26 km north of Vilnius, stands a large pillar boasting its steadfastness at the exact geographic centre of Europe. Well, turns out that calculation might not be so exact after all, according to those very same French geographers who made the original claim. Aw, hell. Fortunately, the monument, designed by Gediminas Jokubonis, also bears the emblem of the EU at its crown and can easily be interpreted as a sculpted celebration of Lithuania's acceptance into the European Union - good save. Surrounding the site is an easily-strolled nature preserve, a museum, tourist information centre, post office where you can mail yourself a 'dear diary' postcard emblazoned with the 'centre of Europe emblem,' and an infernal gift shop where you can get a personalized certificate commemorating that utterly confusing and vacant day when you found yourself in the void at the centre of the continent...
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