Final minutes in the Baltics

Will post more on the road, had limited access over the final part of the trip.

Beers across the Baltics

Lithuania is a beer drinking country, with the most famous brands being Svyturys, Kalnapilis, Utenos, Horn and Gubernija. A visit to a kiosk will show that there are more than 50 different brands of beer in this small country. 

I have tried my hardest to sample each and every one. Hope I can find a few of the better ones back home.

Lithuanian Cuisine

Cepelinai

Friends often ask what the food was like when I get back from holiday and I always have the same answer. "It was a lot like the food I eat in Canada". How can that be you may wonder? Well, as Megan will tell you, I like chicken fingers and Caesar salad and a few other things but you get the idea. I have had my fill of cheese pizza, chicken with mushrooms, and other very familiar comfort foods for me. Francois and I have a laugh when choosing a restaurant as his parents would always want something "typico", local food made my someone's granny. I say eiwwwww.

Typical Lithuanian dishes include Cepelinai, thick blobs of potato dough stuffed with cheese or meat or mushrooms. I did try these and liked them, what's not to like, they are deep fried and come topped with bacon or mushrooms in a cream sauce! Another artery clogger is sour cream topped kugelis, that is baked grated potatoes and carrots in the oven. Lithuanians also like the less savoury parts of there livestock. Cow tongue is a fav as well as (now this sounds yummy) Alioniu Skilandis, minced meat smoked in pork bladders. Pork snout with pork tail and trotter beans, pigs ears (I feed them to my dog and he hates them).

Needless to say, when I travel I stick to what I know. I am trying to get Francois to try some of the local delicacies, not having much success. Maybe today. Off to Trakai.

SVYTURYS

Just finished several SVYTURYS EKSTRAS and it's time for bed. What a wonderful day.

Bistro 18

We went for supper last night at Bistro 18. It was the second highest rated restaurant on Tripadvisor and was highlighted in the Lonely Planet, we figured it had to be good and was it ever. We share three appetizers, one entree each and two desserts, lots of bread and five pints of beer and some yummy creme brulee for dessert. Grad total including tip, 60$ Canadian! So cheap.

We had a great day today in the sunshine, well for the most part, wandering the streets (no we are not hooking) and visiting the sights. Just cooked supper at the flat and I finished off a pint of beer that I bought for 40 cents at the super market. Francois was looking out the window while cooking and caught some hobo trying to break into our car. There is nothing in the bloody car and it's a piece of junk. He was trying the doors, a quick scream out of the window scared him off. Fucker.

Tonight we are off to see the Lithuania Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are so affordable we can't not go.

We have to walk two kilometers and it is thundering, lightening and raining like crazy, Oh, and it just started to hail. Wish me luck. Who cares, we are on holiday....

Vilnius

Riga

Riga truly is the heart of Latvia and dates back to the early 13th century. It has grown to become not only the largest city in the country but in the Baltics. There is a lot to see and do in this town and has been named a World Heritage Site. The seductive Old Town with narrow alleys and a medieval atmosphere and cobblestone streets, that Latvian women have little trouble maneuvering in 5 inch heels, it's a skill.

The Old Town, besides being littered with numerous strip-clubs, offers a brilliant 14th century Hansa-styled cathedral, an old Livonian castle dating back to the early 12th century where the current Latvian president's residence. You can't miss the famous House of the Blackheads near St.Peters Church and the river Daugava, the huge christmas tree is also a dead give away.

Anyone visiting Riga should take a walk up to the Albert and Elisabetes Street and check out the famous Art Noveaux buildings, works of famous architects like Eizenstein, Scheffel and Peksens and some of the most beautiful in Europe. It's easy to find, just follow all of the other tourist carrying their Lonely Planet guides, looking up at building and true works of art. We spent the better part of the day taking pictures, sipping lattes and just generally enjoying our time in such a breathtaking city.

Kaunas

Memorial at Kaunas

On our way to Vilnius we took a pit stop at a town called Kaunas, a sprawling university town on the edge of the Nemunas river. We at lunch at the MEGA mall with a mega aquarium, largest I have ever seen outside an actual aquarium, if that makes any sense. It measures 10 meters and has a capacity of 300,000 liters and is home to over 1,600 fish and other ocean things including reef sharks...the shopping was also good.

