Utena

Utena, home of Utenos beer and a big hulk of a rock which was erected to commemorate the town’s founding in 1261.

When I arrived on the bus from Vilnius I stopped by the tourist information office (www.utenainfo.lt) and asked Aushra about the possibility of renting a bike.

“Ah, that is a problem we have, Miss Victoria.” Nowhere in town rents out bikes.

“For 200 litas you could buy one,” Aushra a said, “which is not so expensive. But then what to do when you leave?”

I continued looking at the brochures that kept being handed to me about things I could do in the surrounding areas: visit the Vytautas Valiushis Museum of Ceramics in Leliunai, the Wolf Museum in Indubakiu Village, or the spring of St. Krokule in Uzpaliai, Wedding Hill, Writers’ Hill, or the Conglomerate Exposure, large clods of clay that “appeared to be a quite rare monument of nature, which is reckoned among the objects of natural heritage…”  There are also 186 lakes in the district as well as dozens of Culinary Heritage members (www.culinary-heritage.com) cooking up traditional food. But without any form of transport, it would be difficult.

“Miss Victoria,” Aushra popped her head through the door from the office next door. “My colleague, Mrs. Jolita, would be happy to offer you the use of her daughter’s bike for two days.”

Excellent. I returned to pick up the bicycle a couple of hours later and gave ten year old Roberta 10 litas. As soon as I started peddling, though, I realized I would not risk taking it far. Its body and peddles were much better suited to a skinny Minnie ten year old than a thirty-something chunk like me. Oh well, it would get me around town, and besides, what was I going to do? Take it back and demand a refund of less than three Euros from a little girl who was only trying to help?

Anyway, it then began to rain and didn’t stop for two days. This was the kind of place I really needed a car to investigate.

“Ah Miss Victoria,” Aushra said, “We have a problem. There is nowhere in Utena to rent a car.” But without hesitation she was onto the bus station to find out times of buses going to Leliunai, to the ceramic museum, and Sudeikiai with its great lake and homestead with home-style cooking.

“Ah Miss Victoria, we have a problem with the buses to Sudeikiai…” Here we go…. “But my Direktor, Ms Rasa, would be happy to take you there when she goes to a meeting tomorrow. She can drop you off and pick you up after you have had lunch.”

I may not have been getting the answers I wanted but the effort being put into helping me was amazing.

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