When you are on a little adventure, there are days that are gentle and scenic, and other days that grab you by the shoulders and shake you, “Pay attention. You’ll remember this.”
Vilnius was both for us.
🔫 The Shooting Range: Power, Discomfort & A Whole Lot of Mixed Feelings
We started the day in a warehouse lined with tyre stacks, faded posters of scantily clad women holding Glocks, peeling off the walls. It reeked of masculine energy.
The staff assumed the two men in the waiting room were the ones shooting. Not the busty blonde in the flowery dress.
We'd booked a session with several guns, that got progressively bigger and scarier. We began with a Glock handgun. Even with ear defenders on, the first shot made me squeal.
Then we worked our way up:
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a Kalashnikov
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an assault rifle
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a pump action shotgun that I really had to get my shoulder into
With the smaller guns, I was surprisingly accurate, head and centre‑mass every time. With the bigger guns, not so much. It made me realise that I have big cheeks - I'd line up a shot but then have to move my face out of the way. Graham, on the other hand, was terrifyingly accuarte. His target had no face left by the end. And of course, he had to end on a nut shot on the target.
The instructor was calm, serious, and incredibly professional. But even with the safety, the structure, the control… It was fun, but I felt weirdly uneasy about it all. I could see how people (mostly men) get hooked on the feeling of power. The illusion of invincibility. The “I hold life and death in my hands” fantasy.
The thought of that thought made me feel a bit sick.
These weapons belong in controlled environments like this and nowhere else. Sorry, American readers, but the idea of these things floating around in everyday society is utterly horrifying.
I left with a head full of complicated thoughts (and a sore shoulder).
🚶♀️ Walking It Off in Užupis
Shaking off the adrenaline, we wandered into Užupis, Vilnius’ bohemian republic. Much like The People's Republic of Stokes Croft in Bristol, it's a self‑declared artistic micro‑nation but it has its own constitution, president, and flag.
It's a place where creativity spills into the streets and nothing is taken too seriously.
I found more little treasures for the Love Lithuania Mini Edit.
By the time we got back to the apartment, we were exhausted. And then came the 4 a.m. alarm.
🎈 The Surprise: A Hot Air Balloon at Dawn
A minibus collected us in the dark. We picked up other passengers, swapped vehicles on the outskirts of the city, and then the secret was revealed:
A hot air balloon ride. My one bucket‑list dream. The thing I’d wanted for my 50th (but December birthdays aren’t exactly balloon‑friendly).
And here we were.
In Lithuania.
At dawn.
About to float over lakes, forests, and Trakai Castle.
There are no words big enough for what came next.
The burners roared. The ground fell away. And suddenly we were drifting. Eerily weightless, silent, suspended between night and morning.
The world below was a patchwork of lakes and islands, mist curling off the water, the castle glowing in the first light. It was breathtaking. Exhilarating. A once‑in‑a‑lifetime moment that was both surreal and deeply grounding.
One of the passengers confessed afterwards that he’d been paralysed with fear the entire time. Poor guy, trapped in a wicker basket with five strangers while floating over a lake is not ideal if you’re scared of heights.
Me? Not a flicker of fear. Just awe. Pure, fizzy, heart‑thumping awe.
Totally worth the 4 a.m. alarm.
🚂 Trains, Textures & Overstimulation
After the balloon ride, we were shattered. Hungry, cold, and in desperate need of a loo. But I don’t think I’ve ever been more content.
We wandered the railway museum (not dull at all, retro Soviet trains are a vibe).
Then a food hall, then a market.
Piles of strawberries, mountains of muddy potatoes, dubious cheeses, and the biggest watermelons I’ve ever seen.
And then, the next day... the linen shop.
Oh. My. God.
A shiny boutique upstairs, but downstairs?
A brick‑lined labyrinth of fabric, remnants, dresses, bedding, and linen everything.
I was overstimulated within seconds. Graham, familiar with my neuro‑spicy tendencies, gently reminded me to breathe.
But I found treasures:
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fat quarters of Lithuanian linen
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remnants perfect for Hen’s Tooth creations
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two dresses (because buy‑one‑get‑one‑free logic is irresistible)
By the time we got back to the apartment, I was over budget, overwhelmed, and utterly delighted. I wish I'd bought more dresses now.
🛁 Baths, Pickles & Big Feelings
I had a long soak in the bath, something I miss at home, and we ate the weirdest but most delicious dinner: steak with pickled gherkins, pickled cauliflower, kimchi, and a glass of red wine.
Then we found a taproom for a final beer and talked about how long this week has felt.
How much we’ve done.
How much Lithuania has surprised us.
How much it has pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Balloons. Bullets. Big feelings. And a deeper sense that life is meant to be lived with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to say yes to the unexpected.
Find gorgeous, carefully curated treasures inspired by our little adventure in the Love Lithuania Mini Edit collection.