Lithuania gained independence from the Soviet Republic in 1990. There is a lot to see in this country, from old Russian bunkers to beautiful churches, monasteries, and palaces. The old town in the capital city, Vilnius, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its well preserved buildings in the Gothic, Renaissance, and Neo-Classical styles. It is one of the best medieval towns in Europe.

I pedalled south from Riga, the capital of Latvia into Lithuania on a quiet rough track somewhere close to Joniskis. I was heading for the Hill of Crosses but not by the busy A12. Off the main roads the country is criss crossed by little used roads, usually gravel, passing through both serene forest and well farmed agriculture.

The Hill of Crosses near Siauliai has thousands and thousands of crosses, from 6 metres high to the size of my paw. They are plain, ornate, metal or wood, old and new. While I was there, people were bringing their own crosses, a memory to a lost one. It is a pilgrimage site for Catholics from all over Europe. I met some Irish travellers who had made the long journey.

After a few hours exploring the many pathways meandering through the crosses I cycled further south towards Klaipedia and the border crossing into Poland. I took a short cut through a forest to appear at a point that the borders of 3 countries meet, Russia(Kaliningrad), Poland and Lithuania, commemorated by a post, and lots of cctv cameras on a tall Russian barbed wire fence ensuring I don’t stray into their country.

From Lithuania I will head north east in Poland towards Gdansk and the Baltic Sea.