Thanks, @Sam_F. Saw the mice, but didn’t hang around to take more photos, because it was raining a bunch by the time I left. My hotel is a block or two away, though, so I will be returning before I leave Vilnius.
With food while traveling, I tend to go where convenient, so I can save time for exploring.
I actually bring my own cooked stuff if I can. On this train trip I did I didn’t need too many clothes as it’s up to 30 degrees! So I made a fruit and nut cake and brought two sausage casseroles to start me off. The Home owner was really surprised ! Maybe fewer Spanish men cook? The cake I made in a machine but it’s very nourishing with figs, apples dates nuts etc so I can eat that with yoghurt and keep exploring till a late lunch hour. It also means I spend more time with the pets rather than at the stove. Some kitchen equipment like air fryers are not my choice. I also prefer to have instant coffee than struggle with expensive coffee machines!
I prefer to use ikea crockery as I know it’s mainly microwave safe. Basically damage limitation! In the heat it’s only bearable to cook at the start and end of the day!
With my wife arriving tomorrow it will be meals out for sure- she does like the fruit and nut cake though!
Most of my meals I’m eating cold- I can see why Gazpacho is so popular down here too!
I’ve always enjoyed living in a flat with a patio. When I applied for this penthouse flat experience I thought the outside space would be relaxing and fun. The pre visit photo was quite different to the present day! I don’t mind. The plants are on an automatic watering system so I just spray those that still struggle in the heat.. the inside also has lots of plants - I must be looking after 50 in all plus 3 cats and a dog!
It’s fine. It’s manageable, at least for two weeks! But maybe another pet sitter wouldn’t be so happy?
Maybe the first patio photo was when the owner moved in? Since then a jungle has been growing!
She asked me if the automatic watering was working ok.
“ well, I think so. I’m still spraying a few thirsty plants- I don’t want any deaths on my watch!”
She laughed.
I’m four floors up with no lift. Luckily ground floor plants aren’t my responsibility!
The advert just mentioned details of the pets, names and ages.
If in the review the Home Owner mentions my skills for plant care will this become a rod for my own back?
How green do you go?
@Sam_F , sent me to a wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Vilnius called Sweet Love Caffe, where I had a vegan Caesar salad and tomato soup. I liked it so much I went back a second time.
This reminds me I once did a cat-sit for a cat that would only drink from a wine glass . We clearly had a lot in common!
That’s so funny. I just had a sit where I thought the owners neglected to leave out the cats’ water, so found a bowl & set it out. Turned out the cats only drink from the beer stein left on the coffee table! (I’d washed & put it away, thinking it was someone’s half-drunk glass they forgot… 
)
(Good thing I’d mentioned the missing waterbowl in my first daily text!)
My old boy Walter will only drink from a full pint glass of water 
On a recent dog sit I was advised to change the water regularly because the dogs were water snobs. On walks they drank from muddy puddles and on returning home ignored the pristine water and proceeded to drink from the full watering can.
I’d either forgotten just how weird cats are or I only ever owned normal cats growing up….tbh thinking about it now they weren’t normal at all….
My sister in laws cat would only drink from a crystal wine glass.
Did it reside in Surrey maybe?
Sometimes, the most prosaic stuff can make you happy when traveling, like a clean laundromat in a very convenient mall, right before I left Vilnius, in Lithuania.
And cheers to small victories, like figuring things out despite bad instructions in multiple languages. I found out they were bad even in Lithuanian, because I had to help every customer who came in after me and was stumped by the digital payment system. 
this is the only place it’ll drink from…
