I feel a part of me must be a gypsy, because I really feel I could just travel around all the time. Just take my backpack (+family) and go! Without planning the details. Just spontaneously. Yesterday I found myself thinking that some of my best travel experiences are the ones where you get the idea and go. Like the one many many years ago to Palanga. We sat in the car in Tartu in the morning and by evening we were in Palanga, Lithuania. I have not been to Lithuania as a tourist before, I mena I have travelled through Lithuania many times, but I didn’t know that Palanga beach is much prettier than the images in my head from the stories I had heard about the place.
To find a hotel for our stay was also spontaneous, we drove around in the city center and just picked one hotel we liked from the outside. The hotel Kerpé (LINK) had excellent location and was a cozy little hotel. Although our stay was ages ago, I read the comments on Booking.com and Tripadvisor, and based on those I still dare to recommend that hotel.
It still is one of my favorite destinations. And when I looked at the few photos we took on that trip (Yes, it was before the smart-phones:D) and I just dreamt of taking this trip again.
We went to Palanga Amber museum and as I am a huge fan of old mansions and villas, this museum already was my cup of tea. I imagine it will be fun to visit with children as well, because this exemplary museum holds some 25,000 pieces of amber of which over half have insects and plants trapped inside.
Have you been to Palanga? What to you recommend to visit and do?
Ma olen mitu korda varemgi öelnud, et mingi osa minust on vist mustlane, sest ma ei taha paigal olla, ma võiks kogu aeg ringi rännata. Võtaks seljakoti selga ja läheks. Eile leidsin ma end mõttelt, et minu kõige vahvamad reisikogemused ongi olnud sellised poolenisti etteplaneerimata reisid. Näiteks saja-aasta tagune nädalavahetus Palangas. Me lihtsalt istusime Tartus autosse ja hakkasime Leedu poole sõitma. Sihtpunktiks Palanga. Ei mingeid hotellibroneeringuid ega midagi. Jõudsime kohale, leidsime hotelli ja nautisime Palanga liivaranda. Ma olin varem Palangast palju kuulnud, kuid ma ei osanud aimata, et see nii ilus on. Ausalt.

Photo: vacation-apartments.com
Kuna me Palanga hotellidest ei teadnud mitte kui midagi, siis meie ainsaks sooviks oli, et see asuks kesklinnas ja mitte liiga kaugel rannast. Me valik langes pisikeele Kerpé hotellile (LINK). Väga julgen soovitada, olgugi et meie reis Palangale jääb juba ikka väga mitme aasta tagusesse aega, siis lugesin netist teiste külastajate kommentaare ning nende põhjal julgen ikka veel soovitada.

Photo from hotel homepage
Me külastasime ka Palanga merevaigumuuseumi, mis asub 19sajandi mõisas ja kuna ma võin vanu losse, häärbereid, mõisahooneid külastada küll ja veel, siis oli see juba kohe minu teetassike, kuid ma usun, et seal oleks ka lastega väga huvitav, sest Merevaigu kollektsioon koosneb umbes 25 000 objektist, millest umbes 15 000 sisaldab merevaiku tardunud putukaid, ämblikke või taimi. Lisaks asub see imekaunis botaanikaaias.
Uhh, ma tahaks kohe tagasi minna Palangasse! Äge reis oli. Ka te olete Palangas käinud? Mida teie soovitate külastada? Sinna on ju kõigest kaheksa tundi autosõitu (sama palju kui Stockholmist Oslosse), võib olla võiks selle reisi uuesti ette võtta…