Memorial photos and my impressions of the Baltic counties trip(3/4) Kaunas, Vilnius, Trakai, Tartu.

I would like to summarize my impressions of Baltic countries based on my pictuires as below,

1. Kaunas of Lithuania
1-1 The Lady welcome me standing in the front of the door 
I bought new SIM card at Parnu and I could use my smart phone at Parnu. But unfortunately when I entered to Latvia my smart phone changed suddenly to out of wave. But there are many Wi-Fi spot at Riga city, so from Riga to Kaunas I could not use smart phone. It means that I could not contact the owner of Kaunas via Airbnb, if I could not use Wi-Fi. So the owener little bit worried about my arrival and welcomed me at the front of the door. I was so grad to see her.

1-2 The people is so cheerful and charming
After check out I went to the city and I immediately bought new SIM card. Then I can use smart phone! Oh! Good! Thanks god! When I walked on the street people looks very happy and cheerful. And I was surprised people used the self standing boad as picture below,

1-3 The smart card for the bus and tram at KAUNAS city. 
Smart card for bus and tram is very useful so I bought the prepaid card as picture belows. If I pay cash I should pay 1 Euro for bus ride, but if I use this smart card it cost only 0.7 Euro. Basic cost is 1.5 Euro. So break even point is 5 times. But at that time I can not calculate appropriate and charge for four times access. It is OK because, it is rechargable.

1-4 The house of Chiune Sugihara
Kaunas is very famous for a Japanese nnamed Chiune Sugihara who save more than 6000 Jewish people based on his humanizm during world war II. The Chiune Museum is close to city and it is only 10 minites walk from bus center. But the route is difficult to find because there are no signal or direction. But my smart phone guided me to the best route and finally I can be arrived at the house as pictuire belows.

1-5 The memorial musium is open!
Oh my god! The musium was under construction. And it seems not open. But when I look arround the house I find a small signal that wrote "Entrance" in Japanese. So I tried to enter a small gate and found that the musium was open!

1-6 Lady did welcome and guide inside.
Cute lady was there and welcomed me with smile. She saild the musium is open from 11 to 16, and it was just 11 o`clock! Lucky! She guided me and let me see two movies which is very moving stories producted by Yaotsu-city where Chiune was born and by Tsuruga-city where Jewish people were first arrived in Japan.

1-7 Lunch and beer watching young people skating at MAXIMA CANCAN
After visiting Chiune musium I went to MAXIMA, famous shopping center and eat lunch at CANCAN pizza house with beer and fruits parfait. Because the beer is cheaper than water. Mineral water 250cc cost 2 Euro but 500cc beer cost 1.79 Euro. I think I should choice the cheaper one^^)

1-8 People loves bicycle and self standing boad.
There are many people who love bicycle and dedicated lane for bicycle is also available. I found also the people who enjoy using self standing electric boad. I found that the ants and the grasshopper near a building. The story is famous as Aesop`s fable and the pictuires war drawn by a painter of Kaunas.
 

1-9 Catherdral church front of the city hall.
Near city hall we can see cathedral castle. Kaunas people are very religious peple and at the same time they seems to love new ones. I like Kaunas because they seems to love dynamizm between old ones and new ones.
 

1-10 A lots of cafe shop on the main street.
There are lots of atractive cafe on the main street. The street is some 20m wide and it is for pedestians and bicycle not for car. I often see Vero Cafe, Green Cafe, Cafe In and so on. Miesto Sodas is the restaurant that I visited yesterday and tast goog.

2. Vilniius
2-1 NARVESEN is convenient for daily life.
The bus to Vilnius was scheduled to depart 11:15. The breakfast that I had was only peach fruit so I felt a little bit hungry. I choosed a hot-dog as pictuire lowerer right. And it was delicioius. Narvesen is very convinient and very usuful. 

2-2 Moving from Kaunas to Vilnius let us meet.
I use bus from Kaunas to Vilnius and I am little bit surprised because it is not big as usual but small. And when I sat the designated seat, there are no display no cafe service and no WC. But two young ladies sat next me and they said they are university classmate at Netherland. Lady at left side on picture is from Rossia and at middle side lives Kaunas. When I said hello in Lithuania language she looks to be surprized at me and we were getting to be a friend. But we separated at the bus center because I need to check in the house I will stay at Vilnius.

