As I write this, our ferry is heaving up and down on some sizeable-feeling waves, whilst lightning flashes illuminate the night sky.
We started off this morning from Šiauliai and drove west to Plokštinė, rain battering the car on and off all the way there.
In Plokštinė, we visited the former Soviet Missile Base. If this sounds familiar, it’s because we did the same thing shortly after arriving in Lithuania, close to six weeks ago.
On the first occasion, we had turned up late, after the final tour of the day, but were led on an accelerated version of the tour by the very generous guide. I had enjoyed the tour so much that I wanted to return, this time to experience the whole thing. It was also very close to our route today, just a minor diversion from the A11 near Plungė.
The tour was great, of course, but this time I was sure to take plenty of photos.
By now, it was after 13:00 and stomachs were rumbling, so we sped on to Palanga, a very popular Lithuanian beach resort, where we spent the afternoon.
Lunch was tricky, and we had to send back a couple of meat dishes ordered for Sarah and Eloïse, because the English text of the menu had omitted the fact that the dishes contained meat.
When it came to paying, we discovered that they wouldn’t accept credit cards, and we had deliberately used almost all of our Lita in preparation for leaving the country. I thus had to go to the bank, which our waitress clearly wasn’t happy about, fearing we might abscond.
Palanga is a strange resort town, a mix of Blackpool, Playa del Carmen and sundry other beach towns. Every time I’m in a town like Palanga, I can’t remember where I’m reminded of, precisely because such towns are generally so forgettable.
On the other hand, there’s plenty to do for children and Palanga has a great pier, which we walked along to observe the huge, swelling waves being whipped up by the very strong wind. The sight of them made us fearful of the night’s ferry crossing. Kite-surfers raced across the waves and then soared into the air. It looked like tremendous fun, but also tremendously dangerous. If you know what you’re doing, it’s fine, I’m sure.
When we were finished in Palanga, we went back to the car and drove the last stretch to Klaipėda, where our Baltic adventure began back at the beginning of July. Enough time had passed that it felt as if this were our second visit to the area, which technically it was, but both visits are part of the same trip, so it seems odd to say that we’ve been twice.
We had dinner in Klaipėda at a jazz club called Kurpiai, which turned out to be one of the best meals of the whole trip. I skipped the stewed beaver — never seen that on a menu before — and went straight for the sweet and sour ostrich, which was fantastic: ostrich steak, with small potato croquettes and a mixture of fresh fruit. Absolutely delicious!
During the meal, a band who would be playing later that evening were performing their soundcheck. Eloïse and Lucas had never heard a live band before and were both captivated by this loud Lithuanian rock ‘n’ roll.
Next to us, a Dutch couple were also eating dinner, and it turned out that they were going to catch the same ferry as us, later that evening.
Time was ticking away, so we walked back to the car and drove to the local Maxima hypermarket to buy snacks for the next couple of days.
Our final errand was a quick stop at the last petrol station before the port, in order to tank up on cheap Baltic fuel.
It paid off to arrive slightly later for check-in this time. Boarding was already under way when we checked in, so there was no time wasted in a stationary queue, waiting for things to get going.
We were on the boat by 22:00. Sarah took the children up to reception to check in and get the cabin keys, while I parked the car deep down in the bowels of the boat on deck 1.
This boat is clearly nicer than the one on the outward journey. It’s more modern and has more facilities. We haven’t explored it properly yet, though, having come straight to the cabin and prepared the children for bed.
Speaking of which, it’s time to pull down my bunk and climb the ladder to my nesting place for the night.
Our final day in the Baltics was a good one. I’m glad we managed to return to the Soviet Missile Base and squeeze in Palanga. It was an easy drive, too.
Tomorrow may be a dull day, as we try hard to keep the children amused in a confined space. On the other hand, a ship is much larger than a plane, so things could be worse.