Russia: Moscow to St. Petersburg

The Baltics: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia

Helsinki

June to July, 2011

Sl1de Show: Russia: Cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg

      

 

Sl1de Show: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki, Finland

                                                                                                                     

Sunday          12-Jun    dep JFK--Aeroflot #314—terminal 1 2:20 PM  EZPKDQ

Herb & Candy picked us up at 9:30 and we were at JFK by noon. Check-in was fine, as was the flight, contrary to Jerry’s expectations. Lots of little kids on the flight. Into Moscow on time, our Uniworld agent was waiting and we got to the ship by 9:20. I “toured” the ship and met Kalinka, the spa manager. She took our room number and got it finished up. Unpacked and went off to explore the Metro. After a twenty-five minute walk, we found a market where we changed money, bought tickets and rode to the Revolution Square stop. The square is paved and landscaped and merges seamlessly into Theater Square with its statue of Karl Marx and the Bolshoi Ballet. Walked to Red Square. At 330 meters longs and 70 meters wide, Red Square is not small, but doesn’t seem as overwhelming as I expected. We entered by the Resurrection Gates, with its double archways and twin towers topped by golden double-headed eagles. They were built in 1680 but demolished in 1931 to clear the way for tanks to enter Red Square for the annual May 9 Victory Day parades. Between the archways is a small  blue-domed chapel topped by a golden figure of Archangel Michael holding a cross. Like the archways, it is a reconstruction built to house a miracle-working Icon. In front of the chapel is a plaque on the ground marking the geographic center of Moscow. People were tossing coins onto the plaque and beggars and Jerry were busy picking them up. The redbrick Kremlin wall runs along one side of the Square, with red stars atop red towers, complemented by the reds of St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the red-brown History museum. We couldn’t see Lenin’s Tomb, as there had been a grand celebration the day before, and it was covered by scaffolding, which workers, scrambling like ants, were deconstructing. Immediately inside the Resurrection Gates is the Zaikonospassky Monastery, originally built in 1633-7, a still working Russian Orthodox Church, with fragrant grasses on the floor and beautiful icons. It was founded in 1600 by Boris Godunov. At first called "Saviour the Old,” the cloister gradually acquired its present quaint name which alludes to its location and means "the Saviour behind the icon shops".  The GUM department store takes up most of the other side. St. Basil’s was at the other end, but we will see that better tomorrow.  Then we walked about. To Lubyanka Square with its ochre-colored building dominating—formerly KGB headquarters and the notorious Lubyanka Prison (we were to see a lot more ex-KGB torture chambers as we travelled through the Baltic countries) and past the new Ferrari/Lamborghini/Bentley/Maserati dealership. Took the Metro back to the ship, showered and napped before the 6 pm “Welcome Dinner” (not too impressive). To bed.

 

Tuesday—Slept well. Worked out with Kalenka then had buffet breakfast—very ordinary, no fresh juice. It’s pouring rain. We did a bus tour of Moscow including 45 minutes at Red Square and GUM and 15 minutes at Novodevichy Convent. This spectacular site has remained largely intact since the 17th century. It was founded in 1524 and is well known for having accepted many noble ladies who had fallen out of favor. After a long history of sheltering orphans and abandoned children, in 1922, it was closed by the Communists and turned into a women’s emancipation museum (we were to see this over and over, where beautiful architectural landmarks were desecrated by the Soviets for fifty years). We didn’t go inside and saw only the wall, punctuated by 12 red and white towers. Beside the Convent we saw a duckling sculpture presented to Raisa Gorbachev by Barbara Bush in 1991.

 

The bus took us up Sparrow Hill, but the fog was too thick for much of a view. We did see the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium.  There was much opportunity to shop, but we weren’t interested.  We left the bus and passed the Morozov Mansion. One of Moscow’s most unusual buildings, this castle-like mansion decorated with stylized shells, was commissioned by the eccentric millionaire Arseny Morozof and was built in 1894-9. Then we walked up to Arbat Street. This is a pedestrian street and the most touristy part of Moscow outside of Red Square.  Lots of stores selling the ubiquitous nested dolls (mastroyshka). We found some interesting alleys and walked down one, where, in the middle of a very unkempt green space, we found a statue of Lincoln with Tsar Alexander II, who was assassinated after freeing the serfs in the late 19th century. We also found a statue of Peter the Great, rowing a dingy amidst a sea of drowning horses, which, legend has it, he was trying to save. Lunched (very expensive, even though had we gone back to the ship, lunch would have been included—must ask about box lunches) at a Middle eastern place on Shashlyk-mashlyk??.

