Traveling in Northern Europe- Lithuania and Berlin

We loved having a GPS unit in our rented car.  We saved by not using any data on Dawn's smartphone, which cost us 200+ dollars on our previous trip.  One thing we discovered about our local rented GPS: although it was switched so that all text, and verbal guidance were in English, the internal maps it used were still in the local language.  For example, typing in "Rundale Palace" got no response; we needed to type in "Rundale Pils" because "pils" is the local word meaning "palace".  Thus, we would look at a local map to find the correct name for our destination.  Because most of our accommodations were in or near the "old town" section of a city, where streets were narrow, twisting, and constantly changing names, GPS was a God-send to sorting it out.  When we arrived in Vilnius, even the GPS wasn't enough.

Leaving Rundale Palace and Latvia, we proceeded to Klaipeda, Lithuania.  Our hotel there was a restored building in old town.  Looking out the windows of our hotel room, we would see tourists with cameras pointed toward us, taking pictures of the building.  Klaipeda is the major seaport for Lithuania.  A large LNG transport from the US was in port, offloading its cargo to help reduce local dependency on Russian energy sources.  Our hotel was within walking distance from the harbor.  We had dinner at a restaurant onboard a square-rigged sailing ship; very pretty surroundings but mediocre food served with a pretentious attitude (i.e., over-priced menus delivered enclosed in a wax-sealed envelope).

While at Klaipeda, we drove and took a ferry to Curonian Spit national park. The area is a very long slender sandy finger of land/sand dunes covered with grasses & forest to a great extent which stabilize the sand from the effects of wind and sea. Creating a park ensures that the plant life will not be disturbed and cause a loss of soil.  The "Spit" creates protection for the port of Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between Lithuania and Poland.  We had Russian-licensed cars sharing the ferry with us.  Kaliningrad previously was called Konigsberg, a major Prussian port. Prussia was swallowed up by Lithuania and Germany.  Russia took over this area at the end of WWII and holds it today as a strategic military site, compromising the defense of Europe in case of war.

Our day in the forest and dunes of this park was spoiled by light rain.  The rain limited visibility for photography.  I took one long hike to an outlook atop the dunes while carrying an umbrella, then gave up for the day.  We returned to our hotel to do some laundry (our room had a kitchen). Hotel laundry is ridiculously expensive.  In Tallin, I took our laundry to a local facility and paid 1/4 of what it would have cost at the hotel.

In Lithuania the roads got wider and faster. In Estonia, the speed limit was 90 kph with speed changes every few miles and stop lights or roundabouts in every little town. Heading toward Vilnius, the autobahn limit was 130 kph for much of the distance.  We stopped in Kaunas which was the largest city in the area and sometime capital during the past 600+ years.  It has a small but nice old town area.  As we left our car it was threatening rain. After walking a few blocks light rain began; when it became a downpour, we retreated to a nice cafe for lunch.  Then, of course, the rain quickly ended.  Our next stop was Trakai Castle, very scenic & touristy, located on an island.

Ultimately, guided by our GPS, our car crept through the old town streets of Vilnius.  Here, we had to abandon the car, walk to the hotel, and get a doorman to come with us in the car to show us where to park. The front door to the hotel was on a main pedestrian street; the parking was in a central courtyard with a narrow entrance off an alley which had to be approached from a different street.  To get from the front of the hotel to the courtyard took about 10 minutes.  But we had a beautiful hotel with reserved parking in the center of old town.  Just outside our door were many restaurants, shops, street musicians, and major sights of the city.

Why do we prefer the old town section of cities? As our guide in Riga said, "Every stone is a page in the history of this city." The cobblestone streets and building foundations may go back 800 or more years. Wars have swept through repeatedly, but buildings get rebuilt.  Those buildings record the ebb and flow of civilizations.  Imagine when Denmark, Sweden, and Poland controlled large swaths of Europe.  Is the history of mankind one of constant war?  Is that our essential nature?  How does all this relate to our current world?  The Baltic countries appear, in our limited exposure, to have a satisfying lifestyle with reason for optimism. Is it due to their size, homogeneity, culture, recent cathartic experiences they have endured?  What can we learn from them?

