First and last ride that autumn. As usually, I took the bus to go out of Kaunas and start my bike trip. This time - in north-east part of Lithuania, otherwise - lake land :) I was very ambitious so, I started from the biggest Lithuania lake - Drūkšiai, close to Visaginas. But when I went there, I saw that the biggest doesn't mean the most beautiful... My next stop was very important object for Lithuania in the near past - Ignalina nuclear power plant, which made about 60-70% electricity of Lithuania, but was closed in 2009. Now you can feel complete emptiness there, but in the same time the feeling that people will fill out the place soon don't leave the mind.
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| Former Ignalina nuclear power plant |
I didn't stop there for long time and continued my trip. In this part of Lithuania roads are quite empty and you can cycle hours only meeting few cars.
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| Sculpture "Ignas and Lina" in Ignalina |
Counting lakes and churches around the way I reached my Saturday final destination - Palūšė. From first minute I came there, I knew - I will be back to this place one day (or few days)! Cute wooden church, big lake alongside - tranquility and harmony :) Photos can't convey these feelings, but I took some:
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| Church in Palūšė |
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| View from Palūšė church to Lūšiai lake |
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| Dinner in front of Lūšiai lake |
I am very grateful to Tiki Inn guest house owners, that they let me stay in they camper in front of Lūšiai lake. They were so nice and accommodating, that despite I payed to stay there, I felt like at friend's home. Also thanks to their advises, I made a little nice tour around lake before going to sleep.
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| Home for the night |
Sunday morning the rain woke me up. Sad to leave this nice place and good people I went of with a hope that it will not rain all day. Happily, the rain stopped soon and I could stop near the lakes (lost the number of crossed lakes and stopped to count them:) ), to take some berries in the forests and enjoy the hills.
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| Labanoras lake |
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| Labanoras |
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| Labanoras |
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| Stirniai |
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| Lake "Baltieji Lakajai" |
After crossing Labanoras forest, I found the object I wanted to visit the most - Mindūnai view tower - the highest view tower in Lithuania (36 m). After 214 steps I was on the top and stopped there for a while :).
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| Stairway to sky - Mindūnai view tower |
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| On the top |
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| View from the top |
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| Sinking island |
From Mindūnai I had not much way to go. Just about 10 km and I was in Molėtai where I needed take the bus to come back to Kaunas. I stopped in town center to buy cold drink and then sited back on my bike to make a tour. But something was wrong. When I looked back, I saw my back tire completely empty! I understood, that the pump will not help this time and I must to do the tour by foot. Despite that, I couldn't be angry. I spent great week-end, cycled about 150 km and only at the end I had flat tire.
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| Molėtai |
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| Molėtai |
The finish of this trip was not like I imagined, but every obstacle give some lessons!
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| Sometimes it finish like this. Home |
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| The trip |
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