Circumnavigation of the Baltic 4

Karnas to Klaipeda

The Lido adjacent to the RV site

The RV site

The camper and the trees

Arising with the larks, we were showered, 

breakfasted and the needs of the Camper seen to (emptied chemical toilet, disconnected power, removed front window cover) and on the road early. 

This RV site is situated just off the main route (the 1) from Vilnius to the coastal town of Klaipeda. So before we knew it we were bombing along a wonderful new motorway, almost no traffic. 

This part of Lithuania is flat, it is all very rural and with the exception of cows, storks (both in Poland and here there are no shortages of either) their isn’t a lot to be seen from the motorway, but may be if  you leave it there would be more to see. We did leave for some reason (Linda wanted to check maps and guide book) and the nearby café and guest house looked splendid.

The reason for the consultation was, running along the coast between the Russian Kaliningrad (used to be Konigsberg) and Klaipeda is a thin Ismuth called the Kurische Neringa, this is a National Park along the Lithuanian part, with loads of nature, Elks, Red deer, Wild Boar and because of its position it had been left unspoiled (it had been in the past when Kaliningrad had been Konigsberg a favourite holiday destination of the German population). We decided that we would change our plan and instead of going to the campsite in Klaipeda, we would pop along to Nida and have a look there and if it turned out to be no good we could always come back. So thinks the seasoned traveller, alas we didn’t realise 2 things, the first was the only way onto the Ismuth is via a ferry (Cost 30€ for camper and two passengers) and secondly the distance is about 50km and due to very strict regulations and speed limits (you also have to pay a 10€ toll to travel into the national park (because of its unique situation it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site) it is a good hours drive. 

We found the site with a little difficulty (our problem not theirs) and ended up at a wonderful wooded site in Nida. The site is just before you get to the small fishing harbour, it is well sign posted (if you care to keep your eyes open) and is called kampengas, it has a nice reception area and all facilities (though Wifi  reception unlike what said in the ADAC guide, is only available near the reception area.

The toilet and washing facilities are adequate, though I think a lot of people of a sensitive disposition would be put off by the open shower cubicles. There are power and water points dotted all around the site and when I asked for a pitch the young lady (excellent English) said pick a free one between 1 and 90.  

It is a wooded site but with a bit of juggling you can, as we did, get a clear Sat reception.

We got our camper set up, you may (will) have to use your chocks to adjust and level), but then unless it is a concrete or gravel RV site this is normal. We decided to head off into town and have a look-see what Thomas Mann found so endearing about the fishing village of Nida.

It is a pleasant stroll along a wooded track until you reach quite a wide well used road (it has cycle lanes) it was a wonderful sunny warm afternoon, there were a few needs to be needed doing, but first to the Tourist Information Bureau, Linda got some postcards and I got some information. I next went to the cashpoint and then we went to the fairly well stocked Supermarket (we were dining at home that night).

We then wandered through the pretty blue and red painted wooden houses to the water, we walked along the path along the lake side path taking in the sunshine and photographing the bird life and the surroundings.

We made a loop back through town and ended up at a restaurant on the marina. I had a Hefeweizen (local cloudy beer) and Linda had an ice-cream (4 scoops). Life can be so good.

We then strolled back up the hill (not steep) and got things ready for the evening meal. It was to be twice fried duck breasts in a spicy sauce with stir fried peppers, mushrooms and onions. The breasts needed marinating. We watched a bit of TV and discussed our plans for the forth coming day, we had decided to give Klaipeda a miss and spend the morning viewing a few of the sites in the National Park (well we had paid for it) and then head up the coast to Liepaja and our neat Baltic state, Latvia.

The next day we headed to a small village that has the largest breeding colony of Cormorants and Grey Herons on the Baltic coast, we missed them, we missed them the day before and we missed them again today.

We went into Juodkrante, parked up beside the church and had a walk around the lovely little harbour took a few shots of swans and cormorants flying past, when Linda said she thought she had seen a symbol at the roadside about 1 km before we entered the village.

So taking a few more photos of the sculpture park, we returned to the van and retraced our steps and sure enough there it was, the sign, the leafless trees and the bird shit. Up in the trees was the reason that they had been turned grey, thousands of birds, nesting, coming and going and doing what comes natural to digested fish, a spectacular site. We tarried a while, but were glad that we had set off early, the bus load of tourists arrived, so we skedaddled to our camp and the ferry.

It was now on the road to our next destination In Latvia, along empty roads, when we crossed the border between Lithuania and Latvia, there was a sudden changed, there was a lack of investment in the infrastructure, the farm houses were in a worse condition, the roadside fields had maybe just a couple of cows tethered, it all looked a little bit as if it was from another era.