On my way to the Ginučiai I took a longer route on an asphalt road, through Trainiškis, where I could visit its old oak. On the way, I saw a fox passing the way quite close, and I passed by a pond so full of frogs that I had to stop for a while to listen to their concert!
This road was very comfortable and pleasant, passing relaxing landscapes and not being very busy with cars. After helping planting some flowers in the watermill I went back by a different route, this time going by Ladakalnis Hill. Right before it I checked out the near Ginučiai fort hill, which is nice, but just not as beautiful as Ladakalnis, from which top you can see six lakes. Further, I made my way through a forest road through Salos II ethnographic village.
An Italian lady come to visit our Visitor Centre. She surely was surprised to find an Italian guy working here! She wanted to visit the park by bike, could I ask anything better for my first "guided tour"? So on Wednesday we cycled on the same route. This time I didn't miss the spring on the way between Vaišnūniai and Trainiškis and its pristine water! The weather was perfect, maybe even too warm, as I got sunburnt!
Next day Linas suggested her to workout her arms, after her legs, so we went kayaking, and I was her guide again! This time I didn't really know the routes, but I could figure out using the map. We reached lake Dringis and stopped on its eastern bank for lunch. Later we went walking to find Gaveikėnai Watermill, which wasn't far. This time the sun was even warmer, and I got sunburnt even worst, so it was time to rest in the office again on Friday!
But on Saturday I jumped on a kayak again, this time for a river cleaning action!
Together with Linas and his family, we met the owner of a kayak rental at their farmstead near Kiškiai, a beautiful place in the countryside. I really liked that place expecially for their animals: they have a dog, a horse, a cow, a nest on a pole with a couple of storks and even a couple of peacocks around, which I saw for the first time so close... The male even unfolded its tail for me when I got closer! Together with him, her daughter and three guys working there we went by car carrying the kayaks to the starting point, and had a trip along river's stream, while collecting from its banks all garbage thrown away by stupid people.
It was a bit tiring, expecially because of the not so nice weather, but I hadn't had enough yet: next day, on Sunday, it was time for me to have my first free roam around the park by bike!
This time I had no specific destinations and no time restraints, so I could reach almost every place of interest in the park I was still missing. I checked out Šuminai and Strazdai ethnographic villages, passing through Vaišnoriškės again, then to Minčia with its watermill, Mokas stone, Taurapilis Fort Hill and then back south passing by Stripeikiai and its Beekeeping Museum on the way to Puziniškis Fort Hill and village.
On the way back I had another detour to check an old pine tree, which was on a track definitely not meant for bikes. In fact, aside from almost falling many times, I lost the pathway on the way back and had to go through some forest and its high vegetation carrying my bike to find the main road again. After a beautiful warm day it was getting cloudy and about to rain, so I rushed home through Meironys and its path of wooden sculptures, another bad idea due to the too much mud still to cross it by bike, but again I managed somehow, and got home before it started pouring. My cyclometer counted 90 km in total but I wasn't that much tired... Probably because I'm still used to all the slopes I have back in Amalfi Coast, so I can cycle much longer on Lithuanian's flat surface, notwithstanding all forest and gravel roads!
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