeast at home comes in a brick like these, also same colour.)

 

Lithuanian grown strawberries. Good prices, too. We pay twice as much at home.

 

Doesn't matter that the stalls sell, some of them also have honey. Lithuanians love honey. Too bad I couldn't take any with me. Next time I need to put a rucksack in the hold for honey and tinned sprats.

 

Not many varieties of tomatoes in the shops and markets (Lithuanian cuisine is not tomato-heavy). But I still enjoy checking them out.

 

This type is big and heavy. We have something similar at home called meaty/fleshy tomato. Looks and tastes better here, though.

 

These have more taste than the rest of the bunch.

 

Some stalls have several types of cherries, but none has the huge, deep dark, fleshy, juicy ones.

 

Wish we had this at home. Love beetroots, the tops slightly more.

 

Open air area of the market is where potatoes and plants are sold.
A hot chilli pepper. As far as fresh goes, I prefer scotch bonnet.

 

So many types of potatoes sold at a typical local market. Lithuania puts us, a potato eating country, to shame in terms of availability.

 

 

 

On 7/23/2023 at 11:19 PM, KennethT said:

I just saw this!  Thank you very much for posting your travels. Lithuania (and the other Baltics) is somewhere I may never get to.  Do you speak any of the local language or do you find that English is widely spoken?

 

I don't speak the language but no problem communicating with the younger generations. They speak English quite well. With older people I used a translation app.

 

The Baltic countries are popular with Scandinavian tourists, also Germans and Poles. Hah! Poles are quick to point out the dishes or food in Lithuania that's actually Polish. Haven't made it too Latvia (yet) but Estonians say Lithuanian food is "not good". But hey, I like Estonian food also.

[BonVivant]

This is the new/modern commercial centre they are developing. Not going at an insane speed like I saw in the Albanian capital (which is trying their best to erase the whole town and turning it into something ugly modern).

 

Below the footbridge where I took the photo above. The younger generations don't know what it's like to endure hardship under communism. Now they like to play and and spend money.

 

2 streets away is the neighbourhood where I made a bunch of photos of traditional wooden houses. This very road used to be a dirt road until 2 years ago.

 

Found another Soviet-era manhole cover. Hard to find them and no older than 1987.

 

Old frying pan. Spunka is a typical local pub serving local beers. There are a few locations in the capital.

 

Throngs of (packaged) tourists in the centre and touristy sites it's nice to find an empty lane.

 

 

The bus station is far from the centre, we walked all the way there to pick up black bread sent by the bakery in another town. Came across this (wine) restaurant  on the way to the bus station... menu is on the old door. (And the name of the place)

 

Another old door, much older and a lot more beautiful, also massive.

 

 

Typical entrance and doorway

 

Swing under a bridge

 

 

[BonVivant]

(Very nice) NEIPA and an OK local lager at a random restaurant that has taps.

 

 

Went back to a favourite "Spunka" (a type of local pub that serves only local brews). Friendly staff and regulars, not to mention English-speaking. This one would be my local pub if I lived here.

 

Tiny place. Pretty much the same regulars we saw on each visit, they came at different times.

 

And almost every single stool is like this...

 

On the way to the Spunka/pub... beer shop?

 

And on the way back from the pub... It's a beer bar that didn't make my list. Many next time.

 

Yes, please.

 

No, thanks.

 

After all, why not.

 

Egotistical *holes exist everywhere. This one still tried to drive through with all the pedestrians in the middle of crossing at the same time.

 

 

[BonVivant]

Last lunch in Vilnius was at this legendary Soviet-era canteen (far from the centre but we enjoyed the walk and photo ops). Had a hard time finding it but we did, eventually, with help from a pensioner in his flat on the first floor. He saw us in the little mirror and poked his head out the window asking what we were trying to find. We looked up the Lithuanian word for "canteen" and told him. He pointed enthusiastically in the direction we had just come from (but we couldn't find the canteen there, obviously). He kept pointing at the other direction said "go back that way, it's right there" so vehemently that we had to try again to find it.

 

We had been inside this building twice, also round the back twice. But it's where the canteen is located. Looks like a school or government building (complete with 70's/80's font).

 

Round the back. Only now we had realised this was the way to the canteen because... "valgykla" means canteen (*slap forehead*).

 

Also saw this twice. A long, dark corridor. The door was closed both times.

 

There was already a small queue. As we moved closer to the counter I asked someone in the queue what the dishes were on a printed sheet (they serve different typical Lithuanian dishes every day). The boss at the counter called someone from the kitchen to help me with the ordering.

 

We were lucky a table for 2 had just become available. The place is small and plain, (office) workers and students, also people who live nearby come for lunch (the only time the canteen is open) so you eat and leave when you are done, bring your plates and cutlery to the little hatch door on the way out. Nobody cleans the table (I used napkins) and remember someone is waiting for your table so get going as soon as you are done eating.

 

Beetroot soup, one is cold and one is hot.

 

 

Zeppelins (potato dumplings filled with minced pork).

 

Cabbage rolls

 

A kind of fried dough. Not too sweet, nice and airy.

 

I ordered the meal by pointing randomly at the menu. Everything tasted better than all other places I ate the whole week. And it was ridiculously cheap! Kind staff, also. A good local experience. The place was packed as soon as we sat down at our table. When we left the queue was half way down the corridor. They serve the same food like back in the Soviet days and the quality remains the same, plus the prices are still affordable that's why it's packed every day.

 

The rest of the last day we did more walking and beer drinking. When I was making this photo an employee approached me and gave me a card with name of the teahouse "can you tag us?". I took the card and said sure. (I am not on "socials", not a part of any of this platform.)

 

Furniture abstract. It's not a B&W photo.

 

We went to a favourite pub several times, this swing was on the same street. Popular with the local teenagers.

 

 

Many more beers at this nice local pub

 

The regulars let us try this insane-proof spirit. Even they could barely drink it. We each had a tiny sip.

 

Later, here at home...

Artisanal black bread. Hand-made loaves, weighing about 3 kilos each.

 

And smaller loaves from a different shop. I portioned the big loaves and put them in the freezer. Have gone through half the bread so far.

 

I bought the same charcuterie at different market stalls, this is some of it. The Speck here looks very lean. They are not usually this lean.

 

Smoked pig's ears (in strips for easy snacking) and more Speck on the left.

 

Air-dried sausages

 

Beef jerky (plus more beef jerky in vac pack underneath)

 

Pork jerky

 

All the charcuterie is good and of high quality. Unfortunately, the Latvian smoked sprats didn't pass Lithuanian customs clearance. They confiscated all the tins. We paid for extra cabin bags to bring all this home. Next time 1 bag would go in the hold. No other way to bring honey and tinned fish back. We were still eating Lithuanian tomatoes and fruits for a couple of weeks later.

 

The capital left a good impression on us. Next time we would like to visit smaller towns and the coast for more amazing black bread, beer and whatever else I'm sure we'd enjoy.

 

Thanks for your patience. This was my impression of the Lithuanian capital and I hope to return and visit other places in the country some day, for the black bread and beer alone is already enough.

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by BonVivant (log)