The bad news for today was that the people who ran the Museum of Genocide Victims (aka KGB Museum) decided that today, being fathers day, they would not be opening the museum even though it was scheduled to open. Our local guide had been notified the day before and after calling the director could not get them to change their mind. It reminder her of the days under Russian rule and autocratic decision making.

The good news was that the weather was again fantastic (high of 28ºC).

Promptly on the bus at 0830 we did a half hour tour of the city with a few stops for picture opportunities. We are staying up in the old part of town with a lot of old churches and houses. Across the river was the newer part of town with its newer high rise buildings. The older part of town had been allowed to be renovated under Russian rule while the new town had all been build since the withdrawal of Russian rule in 1991. At one point we were on a lookout and the vast number of churches in the city became very apparent with steeples punctuating the horizon everywhere. Lithuania is mainly Catholic (92%) with about 7% being Russian Orthodox and the remainder being mainly Jewish. Lithuania was the last European country to move away from paganism. This occurred in 1387 as a result of the a Lithuanian Duke marrying a Polish (Christian) princess. He had to be baptised for this union to go ahead. During our walk a Black Madonna was pointed out to us in one of the churches. This is the first time we have seen this and there is a lot of debate over why these paintings have been done to the point that it may have been something to do with the materials in the paint etc.

Our next stop was a 20 minute drive away so we were provided with lots of information about Vilnius and Lithuania; some of it follows. Lithuania has a population of about 3.5 million with the largest city and capital being Vilnius. Vilnius is a large city (400 sq km) with a small population (550,000). By 1940 the Jewish population was about 35% of the city and there were about 100 synagogues. This population is now 3 - 4,000 with 2 synagogues. Vilnius was founded in 1323. The first use of the Lithuanian name dated back to 1009 and they have just recently (2009) celebrated their millenium. Lithuania has about 3,000 lakes and the average income is €3,500.

We next arrived at the 14th century Trakai Castle about 25km out of Vilnius. The castle was located on an island on Lake Galve. Restoration of the castle has been an on and off affair originally starting in the 19th century but finally completed in the 1960s. It has been restored to what it could have resembled in the 15th century.

After having a snack lunch of Kininai, a local Karaite meat pastry similar to a Cornish Pasty we boarded the bus to return to Vilnius and the KGB Museum where we were taken for a walk around the outside of the KGB building and informed about the attrocities that went on during
the Russian occupation. Lithuanians, and no doubt people in other Soviet occupied countries, still have concerns about the KGB. President Vladimir Putin once told a reporter in an interview there was no such thing as an ex KGB - “Once KGB always KGB”. Some of the blocks on the external wall of the museum have the names of 50 people who had been positively identified in a mass grave of 700 people killed by the KGB. There were more than 1,000 people thought to have been executed (shot) in the building by the KGB. Our guide was visibly upset.

Back at the hotel we said goodbye to our passionate guide and then had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves so we wandered around the market down the road from the hotel and explored some of the back streets of Vilnius.

It doesn't end here though as tonight we attended another optional extra on the tour – Folklore, Concert and Dinner. We signed up for this evening along with another 28 from the tour. What a fun evening. A traditional band on 5 people sang, played and danced and then, after we were liquored up a bit (and relaxed) mingled invited some of us up to participate. Both of us particpated; Anne with a couple of dances, Bruce with a couple of dances, a blind folded beer drinking competition against a Scot (each of them had to hold the glass for the other one) and nail hammering. Bruce said it is the last time he sits on the aisle of the table. He says his dancing partner was nice though! There was one disappointment during the evening. One of the
dishes was supposed to be cepelinai – a national dish made with fresh boiled potatoes stuffed with minced meat or cottage cheese with a beer. The (trainee) chef screwed up and over boiled the potatos so we did not have it. No problem though as we were now given unlimited drinks for the rest of the night! It was a fun evening and helped the group to get to know each other better.