 

Walked to Christ the Saviour Cathedral, a 1990’s reconstruction of a 19th century cathedral that was blown up in 1931 to make way for the grandiose—but never built—Palace of the Sovereigns. The original, when built, was the tallest ecclesiastical structure—102 meters--in Moscow.. This must have been what European cathedrals looked like in the Middle Ages, before centuries of incense and pollution darkened the paintings and peeled the frescoes. From the center of the pedestrian bridge we looked at the Kremlin complex and the statue of Peter the Great in the middle of the river. Metroed home in time for a very mediocre buffet dinner.

 

Wednesday: Wide awake and up at 5. Read some Russian history. Worked out with Kalinka from 7 to 7:30 while Jerry did the treadmill. Breakfasted, then left for our Kremlin tour. We had nifty audio devices that allowed our guide’s voice to reach us all (a bus load) throughout. The Kremlin was VERY crowded. Everything was clean, impressive and well-flowered. After entering at the Troitskaya (Trinity) Tower, we first came to several yellow neo-classical  government buildings including the Senate Palace and the Arsenal.

 

The most stunningly beautiful sight within the Kremlin walls is Cathedral Square. In addition to its impressive Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Tsar Bell the world’s largest bell has never been rung. In 1737, while it was still in its pit, a fire caused an 11.5-ton chunk to crack off. Nobody could get the 200-ton bell out of its pit until 1836.), it includes five churches and a palace.

 

A symphony of nine golden cupolas, the 15th century Annunciation Cathedral was the domestic church of Moscow princes, hosting weddings and baptisms. Inside is Russia’s oldest multi-tiered iconostasis, dating from the 14th-16th centuries. An iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Many of them have Christ in the middle of the main row, flanked by Mary on one side and John the Baptist on the other, then Archangels Michael and Gabriel, then other saints. The Assumption Cathedral, a 15th century limestone wonder with five golden domes, Russia's most important church for hundreds of years, right up to Nicholas II in 1896. The sumptuous interior is covered in beautiful frescoes.

 

The Armory tour was very rushed, only one hour. The guide was good, but it was hard to hear much. Royal wardrobes, carriages, armor and house accoutrements. Lots of gold and silver, including “gifts” from other countries. We didn’t see the diamonds and most of the Faberge eggs wee gone, borrowed for a special exhibition elsewhere. We left the group and walked back to Red Square, passing beautiful gardens and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Had a nice, albeit expensive lunch at an outdoor café.

 

Le Corbusier likened St. Basil’s to the delirious ravings of a drunken confectioner. Legend has it that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architect so that he’d never outdo it (recalls the Taj Mahal story). It is actually a collection of nine churches on a single foundation. We thoroughly enjoyed it, including an a capella concert by a chanting quartet.

 

Decided to hot foot it back and get the ship’s bus, rather than taking the Metro. By the way, the Moscow Metro has become one of the major tourist attractions here. Inaugurated in 1935, it has since grown into a huge network of 11 lines and 170+ stations. The décor in many stations is palatial, with marble, mosaics, stained glass, statues, etc. It is the most heavily used metro system in the world. We made the bus, but it took three times as long as the Metro. Moscow traffic is horrendous at all hours. Enjoyed a view of Russian hari krishnas. Back home in time for a g&t before dinner at 7. Dinner was not so good—good smoked trout appetizer, bad pork. The head waiter said, “Oh, sometimes we get a bad cut of meat.”

 

Thursday: Took the shuttle to Red Square, then Metroed to Cultural park. We walked across the river by the “bigger-than-the-Statue-of-Liberty” Peter the Great. Walked through the Art Park Muzeon, a rather bedraggled collection of odd sculptures mixed with statues and busts of discredited Soviets removed from their original homes and places higgledy-piggledy here. Found the very ugly concrete gallery of 20th century Russian art—Tretyakov Gallery. We were thrilled by a special exhibition of “Holy Russia”, showing some 450 works dating from the tenth to the nineteenth centuries, mainly from the collection of the Louvre: icons, books, and works from convents and monasteries. Wonderful!! Then we “did” half the fourth floor with 20th century works, including Chagall, Kandinsky, and some interesting tings from Soviet times. Metroed back to Karl Marks where we met the shuttle. Rested before the Captain’s Welcome Dinner.

                                                                                                                                

Friday, June 17, 2011: Begin our imperial Waterways of Russia as we follow the path of Peter the great from Moscow to St. Petersburg

The Volga River, Europe’s largest and longest waterway, holds a special place in Russian history and in the hearts and minds of the Russian people. An important aquatic “highway” since Medieval times, the Volga has long served as a major route of trade, settlement and conquest. Peter the Great sailed along the Volga from Moscow to St. Petersburg approximately 300 years ago on a quest to bring Russia out of the Dark Ages. And centuries worth of Russian music and literature reflect the people’s deep feeling for the river.

