Contrasts

This morning I woke up in the middle of a city with 500,000 inhabitants and now...

But let's start from the beginning: I tidied up in the morning. The night was rather restless. Violent thunderstorms passed to the north from midnight. And because I don't have as good weather data here as in Switzerland, I was a bit tense and occasionally listened outside. Of course, this affects the quality of sleep.

Since there was no major stage today, I took the opportunity to do some shopping and replenish supplies so that I can get by in the next few days. After all, my route takes me to more remote areas of Lithuania, right in the east. So, I discover a large shopping street: Decathlon, IKEA, and many more are side by side here. This allows me to quickly get everything done. Now out of the city. Unfortunately, I miss an exit in the hustle and bustle, and at the same time, my navigation system is acting up. Opportunity to get a little lost. But eventually, I find the way and soon leave the city behind me. I have planned a stopover, a visit to the center of Europe. This item on the agenda is soon checked off. At the monument, I met a cyclist who I already crossed paths with in Vilnius. Funny!

Only forty kilometers separate me from the destination. Given the quality of the roads (after all, a main connection to Latvia), it's easier said than done. Emerging fatigue (as I said, the night was restless) prompts me to take a nap on the side of the road. So refreshed, I continue the last kilometers to today's destination. What a contrast: in the middle of the forest, located on a beautiful lake, the spots are spread out and the few visitors are well distributed. The infrastructure still exudes a bit of USSR charm, but it has everything it needs and it's clean.

Shortly after setting up, it starts raining briefly. But now everything is dry again for dinner. I'll probably take it easy tomorrow and have a lazy day in the rooftop tent. The weather certainly looks like it. So, good night!