Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: not yet names to conjure with, but each of the three Baltic sisters asserts its distinctive cultural heritage as it shrugs off the shadow of the old Soviet Union. In the Baltic one can venture onto the doorstep of Mother Russia without challenges of visiting Russia itself.

Vilnius, a veritable Prague of the north, is a city of churches, and the streets and lanes are lined with spires and onion domes. Lithuanians share a staunchly Catholic heritage with their Polish neighbours, if not with their Baltic brethren to the north.

From the windows of our Old Town apartment most of the city's landmarks are visible, including the wedding cake of St Casimir’s, with its black and gold crown; the baroque spire of St Johns, the university church; and the cream and chocolate tower of an Orthodox church, with its gold piping. Men in black, women in mauve parade up and down Pilies gatve, the street which has become a catwalk for tourists and locals alike, and you don’t need a crystal ball to pick what's in, this summer.

Original images were 35mm Fujichrome or Ektachrome transparencies taken in 2001.