We spent the day exploring the sights of old town Vilnius. Empty shells of buildings are being renovated and turned to new uses. Vilnius has many outstanding churches.  We witnessed a congregation overflowing out the doors at a Sunday service.  (In contrast, Estonia is very non-religious.)  In outlying areas, dramatic large building projects are being undertaken. The Occupation Museum in Vilnius previously was KGB headquarters. The museum includes the prisoner cells, shower & exercise areas, and even the execution chamber where prisoners were shot in the back of the head and bodies were disposed of.  Almost every family in the Baltic area has stories of relatives who were taken away and never heard from again.  If you were a prosperous farmer, authorities would show up in the middle of the night, give you an hour to pack, and put your entire family with children on a rail cattle car to be shipped to Siberia. This was done to thousands of families.  The land was then used to form communist "cooperative" farms. The museums recorded all of this with photos, documents and other mementos.

One day we drove to Kernave, a small town with adjoining archeological site.  This was the first "capital" of Lithuania; the location of the main village of the main tribe which formed the nucleus of the nation a thousand years ago.  It had been a fortified city on hills overlooking a river landing.  German Crusaders burned the pagan village in 1390, and it never recovered.

Our flight from Vilnius to Berlin was eye opening.  The airBaltic employees were rude; treating customers as an annoyance.  Loading the turboprop plane, it was every man for himself.  A bus brought everyone to the runway, then it was a rush toward the plane.  When we boarded, I had to insist that two women, who had grabbed our reserved seats, move to their assigned seats further to the rear.  Deplaning was the same, a rush toward the front of the plane by those seated in the rear.  I had to shoulder my way into the isle to get off the airplane. Is rudeness a Lithuanian thing?

Berlin is so big! Our hotel was located central to this city of 3.4 million persons. We were able to easily walk to the Bundestag, Reichstag, and Brandenburg Gate.  We found a section of the Berlin Wall still standing and found Checkpoint Charlie, a memorial to the famous gateway between the US and Soviet sectors.  Dawn and our children had been there previously in 1989 when the gate was first opened.  As big as the city is, it felt very comfortable to walk everywhere.  Bicycling is very popular; wide walkways are available; and many parks and trees intersperse between the huge new buildings.  It is a tourist mecca; we encountered many student groups with guides moving from site to site.  A person could spend much more than the three nights we were there, if you explored the museums.  There is no "old town" in Berlin.  At the end of WWII, even the ruins had been thoroughly ruined by allied bombing.

Last day:  Up at 5am, walk to the Haupt Bahnhof, city bus to the airport, then onward arriving home 20 hours later.  Dead tired and no clean clothes left in our suitcases; a great trip but glad to be home.  

  

  

Traveling in Northern Europe- Estonia and Latvia

Arriving in Tallin, Estonia, by fast ferry, the landing was somewhat remote from the main docks forcing us to either hail a taxi or drag our suitcases through the rough cobblestone streets of the old town. Central Tallin is a true medieval walled city.  Rounding every corner presents a new photo opportunity; not as impressive as Dubrovnik, but very nice.  And prices are more reasonable than Scandinavia (but higher than outside the city due to the tourist effect).  Many quality handmade items were for sale in the open-air booths.  The Russian influence is seen in many parts of the city.  Our hotel was very near to Freedom Square and the Occupation Museum.

Every major Baltic city has a museum devoted to the atrocities and oppression suffered under Soviet Russian rule.  Here history and the present day blend together; gaining freedom less than 25 years ago makes for fresh memories.  After the end of WWII, Russians killed many thousands of Baltic residents and shipped hundreds of thousands of others to Siberian camps.  These people were replaced by Russian-speaking peoples from the Soviet Union in an intentional effort to destroy the unity of these small countries and their ethnic pride.  All education was taught in Russian.  Today many Russian-speaking immigrants remain.  They are not accepted as citizens unless they pass a test on the Estonian language and government; an option many have chosen not to take.  In some schools (mainly in eastern portions of these countries) education is still taught in Russian.

