Curonian Spit and Lagoon

 Things I did not know when I moved to Klaipeda: 1) It is located at the mouth of a lagoon that is formed by the Curonian Spit.  This is a strip of land that I compare to the islands off the coast of North Carolina, a sandy  barrier keeping the worst of the Atlantic from the inland coast.  In the case of Lithuania, this barrier is a solid strip of land, also very sandy, and enclosing a large bay or lagoon.  Klaipeda is the port at the point at which this lagoon opens to the Baltic Sea. 2) If you look closely, you can see that the spit is two colors. This means it belongs to two different countries. The Russians really wanted a warm water port, so at the end of the second world war, they claimed a portion of this area, which is not attached to Russia proper, much like Alaska in the Unites States.  The last town in Lithuania is Nida.

So, one day this summer I and a friend took the ferry across to the spit.  The round trip fare is about $1.25.  We then took a bus to Nida, about 60 kilometers down the spit.  Nida is a small artist village.  Thomas Mann and Sartre have both spent time here.  During the Soviet occupation, it was a restricted resort for party officials.  As a result, it is still quite unspoiled.  It is known for its pictographic family flags that harken back to pagan designs.  The day we visited, a group of artists were sculpting birds and fish outside the local fishing museum.

The Soviets also preserved the many of the buildings.  I do not know what this one is used for, but was impressed with it being large, round and having a thatched roof.

We then made our way up the dunes.  They have a nice set of stairs going up, and the view is definitely worth the climb.  Here you can see  Russia and the Baltic Sea.

Another point of interest at the top of the dune is this large sundial. (The men in the front are repairing the walkway.)

On another recent visit to the spit, I walked across from the ferry to the Baltic and actually waded in the sea.  I thought you would enjoy seeing the children of one of my colleagues making angels in the sand.

Both trips left me happy and tired as I boarded the ferry for home.