Friday           17-Jun   Cruising the Moscow Canal & Volga River, Uglich

Today, our cruise began in earnest, as we passed through several locks and the 80 mile Moscow Canal. We had a lovely panoramic view of rural Russia and its magnificent architectural monuments. We had our first in a series of lectures on Russia by Professor Inna Gritsenko who spoke on “Paradoxes of the Russian Civilization.” We also had our first Russian language class. After lunch and a rest (??why??), we began our tour by meeting our guide on the dock.

 

The Golden Ring is a ring of cities northeast of Moscow. These ancient towns, which also played a significant role in the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church, preserve the memory of the most important and significant events in Russian history. The towns have been called "open air museums" and feature unique monuments of Russian architecture of the 12th–18th centuries, including kremlins, monasteries, cathedrals, and churches. These towns are among the most picturesque in Russia and prominently feature Russia's famous onion domes.

Uglich is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the Volga River. A local tradition dates the town's origins to 937. Uglich had been the seat of a small princedom from 1218 until 1328 when the local princes sold their rights to the great prince of Moscow. As a border town of Muscovy, it was burnt several times by Lithuanians, Tatars and the grand prince of Tver. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible the town passed to his only brother, Yuri. Throughout the 16th century Uglich prospered both politically and economically, but thereafter its fortunes began to decline. After Ivan's death, his youngest son Dmitry Ivanovich was banished to Uglich in 1584. The most famous event in the town's history took place on May 15, 1591 when the 10-year old boy was found dead with his throat cut in the palace courtyard. Suspicion immediately fell on the tsar's chief advisor, Boris Godunov. Official investigators concluded however that Dimitriy's death was an accident. They cut a "tongue" from the cathedral bell that rung the news of Dimitriy's death and "exiled" it to Siberia. As Dimitry was the last scion of the ancient Rurik dynasty, his death precipitated the dynastic and political crisis known as the Time of Troubles. People readily believed that Dimitriy was alive and supported several False Dmitriys who tried to grab the Muscovite throne. During the Time of Troubles, the Poles besieged the Alexeievsky and Uleima monasteries and burned them down killing all the populace who had sought refuge inside. The Romanov tsars made it their priority to canonize the martyred tsarevich and to turn Uglich into a place of pilgrimage. On the spot where Dimitriy had been murdered the city in 1690 built the small but lovely Church of St Demetrios on the Blood, The image of tsarevich with a knife in his hand was adopted as the town's emblem.

We were treated to a special Orthodox choir performance. Shopped for gifts. Returned to the ship for dinner and bed.

 

Saturday         18-Jun

Rybinsk Reservoir (Sea), is a vast water reservoir on the Volga River. formed by a hydroelectric station dam. At the time of its construction, it was the largest man-made body of water on Earth. It is the northernmost point of the Volga. The Volga-Baltic Waterway starts from there. Construction started in 1935. Some 150,000 people had to be resettled elsewhere.

Yaroslavl  Preceded by Viking sites in the 8th or 9th centuries, the city is said to have been founded in 1010 by Yaroslav I, the Wise. He defeated the “wild” tribes which inhabited the area by personally killing the “god”, a huge bear, with an axe. Capital of an independent Principality of Yaroslavl from 1218, it was incorporated into Muscovy in 1463. In the 17th century it was Russia's second largest city, and for a time, the country's de facto capital. Today, Yaroslavl is an important industrial center. Our first visit was to their famous puppet theater. In the center of town, in Red Square, we saw a former headquarters of the Communist Party the emblem of the Bear and Axe. 

 

Visited the Church of Elijah the Prophet, a beautiful temple. Here we heard another a capella concert of wonderful male voices. Then we walked through a pretty park, past the Monument to Conflict and Working Deeds of Yaroslav’s People up to the Assumption Cathedral, blown up in 1937 and rebuilt in 2010. Out front is the sculptural composition, “The Old Testament Trinity.” Down the embankment to the Monastery of Transfiguration of the Savior, the oldest building in town, and the site of the publication of the first Russian book. A bell-ringer in the courtyard showed us how it was done, and a sparrow chirped his applause.

 

Back to the ship for more free time. Then a blini making demo with tasting after. Language and history lessons. During the night, we left Rybinisk Reservoir, passing a statue of Catherine the Great at the end of a large lock, the only one where we rose up instead of descending.


