Well, before we start, I need to apologise. I said I was going to write more often, but instead of doing it, I completely forgot about it. In my defense, I’ll say I’ve been very busy and couldn’t find time to sit in front of the computer for more than a few minutes.
During the next weeks, there’ll be entries each two or three days to make up for all the time you had to wait! So, officially, we’re back:
Across Europe, extended version, Summer 2018, Part III
Estonia – Latvia – Lithuania
Once in Estonia, walked to the university to meet our friend Olga. She’s an amazingly funny, kind, cheerful and beautiful girl, and it’s been wonderful to meet her. She spent all the time she could with us, except when she had to work or go to the university.
She introduced us to her roommates Çem -from Turkey- and Vivian -from Germany-. Both of them amazing guys who also tried to spend with us all the time they had and make us feel at home.
Tallin is one of the most beautiful places of Europe. It’s a medieval city full of students from all over the world, and has an incredible amount of astonishing places and monuments.
We went into the old part of the city trough the Freedom Square, admiring the Independence War Victory Column, Saint John’s Church, Alexander Nevski’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Parliament, and walked along the old walls of the city, in where we discovered the 3 monks at the Danish King’s Garden.
The Town Hall Square left me speechless -specially when I saw the bar “The Third Dragon”, wich reproduces the medieval life, not serving cutlery for example, and doesn’t have electricity, but candles to light up the place, beers are served in ceramic pitchers and if you want pickles, you need to take them with a stick from a barrel-, there we admired Europe’s first pharmacy, and many other things…
I could dedicate a whole entry to Tallin, but I think it’s better if I you just go to Estonia and visit the city, you won’t regret it!
We also went with the guys -two new friends joined us, Hunter and Ira (Irina)- to a Balkan music concert, it was simply awesome, specially since Vivian and her friend Hannah invited me to drink and dance with them -a minute here, I need to explain something: it’s not like I reacted like a 15 years old boy, I got so excited because in Russia I don’t usually have the opportunity to drink beer, because they only drink TEA, and I’m kind of tired of drinking tea, specially since it’s warmer and I’m very heat sensitive-.
We also saw Saint Olaf’s Church, the Broken Line monument -in memory of those who lost their lives in the ferry accident in 1994-, we walked along the beach till we reached the Obelisk and the Maarjamäe Memorial, going trough Russalka monument -the little mermaid- and we managed to watch the sunset at Linnahall.
Furthermore, we went to the market, strolled along Telliskivi district and went to a street food festival there, where we tried a few things and watched some shows and performances. During our stay in Tallin we were also invited to Kanchi and Tim‘s place -friends of Olga, from India and the States, respectively- and had a funny boardgame night with them and other students and travellers like us.
In conclusion, one of the best cities, in really good company. Can it get any better? I don’t think so! Oh, almost forgot, if you go to the city, don’t forget to try the super tasty crepes at “Kompressor” -it’s a bar near the Town Hall Square-!!
After this wonderful visit to Tallin, we kept going south, and didn’t even had to wait much time, just 15 minutes, to be picked up by Andres Karu, our new estonian friend! He’s an alpinist that has climbed the highest mountains in Europe, and wants to be the first estonian to climb every single highest mountain of all the countries in the world!!!
Here you have his website just in case want to take a look: http://www.andreskaru.com
It was a pleasure to meet him, and we really enjoyed our time -maybe a few hours- together, and the coffee he invited us to! And the time to say goodbye arrived, but of course he invited us to his place in Estonia in our way back!
Once in Latvia, we got a ride to Riga, and finally met our CouchSurfing host there: Ivo.
I promissed to talk a little bit about CouchSurfing in the first entry, so I guess it’s about time to explain a few things, just in case you don’t know what it is.
It’s a social network, like Facebook, Vkontakte, … But puts in contact travellers of all over the world, who offer their couches or spare beds to other travellers. Of course, it’s free, and the main idea is not to save money, but to meet local people who can show you the city, or just spend time with people you share interests with, share stories, warm cups of tea, make new friends, learn, and spread the love and good vibes across the world -sounds pretty hippie, but well, that’s what it is, and it’s amazing!-.
