Klaipeda and the West Coast

This weekend is another bank holiday independence weekend. March 11th is Lithuania's new independence day which celebrates it independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Like the 1918 independence day, the streets are lit up with the display of Lithuanian flags everywhere. In Gedimino square, people brace the sub-zero temperatures to watch a free festival of Lithuanian music and speakers. On one of the main TV stations, there is a hot political debate on how the Soviet Union broke up.
We decided to get away from the chaos and cold of the city to the coast where it is at least 1degree warmer than it is inland. We decided to head off to a place called Palanga, which is Lithuania's seaside party town. However, at this time of year, it is not the case. During the winter, most places are closed or boarded up. The daytime sees a fair amount of people who come to check out floating icebergs, eat hot waffles on lollipop sticks or to ski on the beach. In the evening, Palanga is a ghost town as people flock elsewhere for their fun. That said, it is worth bracing the biting windchill to check out the breathtaking western sunsets.
The nightlife in Palanga at this time of year is disappointingly dead as most restaurants are closed and the streets are empty. On the main street, one can hear a pin drop.