Posts

Posted on

Independent Lithuania

Beautiful sparkling Vilnius, capital of the Republic of Lithuania, along the Neris river. A tributary is the Vilnia river, where the castle was located, so hence the name.
The Gediminas Tower is what remains of the castle. A even an older castle site was on the forest hill in the background — demolished by the Soviets. The forest is now a much loved park in the city along the Vilnia River.
The contemporary Modern District shines with prosperity and commerce.
Vilnius is in total solidarity with Ukraine — the Ukrainian flag is hung along side their own. It has been only 30 years since Lithuania gained their independence from the Soviets. Very prominent on on e of the tallest buildings: “PUTIN, THE HAGUE IS WAITING FOR YOU”
Stebuklas – or miracle tile – was the beginning of a 1989 political protest against Soviet occupation with a 2 million-person  human chain —  stretching 650km from this spot to Tallinn, Estonia. Today the tile is a symbol of hope and inspiration.
Cathedral Square with its distinctive Bell Tower is the center of Vilnius. After the rain there were reflections in the plaza.
Nearby, the National Museum is an impressive collection of Lithuanian history. It is built inside the Palace of the Governors. Four different routes take you on a journey through Lithuanian’s complex history — spanning different topics of its events through the ages. We spent an entire rainy day exploring…
…Excavations of ruins from different eras had glass floored bridges built over the old remains allowing access as it explained life in that century– quite an amazing logistic and engineering feat.
Around 1500 the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (shown in Yellow) was the largest European state — controlling an area from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Note north of them is Livonia which was Estonia and Latvia combined.
The National Library was the first purposely built library in the Baltic’s . It is a monument to ‘socialist realism’ — constructed by the Soviets in 1958.
It has fun book jackets recreating characters of various famous literary persons. A very nice National Library for everyone.
The Hill of Crosses has been resurrected many times in its 300 year history –after demolitions by the Soviets to squash religious practices. It is a very meaningful place for the Lithuanians, recognized by UNESCO, and even visited by the Pope Paul II in 1993.
We took a sightseeing bus from Riga to Vilnius, stopping in several places including the second largest city Kaunas. But perhaps most interesting was our stop at the old  WWII Japanese Consulate (at the request of our two Japanese co-travelers)…
…It has been turned into a museum for Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas. This is an original ‘Letter of Transit’ issued in 1940 — we had never seen one before!  The dutch ambassador issued  a landing permit to their colonies but the letter of transit was necessary to travel so the two worked together tirelessly. Sugihara issued over 2000 without his governments consent to enable many Jewish families (estimated to number around 6,000 individuals) — stuck in limbo between the Nazis and Soviets — to travel to safer areas.
We enjoyed staying in Old Town, wandering the campus of University of Vilnius, popping into some courtyards and restaurants. A vibrant hilly metro area that was a pleasure to explore.
Posted on

Latvian Experiences

An hour by train, we walked to Kemeri National Park. A beautiful clear morning for the Raised Bog Trail, built in 2000.
Fall colors, detail and highlight the Raised Bog Trail. This is the largest and most accessible bog in Latvia. It is also a very important bird migration area.
This bog started forming about 8,000 years ago. As the peat layer grew thicker the bog started to rise into what is now called a dome. Inner pressure cracks start collecting water into numerous pools.
This is a massive bog as we saw from the viewing tower — basically around 24 square miles.
This gives a sense of scale as we enjoyed the reflections and sunshine!
We got off the train at Majori Beach.  A very popular area on the Gulf of Riga!  About 30 minutes from Riga — nice!
Jurmala means ‘seaside’ and has this extremely long sandy beach — 21 miles! Gorgeous. While Latvia was under Soviet occupation, Jūrmala was a favorite holiday resort and tourist destination for high-level Communist Party officials.
Now everyone can enjoy! We were lucky to get a seaside table for an afternoon FIKA with our own lion sand sculpture.
Amber is found tangled in seaweed in the Baltic — all along the coast after strong storms. And the store windows are so enticing! Made us think about what did happened to Catherine the Great’s Amber room…
The Rundale Palace — in southern Latvia — dates back to the 1700’s. This Russian summer palace was designed by the same architect as the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. Catherine the Great’s brother lived here before Napoleon destroyed the interiors.
We toured the lovely gardens with lots of different “rooms” devoted to tulips or hydrangeas, or roses.
The Salaspils Memorial was built in 1967 by the Soviets to emphasize how bad the Nazi Work Camps were. Renovated in 2018, it now honors the German prisoners of war who died here as well under the Soviets. And explains the complete story of all who perished under the horrors of war and occupation.
The statues are monumental as you can see from the people walking around. Very emotional in their depictions.
Concrete statue “unbroken”. But the country was broken, but has recovered in the last 30 years of independence.
Posted on