 

Sunday            19-Jun Goritsy

Sailed up the Sheksna River, past picturesque villages, to Goritsy a tiny settlement near the White Lake. Once the cruise ship docked here, about 10 am,  we boarded a bus and drove to the Kirillo-Belozerskiy monastery which dates back to 1397 when a monk named Reverend Kirill left his privileged life to seek a remote place to become closer to God. His monastery prospered and became a refuge for many nobles during the Time of Troubles. It soon turned into a fortress which resisted the attacks of the Poles and Lithuanians for many years. It could not, however, resist the Bolsheviks. The monks were shot or sent to labor camps, though it was one of the few monasteries not turned into a concentration camp. Despite this, the ornate building has managed to preserve much of its historic grandeur and was recently named the winner of a competition to become one of "The New Seven Wonders of Russia." The houses of Goritsky are unique in that many are trimmed with Victorian gingerbread. In spite of that, the village appears rather poor. Then we visited the House of Children’s Arts and Crafts to see where kids go after school. Then to a “school of restoration” where 10-15 students per year are trained in wood work to restore old buildings, etc. On the way to the ship, we bought some Sladkaz, a local sweet cranberry liqueur, which proved very refreshing when mixed with soda and ice. Tonight we had a cake at dinner to celebrate Jerry’s birthday.

                    

Monday            20-Jun  Cruising Lake Onega, Kizhi Island 

After a lovely evening yesterday, we entered Lake Onega in the pouring rain. It is the second largest lake in Europe, situated in the northwest part of the European portion of Russia, between Lake Ladoga and the White Sea. It is 154 miles long; its greatest width is 50 miles; and its greatest depth is about 380 feet. The lake was formed by movements of the Earth’s crust, but glaciers elongated it from northwest to southeast. Onega has about 1,650 islands covering a total of approximately 100 square miles. Fifty rivers enter Onega. Lake Onega itself empties into the Svir River. The lake contains more than 40 species of fish. Lake Onega is connected with the Baltic and White seas by the White Sea–Baltic Canal and with the basin of the Volga River by the Volga-Baltic Waterway, which enable it to play an important part in both internal and international transportation. Goods are shipped over this route from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany to points in the east and north.

In the morning, we had our fourth lecture on Russia, this one giving us an understanding of Putin, with a tiny mention of Medveyev. We also toured the Captain’s Bridge. Kizhi  is an island near the geometrical center of the lake.  Settlements and churches on the island were known from at least the 15th century. The population was rural, but was forced by the government to assist development of the ore mining and iron plants in the area that resulted in a major Kizhi Uprising in 1769–1771. Most villages had disappeared from the island by 1950s and now only a small rural settlement remains. In the 18th century, two major churches and a bell-tower were built on the island, which are now known as Kizhi Pogost. In 1950s, dozens of historical wooden buildings were moved to the island from various parts of Karelia for preservation purposes. None of them used nay nails in the construction. Nowadays, the entire island and the nearby area form a national open-air museum with more than 80 historical wooden structures. We went on a walking tour. Gail gave up halfway because of the rain, but Jerry persevered. We enjoyed a vodka tasting before dinner—I like the honey/pepper.

Tuesday           21-Jun  Cruising the Svir River, Mandrogi 

Mandrogi is located on the river Svir. The Svir river connects the two largest lakes in Europe: Ladoga and Onega. This fact gives the area a special spirit and some powerful energy. The local population consists of the Russian and Veps people. They have always been engaged in hunting, fishing and shipbuilding. The name of the Svir river means “deep” in the Veps language. There are quite a few river thresholds, rocky spots with a very fast current. The Veps call these Mandrogi, which is how the name of the village came to be. Nevertheless, the river was chosen by Peter the Great as a center for building the Russian fleet. The Svir had always been the only way to get to both Scandinavia and Asia. Also, the local forests boast fine pine trees which are perfect for building good ships. Finally, nowhere else in Russia could one find better shipbuilders than here.  The original village existed until it burned down during WWII. In the 1950’s there lived a few families working for the hydro-electric station. The real revival of the village started in 1997. The main purpose of the reconstruction was to restore and carefully keep the culture of the Russian North. Profit from the endeavor goes to support local schools. Today, 100 people live permanently here and 300 come every day to work from the nearby villages. There are working craftspeople making beads, lace, pottery, wooden toys, glass and other things.  We spent several hours walking around and then enjoyed a traditional barbeque lunch (shashlik) in a pavilion.