The real reason for the stop over was to do something I have always wanted to do. I love history. It's true, even my "strength finder" says so, and I really am fascinated with WWII history. So I've always wanted to visit a concentration camp. It has nothing to do with anything morbid, I believe that it is important to remember these atrocities and the millions that were murdered for no other reason than religion, race, sexual orientation and any number of other affliction. It was a moving experience to stand at the Ninth Fort where over 50,000 people were killed.

Vilinius

We have been without an internet connection for a few days. The condo I booked confirmed with me that indeed they had internet, however, on arrival...not so mch. Not to worry. We are now in Vilnius the capital of Lithuania. Got here only a few hours ago and I am anxious to get out and explore. What I have seen so far looks amazing. We are staying in a flat around the corner from All Saints Church. First thing I did was book tickets to a classical music concert, Strauss and Vivaldi, an interesting mix.

Latvian Sports

A common and most popular sport amongst women in Latvia is wood pushing. The object is to pile as many logs as possible into your baby's carriage, push carriage as fast as you can for 15 meters and ensure that the wood stays dry. Meet Ivanka she was the village champion in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Ivanka is the oldest person in the village, she is 43 years young.

Jurmala

We spent the day at the beach yesterday in Jurmala, the French Riviera of Latvia. A town about 25 kilometers from Riga, it has a 33km stretch of white sand beach that made it a popular vacation spot for former Soviet bigwigs like Brezhnev (big eyebrown) and Kruschchev. There are still lots of Russians to be found in and around Riga, actually 41 per cent of the population. We walked the beach, soaked up the sun and watched a few beach volleyball games.

Word of the day - GTL

My nephew recently moved out of the nest to attend school in Sudbury (poor kid). I sent him a text the other day to see how he was settling in and he responded "life here is pretty awsome, get my gtl on hahha but i think it good forme to grow up". So I thought, wow that's pretty good for a guy who just turned 18. Then I thought WTF (why the face) does GTL mean? I am so old that I have to google The Urban Dictionary to understand what my nephews are talking about. (In true Toast Master style, I will be using GTL daily or at least as often as I can fit it into a sentence). Which reminds me, I gotta GTL so later dudes!

Church in Sigulda at sunset

The process of staying fresh and mint. Stands for "Gym, tan, laundry." Must be done everyday to achieve maximum potential. Side effects include fist pumping. Coined by the eloquent Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino from MTV's ground breaking Jersey Shore. The essential components for a true Guido/Guidette to feel great and no doubt look great.

What else is Latvia famous for

HIGHEST DOCUMENTED BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL -- Unidentified Latvian at .7 per cent. It's probably not recognized by the Guinness book, but whatever. Here is the story, so this 50-year-old Latvian dude was caught with .7 per cent blood alcohol level. No biggie, right? Let's put it into perspective -- this is 17 times the legal driving limit in Latvia and TWICE the amount considered LETHAL to human beings. And though he was found dead by the cops, remarkably, he wasn't killed by the frickin' alcohol... HE WAS RUN OVER BY A CAR! Oopsy! To get his blood alcohol level so high, specialists figure that he must've been drinking home-made alcohol for DAYS as it's impossible to reach that level in one day. A record that hopefully stands for a long time. Combined the three dudes on the left don't even reach .7 per cent. Too mean? Even for me?

It's beer o'clock

I decided to splurge today and spend $1.20 on this delightful pale lager at 7 per cent alcohol content. It starts off cold and wet and ends up in my tummy. It tastes like more.

The water in the background is not mine.

Lahemaa National Park

The coastline of Lahemaa is an attraction in itself. The white sand and calm water is dotted with large erratic boulders, left by the retreating icecaps of the latest ice age, these pictures were taken near Käsmu.

Soviet secret bunker

So cool (snore)

Just outside the town of Sigulda, deep in the heart of Gauja National Park you will find the twilight zone town of Ligatne. You really feel like you have travelled back in time to when the country was occupied by the nasty USSR. The buildings look cold and functional, you see people walking on the roads in the strangest places, middle of the woods pushing a wheel barrel of mushrooms. Who are they, where are they going, where have they been...nobody knows...well maybe the KGB.