Riga Revelations – Latvia

Riga located on the Bay of Riga — the largest Baltic city — has been a trading center since 1100’s: Vikings, Crusaders, Hanseatic League….
The Daugava river and the stylish cable stay Vansu Tilts Bridge. The newer town on the left bank, the older on the right.
The dominate National Library of Latvia, 2014. The Castle of Light design is derived from a beloved local 1909 book titled ‘The Golden Steed’ — only those “clever, purity of heart, and empathy” can get to the top of the Ice Mountain to waken the princess.
Riga was the European Capital of Culture in 2014: On 14 January 2014, thousands formed the ‘Chain of Light’, (2,014 meters long) transferring books one by one to the new library! The first book to pass was the German Chancellor’s 1825 family bible, published in Latvian.
The wonderful and impressive people’s bookshelf holds many special books, such as family bibles and cookbooks with personal messages — all donated by Latvians and visitors.
The world renowned Latvian born American architect, Gunars Birkerts, had his office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He pioneered expressive moderism with emphasis especially on the use of light. The library had a wonderful exhibit on all the libraries around the world he created as well as many of his other projects.
Riga has a history of great architects and is lucky to have many of their building remaining. UNESCO has recognized the Historic Center of Old town as a Cultural site which deserves protection for the benefit of all humanity.
Most of the buildings are unique in that they are only 5 stories in height.
The House of the Black Head,  — originally built by wealthy Hanseatic merchants in 1334 — was restored in 1999 after WWII bombing. We stayed across the square in a fabulous Apartment Hotel.
There are many faces watching you as the highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture anywhere in the world is here. Most of Riga’s 600 Art Nouveau buildings date from between 1904 and 1914.
Stylistic influences derived from present-day Austria, Finland and Germany — while the establishment of a faculty of architecture in Riga in 1869 was instrumental in providing a local cadre of architects.
Between 1897 and 1913, the city grew by 88%, reaching a population of 530,000 in 1914 — making it the fifth largest city in the Tsarist Russian Empire.
The Art Nouveau center was in one of the earliest example of buildings in this style and has recreated much of the interiors as they originally appeared. Here is their website with link to buildings, architects.
Fabulous entryways! The buildings are wonderful at the street level and also keep you craning up to see the top adornments.
Very impressive stairway leading up all 5 floors. On Alberta Iela 2 (Art Nouveau Center)  designed by Mikhail Eisenstein, one of the most prominent Latvian architects.
Posted on

Baltic Sea, Waterfalls, Bogs, Erratics – Estonia

Wild coast of the Baltic Sea! Cape Pakri has a unique coastal cliff — 75 foot height. One of the few places in Europe with bare Paleozoic strata, also with tallest lighthouse in Estonia.  Not important details — just enjoy!!!
Keila Joa Falls are about 20 feet in height. Notice the variants in the color of the water and the reflections of the trees. Beautiful.
A board walk through a bog is the way to go! This is Viru Bog in Lahemaa National Park on a picture perfect day. A bog is a type of mire… think quagmire… that forms peat, of course there are other more scientific characteristics as well.
Pinch me – the most photographed tree today with the reflections — ha! birds love to migrate through this area – we saw a field of cranes on our drive. Lahemaa National Park Viru Bog
The magnificent Jagala Waterfall. This is largest in Estonia at 26 foot height but also the most water.
Equally enjoyable were the Treppoja Cascades. The forests are so peaceful and tranquil with the music of the water movement. Check out the music of Arvo Pärt, who has a museum center near here.
Kasmu Beach was our favorite in Lahemaa National Park. Can you believe the size of this erratic boulder? All these rocks were left by the Weichsel Glaciation that covered the entire Nordic Baltic area 12,400 years ago. The ice piled the rocks up when it melted and retreated, the sea washed away the smaller rocks and sand.
We hiked to the Majakivi Erratic Boulder, which is the 3rd largest in Estonia. It has a ladder to climb on top. A nice spot for a picnic lunch!  Lahemaa National Park
All sorts of erratics! Ha. Over 1600 erratic have been documented with some in large fields such as this.
Or maybe Pohja Eesti Beach was our favorite! We could not believe how calm the sea was. Notice the fisherman in the water on the right.
Or maybe Mereranna Beach was our favorite? Certainly the most photographed by us as the colors were stunning.
Looking into the sun highlighted the wave patterns in the sand as well as the reflections. Very special to spend several days exploring outside of Tallinn. Lahemaa National Park Mereranna Beach.
Posted on

Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn! This is a view from upper Old-Town UNESCO world heritage area, looking out to the harbor of the Gulf of Finland – Baltic Sea. Estonia has a long and complicated history but this is a positive time to be visiting the capital city.
Medieval defense towers and walls surrounded the city. In 1285, Tallinn, then known more widely as Reval, became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League –- a mercantile and military alliance of German-dominated cities in Northern Europe. We visited their buildings in Bergen, Norway — another UNESCO protected area.
There were 66 of these towers – peaceful today to enjoy in the sunshine.
The highest steeple is Church of the Holy Ghost, officially from 1319, in the cobblestoned streets of Old Town.
Wandering the streets we loved this Art Nouveau building in Old-Town: Reichmann House, 1909. Estonia at this time was an outpost of the Tsarist Russian Empire.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a very Russian building, 1894. This Eastern Orthodox cathedral is in center of upper Old Town and appreciated by tourists, if not all the locals.
The summer Kadriorg Palace of Czarina Catherine and Peter the Great, 1718. Estonia is where the Russians with means liked to spend their summers. There are a lot of manor estates in the surrounding countryside.
We visited the architectural museum and learned more about this unique building with much of it underground. KUMU-Art-Museum
We stayed near this part of the Seafront in the Noblessner neighborhood. It is a renovated and revitalized sea harbor area. The history dates back to 1912 when Emanuel Nobel (nephew of Alfred Nobel) and Arthur Lessner founded the Russian Empire’s most important submarine factory, which built a total of 12 here. An order for an additional 20 never got made due to the 1917 October Revolution.
Lots of big ships you can tour. Dominated by this fun crane! Maybe for putting submarines in the water…probably only yellow submarines!
The formal Seaplane Harbor Hanger has been fully rehabilitated and now is a fabulous Museum. You enter the mid level which is the water line so to speak, then above is the sea planes with military history, and below is the submarine, archeology finds and history areas.
Hunt for Red October! Inside the 1936 Lembit submarine. I will never complain about a bed again — maybe…
…Even the bathroom was fun as underwater submarine marked doors like Extinguisher N05.
Had to visit the Song Festival Grounds. In 1988 300,000 gathered here — one-third of the population — using song to demand their independence. The next year while holding hands a human “Baltic Chain” stretched 360 miles from Tallinn to Vilnius in Lithuania. The Estonians fought for their independence and their continued development in their country shows their pride.
Posted on

Helsinki, Finland

Welcome to Helsinki! We are looking forward to experiencing some of Finland’s great architecture and design.
Lutheran Cathedral is a prominent landmark. Completed in 1852, it is one of several Carl Ludvig Engel’s architectural masterpieces — German architect hired by Russian czar Alexander I to master-plan Helsinki.
We arrived by train (from Turku) to Helsinki’s main station designed by Eliel Saarinen, 1912. Very cool clock tower!
‘The Lantern Bearers’ stand proud on either side – designed by Finnish sculptor, Emil Wikström.
Finlandia! A great exhibit inside about Alvar Aalto and modernism. Clad in white marble it is a stunning building.
The composer, Jean Sibelius wrote the famous symphony Finlandia. This is a fun monument to him and his “love of music” — 600 stainless steel pipes!
Standing underneath the forest of pipe organs is interesting. You can hear the wind play the pipes.
Helsinki Music Center, 2011, is another fun building and also houses the Sibelius Academy, one of the largest music academies in Europe. It provides the highest level of music education in Finland.
We were lucky enough to get tickets for one of their Wind Symphony Concerts. Many great conductors around the world come out of this academy. The metal flame looking sculpture above the Orchestra is the new 2024 Concert Organ — largest in the world and great looking also.
Also nearby is the Oodi Library, 2018, which has really fun architecture and a great space to loiter — which is encourage.
The unique spiral stair inside lists all the types of people the library caters to — including tourists!
Kamppi chapel of silence, 2012 — or is that ‘The Cone of Silence’ — is a little architectural gem in the middle of busy-ness to contemplate some quietness.
Temppeliakio Rock Church, 1969, was a unique experience. The circular ceiling dome is 13 miles of copper ribbon coiled. Panarama of the half the round sanctuary that is carved into the bedrock.
Rock meets glass and metal detail – Temppeliaukio Rock Church
We had a great apartment at the Kalasaastama metro stop. This is the view from the rooftop 30th floor common party deck.
It is one of 5 high rises in a development built around 2010 — it overlooks the soon to be completed longest bridge in Finland. Watching the sunset from our 15th floor balcony over the shortest tower.
Leaving Helsinki, we cruised 50 miles of the Baltic Sea to Estonia.
Posted on

Finland – The islands!

