Another hidden wonder of a city.

Juggling a soviet past with modern chic.

I have found Vilnius far younger and cooler than Riga.

Here I have found the fabled Hipsters S and I searched for in Latvia.

There is in fact a Hipster Republic here. An artists refuge has developed here and receded from Lithuania. Every where I turn there seems to be young, trendy people with analogue cameras and beards and shit – I saw someone riding a unicycle home from work today, just moments before I wandered into the midst of a protest. The students organising it all had crazy coloured flags and there was a 20 foot long dragon that they could get in and drive around and breathe fire out of and they chanted and sound very angry about something. I watched, clueless.

I also found lentils that haven’t cost a fortune. It’s the little victories in life.

The hostel here is small and homely, the kind that I dream of opening some day. There’s a free homemade breakfast every morning.

The next step is Warsaw, although I must admit I am not exactly looking forward to it. Then to Budapest for a week or two. Then in to Italy to see Elisa and stay a while. Then up to Denmark, I can try and hit the other spots on the way. Vienna for Lomo, Prague for Fashion and somehow, Sarajevo to complete the dream.

I have a lot of photos so I am planning a post of photos alone. For now you can read the previous installment in this series here and the next one where I arrive in Budapest here

The Hipster Republic

There is a place in Vilnius

Where the cobbled streets are thin

There the artists all are bearded

And expression is the thing.

When you cross the little stream

Have your documents to hand for

What was once an April dream

Is now a foreign land.