Eva has long wanted a vacation on the Curonian Spit, which is known for its wide beaches of pristine white sand, possibilities of finding amber, and a getaway from hoards of tourists. Today she gets her wish. As fate would have it, the spit is split – half belongs to Lithuania and the southern half to Russia, as it is attached to the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad, a territory physically separated from Russia itself.

What a beautiful stretch of sandy beach.

After a few days in Klaipeda, we cross the lagoon by ferry and take a one hour bus ride through heavy forest down the spit to Nida, where we have rented a very nice modern apartment on the edge of the village.

Our flat is on the top floor, the one with the balcony.

Eva and Suzi enjoy the balcony, which overlooks the pine forest and lagoon.

Nida seems to be the coastal playground mainly for Lithuanians and Russians. The local grocery store stocks hundreds of labels of vodka. Just amazing.

Vodka section of the only grocery store in Nida.

The village has been completely modernized since the 50 years of Soviet occupation so we can enjoy every comfort and facility we might imagine. We especially like the well-maintained trails and boardwalks through the pine forests the sand dunes.

One of many boardwalks

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In the distance we see a monster sand dune.

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Up onto the dunes

A view back onto Nida

We trudge barefoot through the fine sand.

The dune has shifted and buried the trail along the guard rail.

A “pirate” ship comes along and checks us out.

We walk to the far southern edge hoping to see how the border with Russia might look. Unfortunately a “protected nature zone” prevents us from getting too close.

As close as we can get to Russian territory.

This evening we walk up to the highest point of the local dune to see the sunset. In the distance we see a tall Russian lookout post at the border.

Spy tower on the border caught with my telephoto lens.

Sunset over the Baltic Sea

Now this morning we walk the mile down to the Baltic seacoast to hunt for amber.

Morning at the seaside. The blue ovals are dressing rooms. To the left is beach reserved for nudists with a sign in Lithuanian. We accidentally walk through it.

Lots of exposed pebbles look so much like amber, but alas, when dry they are not.

I collect quite a lot of nicely rounded amber colored pebbles along the way. Back at the apartment I do two tests, one with a sharp knife to check hardness, and another by floating the pebbles in salty brine. Unfortunately all samples fail the amber tests. Oh well, there were many souvenir shops around that would gladly sell us all the amber we might want. No, we skip that step. Anything we find, no matter how small, has more value to us than what we can buy.

On our way home from one outing we pass lots of mushrooms, common in the pine and birch forests here.

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As usual, we begin to think of lunch. We notice a cafe associated with a campground we are passing out in the pine forest. First we go wash up. Then we find that the cafe is closed. So we head back to town to a quaint lunch spot we had seen earlier, set way back from the street among overhanging trees.

Washroom at the almost empty campground we are passing

Our lunch spot in front of a wooden building with traditional trim and colors

Typically, we start with a soup, here leak and sour cream.

Traditional fare

Cabbage plays a big role on the menu.

Beets and sauces add lots of flavor.

We have spent a fun five days in Nida and wish we could stay longer. Maybe next year.

It’s time now to head downtown and the bus to leave for new adventures.