Brave New World - Lithuania

We all have stereotypes about peoples and places that are often extremely difficult to dispel. For instance: Russians are rude; Japan is expensive; English food is terrible and it is always sunny in Paris. None of these statements are true today, in fact the opposites are nearer the mark. But, unless you travel to these places and meet the people it is unlikely that you will be convinced. So – for many people the ex-Eastern Bloc countries are probably still grey, dour and controlled by dangerous men. This is the Lithuanian Presidential Palace in Vilnius – not a jack-booted guard in sight and the twice-elected President is a woman, Dalia Grybauskaitė

The Baltic countries that emerged from behind the Iron Curtain a quarter of a century ago are now thoroughly modern Western democracies with first world infrastructure.
However, with few exceptions, our sightseeing is dictated by online travel guides who steer us to the historic hotspots and we rarely visit the places where ordinary folk live, work and play. Would we visit Rome if it weren't for the Colosseum and St. Peter's? Would Paris be a draw without the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame? But in a few centuries time will future generations stare in awe at today's modern apartment blocks in Vilnius?...

Maybe they will take guided tours of this giant shopping mall...

and wonder what madness led us to believe that we needed 15 different shoe shops?...

Or will they question our need to have 40 different coffee makers and more than 60 different electric kettles on offer in a single store...

Beyond the old city centres of Tallin, Riga and Vilnius there is a new world that is, if anything, more advanced than our own. All three Baltic countries have world-class internet, a well maintained network of roads and excellent public transit. There are giant new factories, big box stores, dealerships of Audis, BMWs and every other car maker and the farmland seems well utilised. There are still vestiges of the recent past. Not all the old buildings have been renovated or demolished but, unlike in our own cities, we have not witnessed beggars on the streets or the homeless sleeping in shop doorways. We have been impressed by the cleanliness of the streets and the neatness of the parks and people's gardens. We have certainly been impressed with the food and our Thanksgiving Dinner in Vilnius started with stuffed Lithuanian potato dumplings, followed by Pork loin in mushroom sauce...

For desert we had fruity black bread pudding – delicious.
Tomorrow we tour old Vilnius.
Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian friends and family.