One of my favorite places to hang out in Vilnius is the green space around the White Bridge. There is a lot of space, so people fly kites and various strange flying objects, and sometimes there are festivals and concerts (like ). A part of this area was redeveloped according to a controversial plan, which included building a beach volley …
Exploring (and trying not to do it the wrong way) in Tuscany
I didn’t think twice when my friend, who now lives in Tuscany, offered me to visit her there. I only started to explore the Mediterranean region in 2009, when I went to live in Israel, so it was head-on and initially different experience. Later, when I visited , Egypt, , South France and Portugal on shorter trips, I decided that …
Impressions from the May Day gig in Vilnius
Many Lithuanians will tell you that it is not customary to celebrate the International Workers’ Day here, because it brings back bad memories to many. Several important holidays that celebrate emancipation were twisted in the USSR. Women were officially liberated, so the authorities decided that there is no point to demonstrate for women’s rights on the International Women’s Day, it …
Malta – for perfect vacations
Malta has long been my priority destination. It is logically a perfect place for vacations – it has the sea, plenty of sun, and an English-speaking population. The few days I spent there confirmed every expectation that I had. Malta is easy to navigate, because everyone from the age 10 to 100 speaks English, it is culturally interesting and has …
Unique early 20th century fashion collection in Vilnius for a year
The Museum of Applied Art in Vilnius hosts Alexandre Vassiliev’s private collection of art nouveau fashion (1890-1914), plus a little bit from 1840s to 1920s. The guide said that due to Vassiliev’s love for Vilnius the museum didn’t even have to pay to host it. Tourists are probably not that interested in international fashion, so the museum is busy welcoming …
Anti-violence protection – an issue confined to bedroom and shower?
[The original of this article was published in Delfi. It was translated for public procurement purposes. All rights belong to Delfi.] Half-truth is worse than an open lie. Unfortunately, it is namely the half-truths that are used to juxtapose the Council of Europe Convention on preventing violence against women, family violence prevention and combat, with the widely-discussed Gender Loops programme …
Winter goes on
… But I won’t complain that it’s cold and boring. I’ll try to believe that it’s beautiful and it will soon get better.
Rishon LeZion – a residential area with a surprising concentration of festivals
My time in Israel was limited, but everyone who knows my interest in urbanism wouldn’t be surprised that when I got an invitation from a new friend and active couchsurfer Yaniv to explore his town, Rishon LeZion, I couldn’t say no. The town is close to Tel Aviv and people can commute between them relatively easily. From the first sight …
Bonn: the faded glory and Gummibärchen
The first time I learned about Bonn was when I was studying old maps as a child. This was one of my hobbies. In those maps Bonn was still the capital of West Germany, and when I started learning geography at school, it was still the seat of the united German government. I imagined that being a capital once it …