Living By the Romantic Lake Talkša, in Šiauliai (Lithuania)

The town of Šiauliai, in Lithuania is a very nice place to live in. Like most big cities, the main part of the town is a bit of a concrete jungle.

However, there's a part of the town where you don't see any concrete apartment blocks at all, only cute little houses such as this one... some are built of wood, others use more modern materials, since their owners have read the Three Little Pigs fable.

A few meters away, you have the beautiful lake Talkša, where the locals come regularly - to take a stroll and spend some quality time among friends and family. Sometimes they just sit on the grass and have a picnic.

By the lake shore, you'll see a few more colourful and lovely houses, packed together in a setup which makes us feel like we're in the countryside. The noises of the city aren't heard here, you can only listen to the nature around you.

Reaching the lake Talkša from the center of Šiauliai is quite easy. Just head on foot to the Sundial Square, where you'll find this monument, marking the 750th anniversary of the city's existence.

The sculpture is called "the Golden Boy" by the locals. Drawn on the ground, there's a sundial clock unifying the three symbols of Šiauliai:

• the Sun - representing the Battle of the Sun that took place on the city grounds;
• the Archer - that the city's name derives from;
• the Time - that has passed since the name of the city was mentioned for the first time (in 1236). It is the highest sundial in Lithuania.

^{Info Source: TurizmoGidas.lt}

Once you're here, take the path to the left and walk a few meters until you see the lake approaching...

By the lake, there are several trails and paths for walking, jogging, riding a bike or having some fun using skates and roller-blades. Some are made of smooth, concrete pavement, others are rough dirt tracks. In the Summer, there are several activities available, such as zip-lining, water skiing, fishing...

Another landmark is situated right next to the water, a giant fox. The locals were pretty fond of this sculpture. It's called the Iron Fox and it should be pretty obvious why. I love how the statue reflects the colours around her, which will give different aspects to it, depending on the weather and the time of year.

This huge sculpture is the work of the designer Vilius Puronas and it was made to commemorate the thousand-year anniversary of the first mention of the name of Lithuania.

The Iron Fox is 25 meters long, 6.5 meters high and weights 7 tons. The fox has a "heart" with a built-in time capsule for future generations.

^{Info Source: VanDerKrogt.net}

There is a story circulating around, claiming that this statue simply popped up one day, without no one in the town knowing it was being installed, though I find that very hard to believe because one doesn't simply set up a giant statue weighting 7 tons, without no one being aware of it.

As you can see, there are a few benches strategically located right by the Iron Fox. This has become one of the favourite spots for lovers to hang out with each other.

What a romantic place to live in, eh?

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Camera	Canon IXUS 210
Location	Šiauliai - Lithuania
Photos	8 Edited with GIMP

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