Vilnius, Lithuania

A cramped night bus took us north once more. Nine hours with our knees up by our elbows, in the company of a scary-looking nun, was proof positive that trains are superior to buses. Vilnius is the northernmost Catholic town with an unbelievable number of baroque churches, so the nun on the bus was not such a surprise. We even stayed in a converted monastery - but with no free food we remained steadfastly heathen.

A rustic central European town with a northern influence, Vilnius is not. Whatever we might have expected, the Apple store, Radisson SAS and Toni&Guy salon suggested prosperous Scandinavia. Across the beautiful river, a small bohemian area did kick against the slick charm of the EU's 2009 Capital of Culture - the Republic of Uzupis. Described by the tourist PR as a 'Baltic Montmartre', we found it more crusty Camden.

Next stop: St Petersburg...