Kuriositeettina voidaan mainita maailman tiettavästi ainoa Frank Zappa -patsas, joka sijaitsee Vilnassa. Ilman mitään erityistä syytä.

Tuliaisostoksista muistettakoon erityisesti naisten kenkämuoti - jälleen yhtymäkohta Italiaan. Lisäksi pellava- ja meripihkatuotteet ovat paikallisia erikoisuuksia.

Liettuan historiassa on mielenkiintoista mm. se, että maalla on aikanaan (yhdessä Puolan kanssa) ollut Itämereltä Mustalle Merelle ulottuva suurvalta-asema. Siitäkö sitten johtunee tietty itsetunto, alkoihan Neuvostoliiton hajoaminenkin täältä, itsepäisten ja pelottomien liettualaisten parista.

Palvelualojen ihmisten ja nuorten kanssa parjää englannilla. Muinais-sanskriitista polveutuva Liettuan kielihän on - hm... vaikeaa. Tosin käsitteillä "alus" (olut) ja "iki" (nähdään!) pääsee jo hyvää alkuun...

Ai niin, sanamme "kuningashan" tulee Liettuasta, löytyy mm. Gediminaksen muistomerkistä, sekä pakana-ajan ilmaus "Perkunas" (kuulostaako tutulta?).

EY - ja Nato-maa Liettua sijaitsee melkein naapurissamme, ja Vilnaan on vain vähän yli tunnin lentomatka, noin kuusisataa kilometriä. Matkaa Helsingistä tulee suunnilleen yhtä pitkälti kuin Ouluun. Se on huimaava ajatus, ja tulemme lähivuosina elämään mielenkiintoisia aikoja Baltian maiden ottaessa niille kuuluvan paikan Pohjois-Euroopan taloudessa.

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I was lucky to find Mikotel Hotel by pure coincidence in December, 2004 after arriving to the nearby Vilnius bus-station from Riga, Latvia. After that, it hasn't been necessary to look for other hotels while in Vilnius.

Excellently located only a 5 minutes walk from the railway- and bus-stations on a peaceful street in the Old Town. A really affordable price-level, all-year-round, but especially off-seasons. A cozy athmosphere, reminding of a family hotel. A friendly, english-speaking personnel.

And at breakfast the first thing that catches one's attention is the "Midnight Sun" -butter Made In Finland! An amusing detail for the Finnish customers!

5 single rooms
15 double rooms
3 family suits suitable for 3 - 4 persons

All rooms equipped with satellite -TV, direct telephone lines and a WC/shower.

Laundry and ironing services. Transportations to the airport. Parking services. Internet access. Safety deposit boxes.

Ask also about Vilnius -tours and round-trips in Lithuania and the other Baltic coutries.

The street name "Pylimo" means hill, and Vilnius is indeed built on several, like Rome.

The Lithuanians are said to remind of Italians, maybe because of their temperament. And some have seen Vilnius to have much in common with the style of Rome and Florence.

Anyway, Lithuania, the largest of the Baltic nations with the most inhabitants, is a strongly catholic country. Within a five minutes walk from Mikotel Hotel, on the way to the Old Town, you find the famous pilgrimage-site of the Eastern European catholics, the "Gate of the Dawn" with Virgin Mary´s chapel. This is a good place to start getting acquainted with Vilna's (pop. 600 000) Old Town, the largest medieval Old Town in Eastern Europe.

The Old Town is full of small shops, terraces and cafes. All the famous sights are within walking distance from Mikotel Hotel.

The style of this city founded in 1323 by Grand Duke Gediminas doesn't resemble any other Baltic capital. Vilnius is a mixture of Polish, German, Russian and Scandinavian styles, all this in its own, unique way. The dominant architectural style is baroque, with renaissance, gothic and classisism represented as well.

It's worth mentioning that propably the only Frank Zappa -statue in the world is situated in Vilnius. Without any special reason.

As for shopping, ladies shoes should be kept in mind - another similarity with Italy! Among the local specialities one finds different linen -products and, of course, amber, for which Lithuania is well known.

One of the interesting details in Lithuanian history is that the country has once - together with Poland - had a Great Power status stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Maybe this is one of the reasons for the Lithuanians evident self-esteem. Even the collapse of the Soviet Union started here, amongst the fearless and stubborn Lithuanians.

English is spoken by the younger generation and the people in the tourism trade. The Lithuanian language, which derives from Old Sanskrit is... to put it mildly, "difficult". But the words "alus" (beer) and "iki" (see you) get you pretty far...

With modern transportation, the new Baltic EC- and Nato -countries are situated in our neighbourhood. There are good flight routes to Vilnius from major European cities. And we are certainly to see interesting times in the close future, as the these countries retake their role in the economic life of Northern Europe.