 

Later, we had our final lecture. Jerry had submitted a question regarding the professor’s assertion that part of the reason for the downfall of Soviet Russia was collusion between the USA and Saudi Arabia to depress the price of oil. She simply handed him a sheet of paper with citations supporting her allegation, but did not discuss the issue at all

 

Wednesday     22-Jun   St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 on the banks of the Neva River and the Gulf of Finland. The city has seen its share of historical events including the Decembrist Revolt, the palace coup and murder of Tzar Pavel, the intrigues of Catherine the Great, the assassination of Tzar Alexander II, the influence of Rasputin on the Russian royal family, the Revolution of 1905 and the October Revolution of 1917 which brought the Communists to power. During WWII, the city (then known as Leningrad) went through a harrowing two and a half year blockade and siege by the Nazi invaders resulting in the deaths of over 1 million of its citizens. Today, St. Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city with a population of over 5 million. It is also known as the center of Russian art, culture and literature. The city is also known as the Venice of the North because of its location on various islands in the river and its many canals and bridges.

We had a bus tour of the whole city, with stops at points of interest, bathrooms and shopping areas. First stop was the Smolny Cathedral and Convent, the epitome of whipped-cream baroque built for Elizabeth I. In the evening we went back into town to see the ballet Swan Lake at the Alexandrinsky Theater. Maybe we were over-tired, but it seemed rather long.

                    

Thursday       23-Jun   St. Petersburg

On Thursday, we visited the Hermitage. We had a good guide and spent about four hours. It's worth much more time, but we did get a good feel for the overall collection. Catherine the Great founded the museum, which grew over the years as her successors purchased more and more art and built buildings to house it. The decorative arts, religious works, and Rembrandt and Impressionist paintings were my favorites, plus a wonderful sculpture by Michaelangelo which I've never seen before. The Fabergé eggs were on loan, so only a few were on view. Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, ancient Roman mosaics, gorgeous wallpaper, and thrones!!

 

Peterhof is a town on the southern shores of the Gulf of Finland. In the afternoon, we traveled there by super-fast hydrofoil to visit the summer residence of Peter the Great with its elaborate palaces and gardens. The Grand Cascade, a multi-level fountain lined with gilded statues rises up a steep hill, where the baroque Grand Palace lords above. The centerpiece is a giant statue of Samson ripping apart the jaws of a lion. 

 

Friday           24-Jun   St. Petersburg--Catherine's Palace

Many palaces and parks were created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796. We visited the centerpiece, the vast baroque castle designed by Rastrelli and named after Elizabeth’s other, Peter the Great’s second wife. Elizabeth made it her summer residence and designed it rival Versailles. Catherine the Great revised and enlarged the palace. The unbelievably luxurious interiors include the newly restored Amber Room, a lavish chamber of amber, gold, and mirrors. The original Amber Room was lost after being looted by Nazi Germany in WW II. The palace is remarkable for its huge architectural forms and striking variety of its sculptural décor. The sky-blue color of the background combined with the white columns and the gilding of the carefully delineated details to produce a profound impression in any weather and during any season. At the end of our tour, we bought a pretty amber pendant in one of the many museum stores.

 

That afternoon, we walked with another couple around the area where the ship was dock. Very depressing. Everything was overgrown, dilapidated looking, with broken windows and graffiti everywhere. We went into a grocery store, but I wouldn’t have bought anything there. It just seemed as if the residents didn’t care about anything. Had our final dinner, packed up for the next leg. 

 THE BALTICS

LITHUANIA: Lithuania is an enigma. Once boasting an empire stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea, the biggest of the Baltic states has been reduced to an underling by neighboring countries more than once in its long history, and disappeared completely off world maps for centuries. Its strong Catholic ties—spilling out onto the streets in the form of one house of worship after the next—are plain to see in every town and city, as are its unbreakable pagan roots, which appear at every turn. Politically and culturally Lithuania faces west and embraces all that the EU has to offer—all the while struggling to shake off ingrained and unwanted Soviet ideals.

Saturday           25-Jun   Disembark the ship and transfer to St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport for flight.  Dep St. P.(LED) 9:35 AM, Air Baltic 443; arr Riga (RIX) 9:50; dep RIX 10:25 AM, AB 343;arr Vilnius (VNO)11:20 AM; PU rental car  Auto Europe

Vilnius: At its heart is Europe’s largest baroque Old Town. With its myriad of steeples and bell towers, its intoxicating mix of cobbled alleys, crumbling corners, and traditional artists’ workshops, it is a city of immense allure. There are also reminders of loss and pain, from the horror of the KGB’s torture cells to the ghetto where the Jewish community lived before their wartime slaughter.

