Touring our new city

Today, Rob, Hollis and I took a tour of the city.  We were the only people on the tour, so it was like having our own personal tour guide to show us the city.  We visited a lot of churches, and got a really good feel for the city.  We saw a lot of different styles of churches as well including Gothic and Baroque.  We have a lot more to see and explore, but here are some shots from the day.  Of course, my battery started flashing at me, so I didn't take as many shots as I would've liked, but still managed to get a lot.  We walked into and out of Old Town (it's about a 5 min. walk from our house), so I took some shots of the streets and things so you can see what they are like in Old Town.  Hollis was a little fussy (it was during her naptime), so I missed a bit of the names of places and such, but down the road, I'll learn them I'm sure!

 

 

 The Church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Franciscans)

 

 
Typical street leading into Old Town

 

 
Painted Frescoes in some of the churches.  Many of them were in service, so we didn't go in too many of them.

 

 
On one of the streets, this knight stood guard.  I took this picture for Charlie.  :)  Made me think of you!

Typical roadway in Old Town.  These bricks will go up and down and can make for a fun and bumpy ride in some areas. 

 
Rob walking down the street.  Crazy exciting, I know.

This is the Presidential Palace.  The flag on top of the building shows whether the president is in Lithuania or not.  If she, yes, they have a female president, is out of the country, the flag is removed until she returns.  Pretty cool! 

 
This is in Cathedral Square -

 

The clock on this tower does not have minute hands, therefore it only shows what hour it is, and most times it is not correct.  When it was built, people did not use minutes, so they only needed to know the hour.  Kind of a fun fact! 

Here's me in Cathedral Square.  Bad hair day.  Don't judge. 

Rob and Hollis in front of the Cathedral in Cathedral Square. 

This is one of the main streets, just outside of Old Town.  It is full of shops and restaurants, lots of people out enjoying the day. 

This is the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul.  It was not in service while we were there, so we were able to go in and explore.  It's hard to see due to dim lighting, but there are thousands of carvings all over the interior of this church... all made of stucco.  It was amazing to look at.  So much detail!

 

 

 

My friend's mom, Sally Priest, recently passed away, so I lit a candle for my friend Stacy, and one for her mom.  I thought they looked quite lovely glowing below the image of Our Lady of Mercy, a painting that has been in the church since 1653. 

 

 

This is another church we saw which is an example of Gothic architecture. 

 

Below is the Gate of Dawn:

 
It was built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications for the city of Vilnius.  Of the nine city gates, only the Gate of Dawn remains, while the others were destroyed by the order of the government at the end of the 18th century.

Note the glowing window - close up below.

I used my zoom to capture this picture below from the street, but you can in fact go inside the church and stand right in front of  the painting.  It is said to have special powers.

Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn

In the 16th century, city gates often contained religious artifacts intended to guard the city from attacks and to bless travelers. The Chapel in the Gate of Dawn contains an icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy, said to have miraculous powers. For centuries the picture has been one of the symbols of the city and an object of veneration for both Roman Catholic and Orthodox inhabitants. Thousands of votive offerings adorn the walls and many pilgrims from neighboring countries come to pray in front of the beloved painting.

On September 4, 1993, Pope John Paul II said Rosary at the Gate of Dawn Chapel.

 

Borrowed these two from the internet: