V and I just got back from spending two days in Nida with our friends and their two week old daughter.  Nida is located on the Curonian Spit, a 100 km strip of land between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon.  Half of the Curonian Spit belongs to Lithuania, and the other half belongs to Russia.  The Curonian Spit is home to some of the highest moving sand dunes in Europe and is a popular tourist destination for Lithuanians, Russians, and Germans, especially.

V and I caught a short ferry in Klaipeda, the third largest city in Lithuania, and arrived on the Curonian Spit minutes later.  The 45 km drive from the ferry drop-off to Nida was marked by views of the lagoon and lush pine forests.  [Also, worth noting, we arrived on Sunday, when most tourists were heading back to the mainland.  The line for the returning ferry was kilometers long.  I recommend avoiding the weekend rush of people, if you don't want to spend hours waiting for a boat.]  Once we arrived in Nida, we settled into our hotel, met up with our friends, and walked to the town center for dinner.  We, of course, chose a restaurant with a nice patio overlooking the water.  The next morning, we walked to the Baltic Sea side of the Spit to relax by the water.  The Baltic Sea is much rougher than the Curonian Lagoon, but the water is cleaner and the beaches are bigger.

After spending some time on the beach, we walked back to Nida.  The town of Nida is absolutely adorable.  The area is spotless and quaint.  I thoroughly enjoyed the lack of Soviet-era apartment complexes.  Instead, the city was full of colorful, wooden cottages and cozy cafes.  The area maintains a laid back, family friendly atmosphere and is an ideal spot to just sit and relax.

Once back in town, our friends took us to a restaurant specializing in smoked fish. V and I shared a fish and a glass of gira, a drink made from rye bread.  V likens it to root beer, but they really aren’t similar at all.

After eating the fish (which looks rather unappetizing, but tastes delicious), V and Z decided that they needed to put their fishing poles to use.  I’ve thoroughly documented V’s love of fishing, and his friend is just as obsessed.  So, while the boys were busy not catching dinner, I sat with my friend, talked, and enjoyed the view.  I also stared at her baby…a lot.  It almost made me want one.  Keyword: almost.

Afterwards, we continued to walk around the town, eat, and talk.  Unfortunately, when we woke up this morning, it was raining.  The rain, at least, made it easier to leave…