We arrived at the airport and rushed to stand in line many times. One hour to Riga, more lines, one hour to Vilnius. No luggage. Jerry had reserved the car for 3 pm and we arrived at noon so we had another . One hour and $300 extra charges and we were off. I had bought a GPS car for Europe for my Tom Tom, and it was a brilliant purchase. Our Hotel Rinno is in the heart of Old Town and we never would have found it without the GPS. We have a lovely room with a dormer window overlooking town. Called our contact in town, Nick, the US Cultural attaché and then went walking. What a beautiful city. Higher concentration of churches than we have seen anywhere. Holy Spirit was a baroque wonderland. Lots and lots of brides. Had a great meal at Lokys. I had mushroom soup and beaver stew. Jerry had venison carpaccio and wild boar. And we enjoyed a bottle of Torres Sangre de Toro. Beautiful main square with more churches, including St. Casimir’s and St. Teresa’s, and big hotels and amber stores, where we stopped and browsed. Marking the southern border of the Old Town is the famous 16th century Gates of Dawn. A door on the street’s eastern side opens onto a staircase that leads to the 18th century Chapel of the Blessed Mary above the gate arch. Inside is a miracle-working icon of the Virgin. The Chapel was chock full of worshippers, but I managed to squeeze inside. Back at the hotel, our luggage had arrived. Unpacked and to bed early.

                    

Sunday           26-Jun     

Very nice breakfast in a sunny room with a garden view. Went to service at the Evangelical Lutheran Church. There were about 35 people, 11 under the age of six and five over 50. Very pleasant, short service based on the Anglican liturgy. Coffee hour afterward. Talked to an American couple in the diplomatic service. Back to the hotel but there was no message from Nick. Walked down Gedimino St., a pedestrianized mall, to the main Cathedral. The chapel of St. Casimir, Lithuania’s patron saint was pretty. The church was packed, shoulder to shoulder for some ceremony involving hundreds of nuns and a few young (10-12 year old) girls with veils. We left and walked up the hill to the castle, then funiculared down and visited the Old Armory and its ancient treasures and a special exhibit of 1860-1935 dresses. Walked some more down Pilies St.—very quaint and touristy. Home to find a note that Nick is too busy planning for Hillary’s visit to meet us for dinner—too bad. Went to a good French restaurant, Province, for dinner. I had antipasti, calves liver with foie gras and apple strudel. Jerry had foie gras sandwiches and then duck with foie gras and lentils.

 

Monday          27-Jun      Nemunas Delta                                                        

After a good breakfast, we drove out of Vilnius, passing the Church of Sts. Michael and Constantine on the way out. We had an easy three and a half hour drive through fields of grain and blindingly yellow mustard, with windmills all around. Saw lots of nesting white storks. Checked in at our tiny houseboat/hotel, Pelikanas, with a 3 x 5 ensuite shower, toilet and sink. Our birding guide couldn’t be found, so we went for a rid and didn’t get back until six. Looked and looked for birds, but didn’t see much. Everybody was agitated when we arrived as the guide had been waiting for us since two. So we went for a two-hour walk and saw gulls, terns, and wading birds. Dinner was just all right.

Nemunas Delta is the Lithuanian name for the Neman River Delta, in Lithuania. When it reaches the Baltic Sea, the Neman splits into a maze of river branches and canals, forming polders and wetlands that make it a very attractive destination for eco-tourism. The delta undergoes annual flooding, but the greatest threats to its integrity are posed by pollution, agriculture, the fishing industry, and tourism. There are enormous numbers of birds here during migration, but almost none stay for the summer. We missed the migration.

 

Tuesday, 28-June to Kolka, Usi guesthouse

 

Left Pelikanas by 8. It wasn’t the most comfortable stay. I still feel guilty about the guide. Drove to Palanga, a seaside resort with a split personality: peaceful pensioner paradise in winter, pounding party spot in summer (the Beach Haven of Lithuania). We arrived early enough to miss any pounding. It was a sparkling clean, flower-filled town with pedestrian malls and people strolling. Places were renting kiddie rides with John Deere trademarks. We had a good breakfast at a hotel, then went to the post office for stamps (it also sold vegetable seeds and repaired watches). We looked for the amber workshop, passing lots of vendors selling amber on the streets. I was very disappointed, as all the stuff was the same as we had already seen. Then we went into Baltijos Aukas, a store reputed to have “exceptional works of Baltic gold,” and I found the necklace I had been searching for since Moscow.

 

LATVIA: Latvia is the “savory middle” of the Baltics, loaded with colorful fixings. Thick greens of the pine forests, peppered with castle ruins, filled our route.. Onion-domed Orthodox cathedrals cross the land, and frigid waves pound the desolate coast. The distress of the Soviet years is also evident.