2-3 Saint Yohane chuch next to Vilnius University.
After check in the house I visited Viinius University and St. Yohane church which top floor we can see around the church. I steped up stair to the top floor even there are elevator. But when I stepped down I choose to use elevator. The down way was much easier.
 

2-4 Chiune Sugihara Sakura Park
At north part of the Neris river at Vilnius city there are Chiune Sugihara Sakura Park and we can find a memorial stones that Waseda University had presented cherry trees and praise Mr. Chiune Sugihara by his great achievement.

3. Trakai
3-1 Where is TRAKAI?
The Airbnb owner strongly advised me to visit Trakai, 26km west from the center of Vilnius. Oh my god! Trakai is very beautiful. Thanks a lot. The bus fee is only 1.8 Euro from Vilnius to Kaunas, and it takes less than one hour.

3-2 How to get Trakai Island Castle
From bus stop of Kaunas we need to walk half one hour to the cstle. Beach side path is longer but highly recommended because it is very silent and tree cut the sunshine. So it is excelent promenade to the Kaunas castle.

3-3 Beautiful beach and people
People enjoy swimming in the lake ride a boat on the lake. On the way to the Trakai castle, you can find white monument as pictuire right. 

3-4 Bird family have a breakfast on the beachside
Waterfowl family were pecking the breakfast on the side of beach and they were not afraid of human being. They are very cute. Continuous photos as lower picture are that the water fowl just dives into the lake,

3-5 TRAKAI Island Castle
The picture below is the scenary of the Trakai castles. Main cstle and Side castle are very beautiful in harmony.

3-6 Inside of TRAKAI Island Castle(Entrance hall)
There are many kind of exbitions in the side castle exbition area.

3-7 TRAKAI Island Castle (Main hall)
The castle palace is separated by movable gate from the forecastle as picture low left. I found Japanese girl and nice guy, and she said that it is not haney moon tour.

3-8 TRAKAI Island Castle (Garden)
A boy was arrested by his father and tried to escape but the boy understood that it is very hard. His younger brother also try to be arrested but he is so small so he can not hang on. Young girl took a pictuire by her grandfather`s smart phone as upper middle picture. Two high school girls tried to sell blueberry but only few seems to be sold.

3-9 Runch at a restaurant beach side
I took a pizza and beer as a lunch at lake side restaurant. It was delicious and also nice view! Even it was only one pizza but I was satisfied with it and I was full!

4. Vilius(again)
4-1 Vilnius TV Tower
I also visit vilnius TV tower which hight is 326.5m and the ovservatory is at 165m hight. But it is not the place but restaurant which rotate in 45m so people can enjoy food and scenary. But oh my god! I deposited my bagage include my purse in coin locker at ground floor, so at ovservatory I can not order anything. It is too sad!
 

4-2 Gediminas Tower is must place to visit.
On second day of Vilnius I visited Gediminas tower based on my friend advice and I understand that the area is must to visit! The castle is on the hill and near Neris river. You can crime the hill by stepping the stone paving path. There are also escalator but not in operation. On the top of the hill you should decied to enter the castle or not. The fee is 5 Euro. I decied to crime the castle, but after crime second floor I was guided to grand floor! I was little bit disapointed because I misunderstood it was finish. But the tour of the castle is just at beginning. I guided another small stairs to 3rd floor! Wow nice view! After 3rd floor is fouth floor! Wow nice view! After that people can enjou full panorama view on the roof top of the castle! It is wonderful! 

4-3 The view from the top of Gediminus Tower
I took two panorama pictuire as below, ① is the normal panorama that horizon is straight line. ② is the panorama picture that the horizon line curving. I try to lean my upper body 30° forward and turn my body by lean axis.

4-4 Lunch at Vilnius city
I was satisfied to visit Gediminas tower caslt and asian taste lunch with beer. I felt hapiness with this.

continued to Trakai, Tallinn and Helsinki(again).