I've just returned coming from a day at Europe where I spent time in Paris, Rome, Madrid and Vilnius (capital of Lithuania and a beautiful and interesting city).
In Paris, I made use of my basic French. Specialists for pan-au-chocolat and said oui, merci and s'il vous plait. I wandered the streets feeling continental, suave and sophisticated. My wife pretended to become impressed.
In Rome, We used my basic Italian. Grazie, per favore and so forth. We visited the Roman forum, hung outside chic cafes and said buongiorno and buonasera to anybody who would listen.
In Madrid, we visited galleries, used the metro and drunk vino tinto with the good ones using my basic Spanish.
And we all come to Lithuania. In Lithuania you should speak Lithuanian (surprise, surprise) even though it entirely possible that people also understand Russian. Unfortunately, I speak neither Lithuanian nor Russian once away from the beaten track this hadn't appear that lots of people spoke English (German perhaps but not English).
There is a specific castle which i wanted to visit, a quick train ride from Vilnius and feeling adventurous we bought tickets from your station. We hopped about the train and hang off. By the stroke of good fortune, there was an English speaker in your railway carriage who told us where we would have liked to have off (or de-train).
We disembarked with the correct station, and followed the crowds for the castle, a trendy local tourist resort i made it through two fingers to point out two tickets, money was exchanged plus we went. Very worthwhile it turned out at the same time. I like castles.
So far, so good.
On leaving the castle, I thought that the scenic route back to the railway station would be a wise decision, pursuing the contours of the lake. It looked simple and easy , therefore i has not been bothered that we did not have a atlas - although there was a certain glance from my spouse which indicated trouble up for grabs don't let please take a wrong turning.
Before I knew it, we had arrived lost and following among those driving rows but with no car remained as lost.
We had arrived not lost in the sense to become stuck from the wilderness, there have been roads the ones (laughing and joking and customarily enjoying themselves - with beer and ice-cream ). It turned out that I used to be struggling to ask anyone where you can buy ice-cream (or even better a drink) , not to say which i desired to discover the stop. I could, needless to say, speaking loudly inside the time honoured fashion but it wasn't any use.
I felt pretty stupid even as wandered down quiet residential streets looking for a station that wasn't there. We found themselves time for Vilnius on the bus, wet and irritable and wishing which i had had the foresight to master some Russian or Lithuanian or otherwise to never take an interesting shortcut. My lady was scathing and frosty and my ego dented.
We're now safely back Blighty, to start with time for Lithuania (and we'll) I'll learn at least some useful language. Where the train station?