 

We crossed the border, passing an abandoned check-point. The first thing we did was find a place to change money (a perpetual effort on this trip, as only Estonia and Finland take Euros), which we did in Vensplis. We drove up the coast, stopping several times to enjoy the views. Our overnight is at the Usi guesthouse right in Kolka on the point. We have a nice, bright, LARGE room and we are sharing a bath with a family on holiday. Walked through the pine forest to the beach then circled back to our hotel. There is no restaurant here, and the one café in town reminded me of the coffee shop in Ulysses, but we had a good meal. Jerry said the fresh fluke could have been caught that day on LBI. We walked down to the water and had our first glimpse ever of Sandwich Terns. 

 

Cape Kolka, at the tip of the western arm of the Gulf of Riga. Enchantingly desolate and hauntingly beautiful, a journey to Cape Kolka (Kolkasrags) feels like visiting the ends of the earth. Kurzeme's most northerly village, Kolka stands on the Gulf of Rīga just south of Cape Kolka - the dividing point between the gulf and the Baltic Sea. During the Soviet era the area was a military reserve, out of bounds to civilians, and today the region's sparsely populated villages have an almost eerie, long-forgotten feel about them. But the rugged coastline here is some of the Latvia's most captivating, with long uninterrupted stretches of white-sand beaches set against forests of spruce and pine. The cape itself is the point where the line of beach and dunes changes direction - making it possible to stand with one foot in the Gulf of Rīga and the other in the Baltic Sea. We didn’t.

 

Wednesday      29-June Engure Lake & Kemeri Nat. Park to  Riga the Old City Boutique Hotel

We had a great breakfast at Usi with fresh strawberries from Janet’s garden. Then a beautiful day driving through pine and mixed hardwood forests interspersed with lazy fishing villages. Stopped at the White Dunes of Purciems, one of the few nature trails in Latvia which is made up entirely of wooden pathways so as to protect the “sensitive” sand dunes through which it runs. The pathway moves up and down the steep shores of the lower part of the Pilsupe river, leading the visitor to the White Dune – a beautiful view of the river valley is available from a viewing platform. The dune dates back to the Litorine Sea, which was formed several thousand years ago. Remains of a Stone Age settlement have been found in the area. Spent the better part of the morning around Lake Engure National Park, tucked away on the isthmus between Lake Engure and the sea. We were told that lucky visitors might spot a wild horse or an elusive blue cow. We saw both. The Konik horse and the Latvian blue cow (which was delivered by mermaids from the sea) are both near extinction and have been released into this area to try and save them.

Stopped well off the beaten track at Ķemeri National Park and walked the 600m, raised plank winding past rivers and forests

 

Entered crowded Riga with the help of the GPS and checked into our hotel. It’s fine, right in the center of Old Town, except that it costs $30 per day for parking. Had the best meal of the trip so far at an Italian restaurant, La Popola: Caesar Salad and tagliatelle with mushroom sauce. Had a brandy at a sidewalk café and hit the hay.

 

Thursday        30-Jun      Riga

Good breakfast at hotel. Did a walking tour of Old Town—all the sights. Heard a wonderful organ concert at noon at the Dom. Took an afternoon beer break then crossed the bridge to Central Riga where the Freedom Monument stands. “Milda” as she is affectionately known, was erected in 1935 where a statue of Peter the Great had once stood. The three gold stars at the top represent the three original cultural regions of Latvia. Surprisingly, during the Soviet years the Monument was never demolished. The communist government reinterpreted the star-toting Liberty as “Mother Russia” caring for its three newest members, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. She was off-limits, and anyone seen placing flowers at the base was sent off to the gulags in Siberia. A large statue of Lenin was erected facing her, but he was removed when Latvia regained her independence. Went into the gorgeous Russian Orthodox Church, passing through the Flower Market, which operates 24 hours a day, so that partners coming home in the wee hours can bring a peace offering. We walked through the very interesting Art Nouveau section, then back through a pretty park. Home to rest before a really, really excellent dinner at Pinot. Best of the trip. I had a big piece of foie gras with plums and honey cinnamon sauce and duck breast with truffled mashed potatoes. Jerry had delicious octopus in a custardy sauce and yellowfin with the same potatoes.                                                                       

                      

Friday            1-Jul         thru Sigulda and Gauja National Park
Took off early and went to the nature park at Ligatne. They call it the "Switzerland of Latvia" for its picturesque scenery. It was pretty, but fauna was disappointing. No birds and not many mammals. Those that were there were trapped in tiny cages. On to Cesis with a stop at a windmill in Araisi for a picnic. We walked around this “most Latvian town” and looked at the castle. Then back to Sigulda and a few more castles. Went back to Pinot for another wonderful dinner had my menu from the night before and I had saffron pappardelle with octopus and duck confit.