Coming back to Riga, let’s say is less astonishing than Tallin, of course. But anyway, we enjoyed our visit a lot, and saw a lot of interesting places: the Nativity of Christ Cathedral, the Freedom Monument, Central Market -wich is located in the old zeppelin hangars of the city- the Town Hall and the Rautslaukums or House of the Blackheads -a guild of merchants, foreigners and shipowners-.
Also enjoyed Saint Peter’s Church, Riga’s Cathedral, and the three brothers -a building complex consisting of three houses, together form the oldest complex of dwelling houses in Riga-, the Swedish Gate, the Gunpowder Tower and the National Museum.
In Riga there’s a restaurant: Rozengrals, wich looks like the Third Dragon in Tallin, but is way more expensive, so we went to Lido, a latvian restaurant chain where you can try latvian food at a reasonable price! We tried a latvian summer soup wich looked like the russian borsh, a few interesting and tasty fish-things -yeah, I don’t even know how to explain it- and Veselibas: my new favourite drink, because it’s like Kvas, but tasty -just in case you don’t know, Kvas is the russian drink wich taste like a mix of beer, bread and cocacola-, and of course, a dessert made of bread.
Oh, almost forgot, Riga’s black Balsam too! It’s a special liquor/herb drink, wich cures every sickness -or at least, that’s the general belief-.
If you’re planning on going to Riga, be careful: the bus system sucks. It’s pure chaos: they have different buses with a different itinerary but the same number on them, buses with the same number but different colour, bus stops in different parts of the city but with the same number…
And well, not really much more to tell about Riga, so we keep moving on, and decided to go to Kaunas, the 2nd or 3rd (I’m not sure sorry :P) city of Lithuania. And the trip was really entertaining, specially since a bus driver: Rimas, picked us up with a BUS!!! Empty of passengers of course, and of course, took a selfie to prove that we hitchhiked one!
Unfortunately, Rimas wasn’t driving to Kaunas, but to Vilnius, the capital, so we had to hitchhike in the middle of nowhere for a few minutes till an old man driving an old van, decided not to leave us there for the vultures… And that’s how we arrived to our lithuanian hosts’ place!
That’s when we met with Egle and Osvaldas, a PhD in biology, painter, funny and kind woman; and a wonderful photographer and programmer -but also paints!-, respectively.
Kaunas is a very small city, but full of interesting and old monuments. In the modern part you can find the main turist attractions: Saint Michael the Archangel Church and Kaunas State Musical Theater. But what really amaze from Riga, is the old town, full of singular buildings and monuments: House of Perkunas -one of the most original and gothic secular buildings-, Kauno Rotuses Aikste -the Town Hall, wich is at the same time a pottery museum. With it’s 50m tall tower in the middle of the square and it’s unique style is undmissable-, Cathedral Basilica of apostles St. Peter and St. Paul of Kaunas, the Great Vytautas Church, the University, and the jewel of the crown: Kaunas Castle.
We also could try a special lithuanian recipe and beer: Didžkukuliai (Cepelinai), it’s a baked and fried potato filled up with meat and mushrooms or cheese, and smetana as garnish; and also a wild mushrooms soup served IN A PIECE OF BREAD as a bowl -amazing-.
The name of the restaurant if you want to know: Forto Dvaras, in front of the Town Hall, reasonable prices and lithuanian dishes -and no, I don’t work for them as a marketing manager!-.
Thanks to Osvaldas and Egle, also managed to take a bus to out of the city, to Pazaislis Monastery, the largest monastery complex in the country, and the most beautiful example of italian baroque in Lithuania, founded in 1662 for the Order of the Camaldolese Hermits.
Our fantastic hosts took us to the countryside to do some hiking -we were grateful, specially Natasha, because she loves nature a lot- and went to Napoleon’s Hill -general belief says he stood there observing his troops march to Russia.
And we couldn’t have finished the day better after going to picnic near a lake not far from Kaunas, with incredible landscapes, and enjoying the absence of city pollution and noise and beautiful nature.
And that’s all for today!! In the next entry I’ll tell you how we got to Warsaw, and what we did in Germany!! Thanks for being patient! See you, and thanks!
Un Gaditano en Rusia 