Vladimir Putin and his government threaten to invade these countries to "protect the oppressed Russian minorities" much as Russia has taken over part of Ukraine. Estonia has done all it can to align itself with the West, joining NATO and the EU; they even considered making English the official language.  In our trip through the Baltic countries we met US soldiers on two occasions; they were there on NATO exercises, demonstrating to Russia our commitment to this area. NATO is now planning to station 4000 troops in this area.

Estonia is more than 50% forested with many lakes and streams; also one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.  We rented a car with GPS for the next two weeks and headed east.  We had hoped to hike in a national forest along the north coast, but rains spoiled that plan; instead we visited a forest products museum. We stayed at a B&B near Narva, one of the few where the owners spoke English.  Narva exceeded our expectations.  Narva castle has been restored to a great extent and overlooks the remains of the Russian Ivanogrod fortress east across the river forming the border here, the site of major battles for centuries. On both sides of the river can be seen the featureless, huge concrete apartment buildings which are the mark of communist life. Socialism writ large is incredibly mind-numbing and insensitive to the common people it claims to represent.

We headed south, passing Lake Peipus which forms the border and is so large that the far shore is not visible, until we arrived at the city of Tartu.  Tartu University is most prestigious college in Estonia and is surrounded by many parks, museums, gardens, art galleries, etc. as well as a huge pedestrian district and the distinctive energy of a college town.  Reminded me of Boulder, Colorado, but better. It has a real river running past the campus and the remains of a huge cathedral on campus (completed 500 years ago).  The local beer was excellent; I had a half liter every night with dinner.

One day we drove to Viljandi, an interesting town 40 miles away.  It has a laid-back feel due to the artistic types it attracts.  Dawn loved the decor of the restaurant where we ate lunch.  Neat residential architecture, cute shops, a park, beautiful church, remains of an ancient castle and all overlooking a lake surrounded by forest. Over 400 years ago Swedish and Polish armies met here for a decisive battle for control of the region.

Rains returned on the day we drove from Tartu to Riga, Latvia, so we drove straight through with no stops.  Pretty much a wasted day except that our hotel in Riga was excellent.  I had included reserved parking and pre-paid dinners in our reservation; we were well-taken care of.  The old town district of Riga was directly behind our hotel.  We had a guide for a walk through the district then toured it more on our own.  Beautifully reconstructed from the damage of WWII.  the central park included a lagoon with slender touring boats.

One day was spent at the town of Sigulda and the nearby national park.  What a beautiful town!  It looked like the set for a Disney movie.  Wide streets with wide bike paths and walking paths, well-groomed parks in every neighborhood, beautiful homes with flowers and vegetable gardens, surrounding forests and ruins of a castle, families out walking or biking together, overlooking a beautiful river valley where the trout and salmon spawn.  A cable car spanning the valley and a bobsled run to the bottom of the valley; canoeing on the river, another castle ruins on the opposite side of the valley.  I could happily live here.  Very little obesity in the Baltic countries, probably due to all the walking and outdoor activities.

From Riga we drove to Klaipeda, Lithuania.  Along the way we stopped at Rundale Palace in Latvia.  It very much resembles Versailles near Paris.  A bit of history: German Crusaders came to the Baltic region hundreds of years ago to convert the natives to Christianity by force and also to set themselves up as overlords with the local people as their serfs.  They built magnificent manor homes on huge estates which are sprinkled throughout the Baltic region.  Obviously pomposity was the rage back then; everything is larger, more ornate and grand than anyone would ever need.  Another stop we made was at a farmer's field to admire the pretty wild poppies.

