The Klaipėda Resident

As I lean here, I can’t stop admiring Mažvydas Alley… Can you see how beautiful it is? Almost like me! I meet so many lovely people here… In the early mornings, while the whole city is still waking up, my eyes follow every person hurrying to work. Oh, if only you knew how many adorable doves like to gather here and whisper about eternal love and its chastity.

Lazy weekend evenings are the best, when the sun illuminates the faces of passers-by and the rays of the sun make the windows of Mažvydas Alley glow. People change too, they forget their daily tasks and just walk around, enjoying the alley. Don’t forget to admire me too – such a charming young man! I am a sly, handsome, and svelte fellow after all. And I’m talented too! The stories I could tell! Guess who is the best storyteller in this city? You don’t know. Me, of course! Have you ever heard of the cheese that saved Klaipėda? Yes, cheese! Here’s what happened: long ago, when the city of Klaipėda still had to defend against all kinds of attackers, there was Swedish king Eric, who also had some plans to invade the beautiful land of Klaipėda. Admittedly, he was having a hard time, and the funniest thing is, what finally broke him… was a piece of cheese thrown into his campsite! The Swedish King thought that the besieged Klaipėda still had plenty of food supplies and was not ready to give up, so he could only retreat. It’s unbelievable how a piece of cheese could change so much!

I have another story. Did you know that Klaipėda is considered to have been founded in 1252, when the castle of the Livonian Order was built on the site of an old Curonian settlement? And that there are many legends about the origin of the name of this city? No? Then listen to one of them! Once upon a time, the two bravest hunters of a tribe located in the middle of Akmena, brothers Elnias and Vilkas set out to find a more suitable place for their tribe to live. As they journeyed down from the highlands, the men saw the sea. The hunters wanted to greet it but to be able to do so, they needed to pass a huge marsh and they chose two different paths. It just so happened that only one of them – Elnias – managed to successfully reach the Sea and Vilkas disappeared.… Elnias spent days looking for his friend and found nothing but a bogged down footprint in the swamp. After a long search, the man decided to bring his tribe to the places he had explored and his story was passed down between generations. Eventually, the story was forgotten, but the name of the place where Vilkas disappeared, “Klai(džiota) pėda“ (The Wandering Footprint”) remains…

That’s enough, time for me to go looking for adventures. In fact, I have spent far too long with you. Bye, Little Brother! I’m in a hurry.