Finland! From the ferry dock in Turku, we had an early morning stroll along the Aura River until we found some coffee and pastry!
The Aboa Vetus (old city)Archeology Museum had huge maps of Turku’s development as well as medieval foundations discovered when building the museum. Turku has history dating from 1229 and was rebuilt after a huge fire in 1827.
An hours drive in our rental car brought us into the archipelago and on the second largest Finnish island of Kimitoon. We are staying in Villa Eden for a week, next to the Merikruunu Hotel. A beautiful retreat with its own sauna and hot tub – we are ready for some tranquility.
Our first morning we walked to the water…Nice!!! Norrfjärden is this inlet of the Baltic Sea.
Hiking the Senatsberget trail near Dalsbruk. Our breath is taken away by the beautiful mosses, lichens, and heath on the exposed bedrock…
…Minature gardens…
…And lots of varieties of mushrooms. More than we can ever remember seeing.
This area is full of ferns. But all the forests seem to us to not have a shrub (mid) layer. and the tree trunks are very straight with not many lower branches. Instead they reach for the sky.
Finland hikes have strategic shelters to gather with your friends and family.
Senatsberget has a real lookout tower to get a birds eye view…
…Of the nearby Archipelago. Feeling lucky to have such good hiking days to appreciate returning to our sauna. Very Finnish!
Teijo National Park had this Jeturkasti Trail. We are standing on an ancient glacial lake shore from 9,000 BCE. There are allegedly quite a lot of these in Finland, and they have circle depressions created by our early ancestors for cold food storage.
After coffee at the Nature Center, we drove to the Sahajarvi Trail in Teijo National Park. A kilometer in, we had a hand ferry to get us to a picturesque island…
…Perfect rock for a picnic lunch.
Also in Teijo National Park-, the Nikkallio overlook — on our third hike of the day — gave us more amazing moss on bedrock with a view of the lake Hamarinjarvi.
Another morning we headed to near by Vastanfjard to check out a Labyrinth – or a Nordic Maiden’s Dance Site. This was built in 1910 — potentially on a site of a more ancient one. We enjoyed walking it, looking at the moss, thinking about the rituals, and the quietness of the dawn.
Sammallahdenmaki UNESCO bronze age burial site near Rauma. This was a very interesting park with great signage explaining the importance of these archeological finds.
More bedrock with glacial striations! Mesmerized by the Baltic Sea and Archipelago National  Park from nearby Sandon Beach.
Posted on

Stockholm, Sweden

A beautiful blue day to explore the Stockholm Archipelago! We cruised beyond the city and viewed the vacation homes, quiet coves, rocky outcroppings, and others out enjoying the day on their boat
Our ferry stopped at 4-Brygga (piers) serving small communities but we decided to just go along for the ride and not get off.
We returned to Gamla Stan, the old section of town, with many wonderful buildings including the royal palace.
We enjoyed the very good Nobel Prize Museum, where artifacts and information highlight many of the achievements that were awarded.
Alva Myrdal was born in Uppsala, Sweden. She co-won this medal for all her global efforts to lead to nuclear disarmament: The nuclear race was a major concern, and she fought for nuclear weapons-free zones in Europe. The world needed that in 1982 — and still does today!
There are 5 types of medals awarded: Peace, Medicine, Literature, Physics, Chemistry. In 1895, Alfred Nobel stated in his will that the returns on his capital were to be distributed annually as prizes to those who have “conferred the greatest benefit to mankind”.
Since 1943, IKEA creations have helped make everyday life better for many people — spreading the “Flat Pack” and common sense from Sweden to around the world.
We stayed a bit out of the center in a quiet Marriott Courtyard Hotel, enjoying this view from our room.
The bridge we could see, Riddarfjardens Vasterbron, from our walk thru the park from dinner at an Italian restaurant – on the way to Ralambshovs Parken next to our hotel.
Pointing at our hotel on the Stockholm City Model — a pleasant 20 minute walk to city center. Or we became masters of the SL transportation system with trains, subway (t-ban), trams, ferries, and buses! A great 7-day pass, well designed app, and we appreciated the value and convenience it added to our visit.
Can’t beat this setting for FIKA! enjoying a great Cinnamon Bun with Cappuccino watching the local river traffic. Waffle cafe at the marina near Nobel Parken.
We crossed over to another island which has the Vasa Museum. This masterpiece sunk on its maiden voyage on its way out of the harbour — it made 1500 meters before it sank!!! It was rediscovered and recovered 333 years later. With much archeology research and preservation, the museum has been hosting this well preserved ship since 1990.
This is a model of what the warship looked like in 1628 when it sank. There is a lot of detail to the symbolism this ship represented. It was commissioned by King Gustavus Adlophus, who never got to see it — since he was off in Poland fighting a war against his cousin Sigismun.
There are 64 guns on three levels, the ship is high at 172 feet, and too skinny which made it unstable with gusts of wind.
The Vasa museum has exhibit on life in sailors in 1628, with types of food they ate, how it was salvaged, how it is preserved — really a detailed and interesting museum. click on the link to learn more.
Stockholm sparkles as the sun fades — we’re on the overnight sailing to Turku, Finland on the Viking Line’s ferry ‘Glory’. We had great time and weather exploring Sweden.