     

 

Traveling in Northern Europe- Scandivavia

My family (father's side) originated in Prussia which doesn't exist anymore. In fact, in that part of the world, several countries have at times been major empires and at other times have disappeared from the map. The history is long (800+ years of well recorded history), complex (independent for only the past 25 years, at the crossroads of invasions from many directions in the past), and the people are still recovering from atrocities in WWII and domination by the USSR until the 1990's.  Not your typical tourist destination, but very interesting.  If you are headed in that direction, including a visit to the Scandinavian countries is convenient and worthwhile. With this all in mind I planned a four-week trip.
So much information is available on the internet. Additionally, I read some history and current events; where can our time best be spent?  Even with four weeks, it is only time enough for a brief sampling of what the region has to offer.  First, I booked the international flights; we would arrive in Oslo and depart from Berlin. These cities allowed me to book our flights using only airline frequent flyer miles.  Adding Bergen, Stockholm, and Helsinki were easy choices. Our Baltic destinations were harder choices. I wanted to be able to drive and experience the countryside. My notes suggested that the eastern parts of some of these countries were still undeveloped for tourism: roads, language, accommodations; too questionable for such as us, being completely unfamiliar with the region.  But I wanted to see Narva, on the historic border with Russia where battles had been fought for centuries. Tallin is the capital of Estonia while Tartu is the location of Estonia's major university. Riga is the capital of Latvia. Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and Klaipeda is its major seaport. That leaves out several other attractive choices, but I didn't want a hectic schedule.

Our flight to Oslo, with stops in DC and Manchester, was uneventful. The airport is 30 miles out of town, but, with some help, we managed to buy tickets and board the proper train. Our hotel was a short walk from the train station. Oslo is pretty and a very walkable city; we took advantage of it. Cafes in the pedestrian district, parks, museums, ferry boat rides, and upscale neighborhoods; we stayed busy. One evening we came across a food festival where merchants were giving out samples of many different dishes, enough to provide our dinner. At this time of the year, darkness only lasts about 4-5 hours; sunset at 11pm.  Vigeland Park on the west edge of downtown is a huge complex including playing fields and 600 statues, all nudes.  The preserved Viking ships are also amazing to think of the excellent craftsmanship with only crude tools.

From Oslo we took the scenic train through snow-capped mountains to the coastal city of Bergen. Bergen, an ancient seafaring port, is the gateway to the fjords. Naturally we took a day trip into some fjords and enjoyed seafood dinners. Bergen is said to be the rainiest city in Europe, and we had drizzle one day, but were still able to take a cog railroad to a peak and walk to overlook the harbor.

From Bergen, we flew to Stockholm. The airport is 26 miles out of the city; we stopped at the Tourist Information booth to learn where to buy tickets and which commuter & subway trains to take to our destination.  A bit of a challenge in an unfamiliar city of two million inhabitants and signs in Swedish; their public transit system is complex and all encompassing.  The city is spread across 14 islands.  We travel light with no checked bags, so it is easy to bring our small suitcases onto the trains.  With many high rise apartments, Stockholm is densely populated; we seemed to be in crowds wherever we went, but, of course, we were seeing the tourists sites along with everyone else.  One afternoon we traveled to Sigtuna, a coastal village about 35 miles SW by train & bus, which was scenic but still had many tourists.  The exhibition of the ship Vasa, which sunk almost 400 years ago, is a worthwhile event to include on your list (of course, I am a boat guy).

From Stockholm we boarded an overnight ferry to Helsinki. Our overnight cabin was large and had windows looking out over the bow, but with 2000+ passengers it was a cattle herd when boarding and debarking. Helsinki is nice, with numerous islands along the shore and parks within the city, but no real "old town" because its growth is comparatively recent. The weather was warm, mid 70's, and the parks, beaches, and outdoor cafes were full of people.  Thousands of boats were out on the water. We enjoyed a military marching band as well as a free evening band concert in a central park. Our hotel was across the street from National Security HQ and there was a meeting going on, so security was high.

Finland is located in the same latitudes as Alaska, and is populated by a rugged people, a place where grandmas go moose hunting in the forest. A knowledge of history helps to appreciate the present. Before WWII, Hitler signed a secret pact with Stalin initiating conflict in this area.  Thousands of Finnish children were sent to Sweden to live with Swedish families and be safe from war.  A significant number did not have parents to come back to.  Today all students are required to learn three languages: Finnish, Swedish and a third choice which is often English.  The Finns, with the help of German arms, were able to stop the Russian army, but, at the end of WWII, part of Finland was awarded to Russia.  After a few days we took the fast ferry to Tallin, Estonia.  The ferry dock was only two blocks from our hotel, a short walk.