Probably my last blog from Vilnius for a while:  Here are some photos of the churches in Vilnius. The miraculous Madonna at Aušros Vartai, the Gates of Dawn, is is believed to heal peoples ailments. The churches are fully baroque, but there seem to be more churches than the people need. One friend said it would be better if they sent buses to the suburbs and bus people into the old town, because there are too many churches and not enough people living near by.

The second largest city in Lithuania is Kaunas. It was also the temporary capital of the country during the short interwar period of independence. My close friends from Stockholm were visiting, so we decided to take a day trip to Kaunas to see the museum of the Lithaunian artist/composer Čiurlionis. There is a modern fast train that goes between the cities now, and it is as good as any European train and covers the distance in one hour.

Along the way, the train passes lots of small villages, that are typical of the country. People have their own little gardens, and that was partly how they survived the Soviet occupation. It seems that everyone still grows some of their own food, and makes preserves for the winter. That is why when the organic food movement started arriving in Lithuania, it was comical, because people already had their own organic vegetables and fruits.

Here are some photos of my favorite paintings by Čiurlionis.

Here are some photos of Kaunas

I am leaving Vilnius now for nearly a month, for a trip to South America. It is with mixed feelings that I am leaving. I have grown so fond of my daily routine here, with work, friends and exploring Vilnius and Lithuania. I will return. On Friday, I will be in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.