Our short spontaneous trip to the Baltics required us to choose between Estonia and Lithuania. After flying into Latvia, we had to decide, should we go North, or should we go South? With a flip of a coin (and the hopes that going south would be slightly warmer in the late Winter…), we chose Lithuania. And after a short drive through the pretty countryside, we found our way to Villinus, a beautiful oldtown city with a rich history of persistence and strength.
The Baltics suffered greatly during World War II. This was our first experience learning the history of the horrible reign of Stalin. As we walked around the city with a wonderful tour guide, we started to feel the pain the city has gone through. Once again, we were hit with a dose of harsh reality that our world’s history isn’t that beautiful.
But this city has a way of shining through that harsh reality with a strong sense of pride, beauty, and humor. Fun, goofy, hidden treasures could be found all over the streets in Old Town.
And nothing encompasses the city’s culture more than the small country inside the city, The Republic of Uzupis. That’s right, another country. With its own constitution, government, and even passport stamp!
Ok, so it is not really a country. The Republic of Uzupis is the art district of Villinus that pretends to be its own country, kind of like the city’s little inside joke. In fact, it started as an April Fool’s Day joke! However, the art here is really nothing to joke about. Before we crossed the border into this fictional country, we were greeted with some rules, the most important one being to smile at all times. We visited the local post office and got a passport stamp on a postcard (since it is actually against the real law to stamp your real passport with a fake country stamp). Then we stopped to read the constitution written on a wall in multiple different languages. Our tour guide filled us in on all the weird traditions including the election process for random ministries. Her friend was elected the Minister of Frisbee!
Our decision to drive South through Lithuania proved to be a good call. The country captured our hearts with its story of strength to endure a horrific past while embracing its eclectic future.
Until next time,