The USSR built a secret military base in the town and nobody knew about it until 2003 when it was discovered. Construction started on the 2,000 sq/ft bunker in 1966 and was completed five years later. The OBJECT as it was called was located 9 meters underground and was used as a communication facility or early warning centre until 1991 when the Russians left.

It was an interesting tour led by our Lativan tour guide Helga (names have been changed for to protecting information (said with Russian accent)). Helga was an interesting character, this tour was a la Tunnels of Moose Jaw minus the pizzazz or intonation or emotion. Again when reading this please speak in your head with a Russian accent. 

Helga (in front of a flimsy iron door with an old plastic crank phone) "You must cranking the phone and say secretly password". "Then maybe door will opening."

Francois: " I don't want to do this it's scary, Ed you do it..I don't know what the password is?? How am I suppose to know, did I miss something here. Should I have read a brochure or something before the tour started"

Helga (rolling her eyes): "you must cranking the phone and saying secretly password".

Francois (looking frightened) "????"

Edward: (cranking the phone in frustration) "Open fucking sesame".

Helga: "You have clever brain".

The "object" was built underneath a rehabilitation center for persons with special needs in order to camouflage the fact that they were doing all this stuff underground. The furniture and artifacts that remain are pretty cool. (not really)

Seriously, if you saw some of the equipment in this "high tech" military bunker you would have to ask yourself why we ever feared the Russians? Helga gave us a great tour and chatted to us about what it was like back in the day of the Russian Empire. It was very amusing and she knew her stuff, as I am sure she had delivered the exact same tour thousands of times in four different languages to annoying tourists like us.

We managed to take a few secret photographs, please keep them to yourselves, I fear for our safety.

Nasdrovia Helga.

Riga's Opera House - La Triviata

Riga's Opera House was one of the first buildings to get a full make-over following the ousting of the Soviets in 1991. Why? Because Latvians consider the opera an enormously important part of their cultural heritage, and they were determined that the new Opera House would spearhead their drive towards recreating their national identity.

So in honour of this, Francois and I are going to attend the opera toinght. La Triviata, composed by Verdi, should be a great experience.

Wheels around the Baltics

Here is the little vehicle that is taking us around the Balics. We have logged about 1100 kms so far. It's nothing much to look at but it is fuel efficient and drives nicely. Reminds me of a SAAB.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, drivers follow the speed limit very closely. If 100 is posted they drive 100 or slower. They are also polite, even in the cities where crosswalks are respected. It's been good so far. Although it does take a little longer to cover 100kms here that in Saskatchewan.

Sooma National Park

Bog walking

Our final day in Estonia was spent at Sooma National Park, one of the largest in Europe. It was created to protect the bogs, forest and several rivers that flow through the park. We stayed in a little cabin by the river, the only guests at the place. It was so quiet, my ears were actually ringing. It felt very mystical, in the evening mist hovers over fields; there are small wooden houses nestle by rivers and streams. Beavers swim in the reeds and the park is home to wolfs, lynx, deer, moose, wild boar (we actually saw two of them) and brown bears. 

There are 5 bogs separated by woodlands and rivers. During the snow melting period this area becomes flooded, locals call this the 'fifth season'. It's a very beautiful park and a wonderful place to explore. Which we did by canoeing 15 kilometers and hiking about 10 through the bogs and forest.

Francois life vest had pictures of jockey uniforms?

It was great, we had sunny blue skies, a nice breeze and the river was calm. During our first 5K hike, I noticed these little bugs flying around......They were flying TICKS!!!!!

Please read next post to see what I think of them.

The ticks of Sooma National Park

Each May I spent a week with my parents in Gaspe. My dad and I spend hours in the woods clearing brush, chopping tree and maintaining the wood road. We hike and get turn around and my Pa tells stories of what it was like growing up, one of 12 kids and having to work at a very young age. I tell this story because I want to show that I enjoy the woods, I have no fear of critters, banshees, ghosts or other forest elves. I do however hate bugs, I'm not afraid of them, they just drive me nuts. I head to Gaspe in May because the sand flies, black flies, deer flies, horse flies, and mosquitos are still sleeping, dreaming of the day they can buzz around my ears and cause me to run from the woods, screaming like a school girl. I take refuge and cower in the house behind the screen door.

