Driving through the Baltic countryside is quite a nice experience. The nature is quite surprising, and there are surprises all over the place. I spotted a red fox not too far outside of Tallinn. I also have been amazed by the number of storks I have seen. They build their nests on top of power poles, barns, cell towers, etc., and can be seen feeding in fields, especially while the fields are being plowed. They can also be seen soaring through the air individually, or in groups of up to 20 or more. It is amazing to see 20 birds with wingspans of over seven feet soaring around in circles together!
I am also surprised by some of the odd roadside attractions we have seen. I happened to spot a hotel just off the main road with a unique theme. It was a former airfield, and the tower and administration building were converted to a hotel. They also had several former Soviet aircraft on display outside. Given my military background, I found these quite interesting.
Getting into our campsite in Riga was a little confusing, but worth it in the end. The internet was down, but the facilities were good and it was quiet. The campsite is actually in what is the Riga Exhibition Hall during the winter, and the lot and part of the building are converted to a campsite in the summer.
Riga was quite a treat. We headed to Old Town to see some particular sites we had picked out. As it was Sunday, we weren’t sure what would be open. Our first stop was the “Cat House” (no, not a house of ill repute.) It is famous for the cats perched in a frightened pose atop the house’s roof.
We then headed for Riga Cathedral, the largest medieval church in the Baltic states. One selling point of the cathedral for us is that it has the fourth largest pipe organ in the world, with over 6700 pipes in the arrangement. We got there only to be told the cathedral was closed until later in the afternoon for services. As we were scheduled to leave before they opened, we begged just to quickly and quietly go in to see the organ (the main cathedral services had not yet started.) The docent politely told us “no” and in pidgin English said there was an English language service going on in the chapel. We were surprised, and asked if we could attend, which she was happy for us to do.
It was a very nice service (Lutheran) and the chapel was beautiful. It was also a bit of a treat to hear so many American voices! The people were all very friendly and welcoming. After the service, Sidney and I were able to slip in to the main part of the cathedral to see the organ. We got a double treat, as there was a concert going on and we got to hear it as well! It was spectacular!
Our next stop was on of the main squares of Old Town. The Blackheads House was built by German craftsmen as a house for their guild back in the 1300’s. It has been restored and is a thing of beauty.
We also went through the Latvian Museum of Occupation. It chronicles the country’s occupations, first by the Soviets, then the Germans, then the Soviets again, from 1939-1991. It really makes you realize the difficulties faced by the nations of the Baltics during this period. Hundreds of thousands were killed, imprisoned or simply disappeared during this time. People lost their national identities, and entire ethnic groups were wiped out.
We needed a lighter experience after that, so we headed to the City Market. I had read it was big, but never expected what we found. It is set up in (and outside of) several former zeppelin hangers just across from Old Town. There were literally thousands of vendors with every imaginable item – clothes, hardware, shoes, fruits, veggies, fresh and cooked meats, pastries, and the list goes on! We got several things to eat there, including the best smoked chicken I have had in a long time.
After the market (and our little picnic) we went back towards our car to start our next drive. Along the way, we stopped at the Latvian Monument of Freedom, as well as a park that ran beside it and the river. We stumbled on a Baltic tradition that is actually very nice. They place a lock on a bridge to symbolize the joining of two people when they get married. This particular bridge was covered in locks. Many are fancily engraved, but some simply are handwritten with the couples names and wedding date.
Our drive to Vilnius was pretty uneventful, with many small towns, churches and forests along the way. The landscape changed a bit, since we were heading inland from the coast. Upon seeing Vilnius, my first impression was that it is a bustling metropolitan area with all the modern conveniences.
We couldn’t locate a campsite, so we stayed at the Europa City hotel. The staff was very friendly, and the rooms clean and comfortable. Internet access was fast, so I posted our last blog post from there.
Sidney and I headed into Old Town Vilnius early, as we wanted to get started with the long drive to Warsaw. We started with the Parliament building, then went to the Green Bridge. It is protected as an architecturally significant site, and is cornered with four Soviet Realist statues displaying various aspects of ideal Communism.
We then took the funicular up to the Arsenal Tower at the edge of Old Town. The view was quite nice, and Sidney got a kick out of the self-operated funicular (it was more a sideways elevator than train.)
After the tower, we headed through a park into the Old Town. Sidney got to spend a few minutes playing, and I was surprised to meet a couple of Americans in the park with their kids. It turns out they are with the Embassy on assignment in Vilnius. We chatted for a bit before heading on to the “break-away Republic of Uzupio.” It is basically an artist colony on the opposite side of the river of Old Town that jokingly declared their independence. They even have their own constitution, president, and are referred to on many tourist maps as the “Republic of Uzupio.” This angel is their “national symbol.”
After leaving there, I started to suffer one of the headaches I get a couple of times a year. They are quite painful, and usually require me to take a nap in a cool dark area for a few hours to make them better. We had no choice but to take a taxi back to the hotel and check back in so I could do this.
After waking from my nap, I wanted to look at some of the pictures I had taken, so I looked for the camera bag and realized it wasn’t in the room. I immediately went downstairs and explained that I wasn’t feeling well when I checked in, and asked if I had left it there. The clerk said no, but the taxi driver had found it in his cab and was worried about it. He remembered us because of Sidney and left a message for us at the front desk. I called him and he gladly brought the bag back to us. Thank you, Giedrius! If anyone needs a taxi in Vilnius, email me and I will send you his mobile number!
Since we had not gotten to see much of the actual Old Town, we went back out in the evening. I am so glad we did, as the buildings took on a whole different personality in the summer evening light. It was really quite beautiful, and very alive for a Monday night.
Gratuitous picture of Sidney here! After a traditional Latvian dinner, we went back to the hotel to rest for our drive to Warsaw. More on Warsaw and Berlin in our next post!
No comments:
Post a Comment