Cat's Eye View @ MPL: "The Big Kaunas" (Lithuanian Travel Log Continues)

Thursday, February 2, 2012

"The Big Kaunas" (Lithuanian Travel Log Continues)

by "Flat" Cauli IV

Flat Feline Foreign Correspondent

Hello, Mooresville Public Library friends! It is I, "Flat" Cauli IV, again. I'm back in Lithuania and have been off on other adventures! This week, I took a short trip to a nearby city, Kaunas, to go with Miss Shay to her Lithuanian lessons. Every week, Miss Shay takes the bus from Sakiai to Kaunas. I enjoyed taking the hour-long journey with her this week.

(By the way, how'd you like my play-on-words in the posting title? The big "Kaunas" looks a little like "the big Kahuna," right? Bad pun, I suppose. Kahuna is Hawaiian, if I remember correctly.)

Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania. At one time, Kaunas was the capital of Lithuania but not anymore. The capital, and largest, city in Lithuania today is Vilnius. Kaunas is near the two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, so you have to cross a large bridge to enter the city. The bridges throughout the city are very interesting. Some are modern, but some are very old. Miss Shay told me that if you walk by one of the bridges on a Saturday, you'll probably see a new groom carrying his bride over it. It's a tradition here for grooms to carry their brides over at least nine bridges. Also, the newlyweds will usually leave a lock on one of the bridges. These "Love Locks" are symbols of their love that can never be broken. Miss Shay took a picture of some Love Locks that she wanted to share with you (actually, these Love Locks were found on a bridge in Vilnius, but they look very similar to what you'd also find in Kaunas.) They're very romantic.

Love Locks on bridge in Vilnius, Lithuania

River Nemunas near Old Town, Kaunas, Lithuania

(if memory serves)

Okay, back to my trip to Kaunas! Even though it was pretty cold, Miss Shay and I decided to walk from the bus station to the library where Miss Shay would meet her tutor. We walked down the most popular street in Kaunas, Laisvės Alėja. In Lithuanian, Laisvės Alėja means "Freedom Street." Not only is it very beautiful, but it's also one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe. That means there are no cars on it! But you do have to watch out for bikes in the bike lane!

Laisvės Alėja ("Freedom Street")

Kaunas, Lithuania

Laisvės Alėja begins with a square that is the home of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel. It was built in the 1890s and at one time served as the military church. Now it's a Roman Catholic church. Here are two pictures of Miss Shay and moi with the church in the background.

Laisvės Alėja stretches all the way to Old Town were you could find the Kaunas Castle, The White Swan (or city hall), and the Kaunas Cathedral. There are a lot of very beautiful, old churches throughout this city (well, throughout Lithuania in general!). Here are some pictures that Miss Shay took of the three sites just mentioned.