You see, I also hate bug spray and well sun screen and any other cream or moisturizer. So I have no means of warding of those little blood suckers. I need to resort to wearing a full body bug net. I look like a freak but who cares, you all will never see me. Of all the bugs out there, the one I hate the most is the TICK. This small blood thirsty parasite waits in tall grass to attach itself to a poor unsuspecting host (i.e. me), they can detect heat and carbon dioxide so they know you are coming. They spread all sorts of diseases and they are ugly. Just writing this I feel sick.

Nothing says I love you more that flowers from PUKE

The picture says it all.

Lithuania - Groceries

Francois and I alway enjoy trying to find the cheapest booze possible, whenever we visit a new country. I mean really, I have never met a beer I didn't like, well that is not entirely true. In Newfoundland I had a pint of Black Horse, I was told later that it was the same as drinking a Dow (for those who remember O'Keefe). It actually tasted like it had melted butter in it, on any given day I would say that would sound delish, but it tasted crap.

Anyways, here is what 5 canadian dollars can buy you at the local market. One bottle of Polish sparkling rose (for Francois  - Duh) and 4 pint size cans of beer (likely the same as buying a two litre bottle of Bull Eye at home). Only slightly cheaper than Regina!

Cheers!

Haapsalu - Quick visit

I am trying to catch up with my blog, we went for several days without any internet connection at places we stayed at. I have to say that I am amazed at how connected most town's in Estonia are. Many restaurants, museums and other locations offer free wifi access. Very handy when you want to find an interesting location to stop for lunch, which is what we did. Haapsalu Kuursaal is a lovely restaurant that sits on the waterfront and is surrounded by rose gardens. It is staffed by students attending a local vocational college. The dishes that are served are creative and use local produce and meats. The meal was simply fantastic, Francois had roast rabbit with mixed vegetables and mash potatoes, I stuck with pork stuffed with blue cheese and bacon. Pork stuffed with other pig parts, sounds yummy. They had creme brulee on the menu so of course that was my choice. We were the only people in the restaurant as it was later in the afternoon and it is off season. Our waitress was a cute young girl who tried her best at English, she said please every time she came to the table.

The castle was built in the 13th century and has a turreted tower and a partial moat. The museum has some medieval weaponry and the grounds were very well kept. A wonderful place to stop for a few hours.

Saaremaa Island

Francois and I planned a two day get away here, Estonia's largest island which is a big get away for many Swedes, Fins and Estonians. The island is thickly covered with spruce and pine trees and juniper groves, there are tiny villages that have stoop the passage of time and look unchanged. Lovely lighthouses and wind mills dot the island so there is always lots to see. Not to mention miles of pristine beaches where you can walk for hours, alone. No peaceful.

We rented a small flat from Kristina, a kind older women who is a native of Finland and has called Kuressaare home for over 15 years. The flat was spotless and Kristina provide us with advice on the local sights, she even brought us a home made blueberry pie (my favourite incase someone was wondering what to bake for me) on our second night. Yummm.

Kuressaare was indeed breathtakingly beautiful. It's a picturesque town with peaceful leafy streets lined with cafes and a magnificent castle rising up in the centre of it all. The castle is the best preserved medieval castle in the Baltics. There has been a castle at this location since 1260, however, the one pictured here was built in the 14th century. This Gothic fortress has so much fun to visit, I felt one again drawn back to Pillars of the Earth.

We spent the rest of our time walking the deserted beaches and parks, exploring the coast and visiting the lighthouse.

An interesting fact, during Russian rule, the island was off limits to everyone as it was the sight of a military base, for this reason, the island seems unchanged by time.

Museum of Occupation & Fight for Freedom - Estonia

When visiting any country part of the fun is to learn some about the populations traditions and history. What better way than to spend a few hours on a rainy day, visiting a museum. Estonia is a small country with a population of around 1.3 million. Most people speak at least three languages, Estonian, Russian and English, we never had a problem communicating, everyone was eager to serve us in English. The last century has been full of twists and turns for this little country. They went from being a province of Russia to gaining independence, then again came under Russian rule, then Nazi occupation, Russian occupation again until the fall of the USSR. Now they are a member of the EU. Estonia really is ready for business.

