Morning begins with short ride to city of Trakai, de facto medieval capital because Duke Vytautas the Great preferred landscapes with scenic lakes and islands over Vilnius. After short boat ride around the lake we explored the Trakai castle built. To fend off German Knights. The castle was once an. Island but today is a peninsula. We then had lunch at a restaurant owned by local Karims, who belong to the oldest Turkish tribe, Kipchaks, who were brought from Crime...

After 13 hours of travel we arrived in Vilnius to join our group. Our guide, Vita, conducted a short orientation walk, followed group meeting about the trip. Admittedly, Robert and I were having a difficult time staying awake. Dinner was in a local restaurant. Today our morning started with a walk with a local guide around the old town of Vilnius. There 2 cathedrals across the street from the hotel, St. Anne and St. Paul. Much of the architecture is Baroque style...