Klaipeda, Lithuania

This sleepy village of Klaipeda is a really quite neat. With the town being completely rebuilt after the bombings during WWII, it has a newer feel, but the industrial area is still made of clay bricks and metal sheet roofing. Despite the town being quiet, the port is very important for shippings product and supplies along the Baltic Sea. Today we explored the Curonian Spit, which is a separate "island" that you reach by ferry (very short distance). A local bus transported us to the furthest town, closest to the Russian border. This town is called Nida and is visited by many Russian and German people for vacations. We climed to the top of the massive sand dunes that look over the fishing and sailing village. The most popular treat is smoked fish (which I didn't gain the nerve to try...), but others said it was delicious. So far, it has been nice to rest in the comfortable homestead. To end my stay in Klaipeda, I ran into the Baltic Sea for a refreshing swim.

Riga, Latvia

It is a little big different coming south from Tallinn. The buildings seem to be embellished quite a bit, and the locals are big fans of monuments and park/garden spaces. We had a drink on the top floor of a modern building at its Sky Bar, and saw the best view of the city. I was quite fond of the Beer Maker street where makers would test the quality of their brew by pouring it over wooden benches. If it stuck, then it was quality enough to sell. I am off to Lithuania tomorrow to see the Curonian Spit. I have been looking forward to it since I booked the trip. Tonight we are visiting the Garlik House, to have some traditional dishes and a few Latvian beers.

Cheers!
e.

High Tech Bus

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Traveling between Tallinn, Estonia and Riga, Latvia by bus: with wi-fi...quite wild. The country side looks a lot like Manitoulin Island, or anywhere up near Algonquin park. Between dense forest there are plenty of fields, mostly hay crops. Just now, passing a huge plot of land with hundreds of bales rolled up like Huron County. Funny you travel partially around the world and it looks relatively the same as Canada. Just my cup of tea. Anyhow, this bus is super lux...with a coffee station, comfortable reclining seats and large lookout windows.

Toodaloo for now! e.

Helsinki & Tallinn

I arrived in Helsinki around 6 pm Sunday evening, and took a scenic tour to the Cumulus Hotel near the city center. After a delicious local meal of elk and red deer meat on creamy mashed potatoes, the group returned to the hotel to crash. In the morning, we took the tram (mini-sized in comparison to the Street Cars in Toronto) to the Ferry dock where we boarded to travel across to Tallinn, Estonia. Here, there is the old city, once protected by large rock walls with look out towers and below, the newer modern city with many high rises. The roads are mostly cobble stone and the buildings are topped with terracotta tiled roofs. Today we head out on a bike tour to cover some of the harder to reach areas of the city. The sun has been shinning every day so far, with temperatures reaching very high 20s into the 30s at peak hours. It is difficult to fall asleep as the daylight is almost 24 hours/day. So far so good, the Baltic States are treating me well.

Ta Ta For Now