There is no love lost between Russian and Estonian. The Estonians suffered greatly during the Russian repression where thousands were tortured or sent to prison camps. Over 19,000 were executed, farmer lost their land, thousands of immigrants flooded the country. The Forest Brothers, a group of 14,000 guerrillas had little success against the Soviet army. Then in 1990, Estonia held free elections despite Russia's attempts to stop it, and regained independence in 1991.

Make one realize how fortunate we are in Canada to have never had a war on Canadian soil, well at least for a very long time.

Sooma national park

HAVE BEEN OUT OF INTERNET RANGE. STAY TUNED.

Ferry to Kuresaare

AFTER SPENDING A FEW HOURS  VISITING A CATHEDRAL AND CHURCH BUILT IN THE 13TH CENTURY, WE HAVE BOARDED A FERRY FOR A 30 MINUTES VOYAGE TO THE ISLANAD OF KURESAARE. WE PICKUPED UP OUR CAR/VAN THIS MORNING AND AFTER HAVING THE GUY CHANGE THE TIRES (THEY WERE AS BALD AS I AM) WE LEFT TALLINN FOR. THE ROADS ARE EXCELLENT AND SO FAR THE OTHER DRIVERS ARE NOT MANIACS. ACCORDING TO THE LONELY PLANET ESTONIANS AND LATVIANS ARE THE WORST DRIVERS IN EUROPE. I CALL BS; THE DRIVERS IN GREECE WERE WAY WORST. SITTING ON THE FERRY I AM THINKING OF TWO THINGS; ONE REMEMBERING THE WORST PEACE TIME MARITIME ACCIDENT THE SINKING OF AN ESTONIAN FERRY WERE OVER 800 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES AND TWO; HOW FAR TECHNOLOGY HAS COME. I AM WRITING THIS BLOG ON MY CELLPHONE USING A 3G CONNECION. I AM ALSO NAVIGATING MY WAY THROUGH THE BALTICS USING GPS MAPS ON MY CELL PHONE. I CALLED MY MOM THE OTHER DAY FOR TWO CENTS A MINUTE "IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR" (SHE SAYS THAT EVERY TIME). MOST PLACES WE STOP AT HAVE WIFI CONNECTIONS. WHAT WILL THE NEXT 10 YEARS BRING US? I'M STILL WAITING SO FLYING CAR! JUST DOCKED - GOTTA RUN!

Tallinn, Estonia

The capital of Estonia, Tallinn is likely one of the most enchanting cities I have every visited. A mix of medieval and modern building, narrow cobble stone streets set beneath spires, domes and churches built in the 12, 13 and 14th centuries. The city is clean and safe, there were many tourist, although not as many as I was expecting. Tallinn is a stop for Baltic cruise ships, usually only for a few hours. It is also a popular destination for stag parties..go figure, cheap booze and great bars. We actually saw a group of young guys drink absinth at 9:00a.m. (Fraser and Salgado would approve).

Yesterday was spent the day visiting museums, churches, cathedrals and eating at some quaint little restaurants. It was only 8C and there was drizzle all day, no heavy rain. Sure, it would have been nice to see the sun but when it rains, tourists stay in their hotel room and cruise ship people don't leave their buffet lines. As a result, we had the city to ourselves. The main square was empty and the bistros too. Had it been sunny, the place would have been packed and lines would have formed to get to the must-see sites.

A highlight for me was the Occupation museum. Estonia was invaded by Russia in 1939 and the fall into the Soviet sphere was not a happy one (as you can imagine). It was so bad that when Nazi Germany invaded in 1941, they were greeted with cheers of joy. By 1944, the Russians has bombed Estonia badly, destroying most of the cities and Germany retreated. After WWII, tiny Estonia was annexed to the Soviet Union and between 1945 to 1989, the percentage of native Estonian dropped from 97% to 62%. For a series of poignant films on this topic, go to the museum's website right here.

After the insightful visit, we started seeing the city through a different lens. For example, St. Olaf Church's spire (the tallest of the city) doubled as the KGB's surveillance centre, 250 steps straight up, feel the burn. Old russian cars were probably owned by some of the city's most prominent communist party members. The way Estonians serve Russian tourists, you can tell the difference (or at least that's what I thought).

Would I recommend a visit to Tallinn or that you add it to the top 10 must sees in your lifetime. For sure, I know that we've been here for three days and would love to stay longer. Get here soon before the rest of the world does!