 

Saturday        2-Jul         to Tartu  Hotel Dorpat                                                  T

ESTONIA: The last century has been full of twists and turns for the country: it went from being a province of the Russian empire to an independent country, then an unwilling republic of the Soviet Union, an independent nation once again and now an EU member with a steadfast focus on the future.

 

Entered Estonia at Valga, On the Latvian side, we were stopped by a very attractive female border guard without sidearm, who waved us over and asked for our “documents.” After an examination, she waved us through. What was that all about??? As soon as we crossed the border, we sensed a different atmosphere. The town seemed much more dilapidated than those in Lithuania and Latvia. This town, contiguous with Valka in Latvia, is set in the only region that was seriously contended between Estonia and Latvia after WW I. A British mediator had to be called in to settle the dispute and suggested the current border line, effectively splitting the town in two. We immediately found a post office and bought stamps.

 

Had a beautiful ride through rural countryside with many streams and mixed woodlands. Arrived at Tartu and the Hotel Dorpat in the late morning. It’s a very modern, well-equipped hotel with (as in every place since we left Russia) no air conditioning. There is a very large open-air market right outside our door. Lunched at Vilde’s, an old restaurant with a statue of Oscar Wilde and Eduardo Vilde, an Estonian writer. Jerry had a moose burger and I had duck confit. Did a rather comprehensive walking tour of this city. Much more modern than any other, with many parks and pretty squares. One of the houses on the main square is, appropriately, called the “Leaning House”. Builders in the 1790’s unwisely set its foundation on the old city wall and another part on wooden piles. The latter eventually sank, giving the house a noticeable lean.

 

Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. Tartu, lying 185 kilometres south of Tallinn, is also the centre of Southern Estonia. The Emajõgi River, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, flows within the city limits and adds color to the city. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the city is the centre of southern Estonia.

 

Sunday         3-Jul         thru Soomaa NP to Matsalu NP   Altmoisa Guesthouse

Matsalu National Park is situated in the western part of Estonia. It was founded in 1957 mainly to protect nesting, molting and migratory birds. Also the landscapes are unique and deserve to be protected - floodplains, reedbed, coastal meadows, wooded meadows and islets.

 

Bought some delicious cherries at the market before leaving Tartu about 8. Drove to Sooma NP and walked a very buggy two km without seeing much of anything. On to Matsalu. We stopped at the park office, got some maps and watched a beautiful video in English about seasons in the park. Drove on, stopping several times for viewing. Our guesthouse is very pretty and nice. We have a big, light room with a large window opening to the garden. Went for a drive, saw a few birds, and got back in time for a nice dinner of chicken stew and salad with strawberry shortcake for dessert. Back out. Found a path we might try tomorrow morning.        

                    

Monday         4-Jul Matsalu NP

Up early for a walk to an observation tower where I called in a cuckoo. Good breakfast. Spent the entire day searching in the park. Saw much more than the rest of the trip combined, bust still not a lot. Packed for home.

                                                                                                                     

Tuesday        5-Jul to Tallinn, Domina Inn Ilmarine (R)

Vsty interesting morning. The toured Haapsalu, mainly the Bishop’s Castle, an unpolished gem of the 13th century. It is well restored and signposted in English. There are dramatic displays of life in the Dark Ages and there is a resident ghost, the White Lady, who entered the grounds even though females were forbidden, to see her back-sliding monk. She was walled up, alive, and reappears regularly.

 

On to Tallin and the very nice, un-air-conditioned, business hotel only steps from the Fat Margaret Gate. The building occupies Friedrich Wiegand’s Machine Works building from 1881. Jerry went to return the car, got lost, got in an argument because he was supposed to return the car at 10, and it was 1 in the afternoon. I bought ferry tickets for Thursday to Helsinki. Went into the Old Town and walked and walked (to be repeated tomorrow). Ate at a Greek restaurant in the Upper Town (not so good) by the Russian Orthodox Church.

 

Wednesday 6-July Tallinn

Beautiful day. Toured Old Town until 2:30. Heard “15 minutes with Bach” at the St. Nicholas Church/Museum. Spent some time in the museum, where the iconic “Danse Macabre” was a big hit. Went to the Estonian Museum of Applied Art & Design for an insight into Estonian design. Dinner at the hotel. Short walk into Old Town, then home.

 

Thursday  7-July ferry to Helsinki  Hotel Linna

A city of the sea, Helsinki was built along a series of odd-shape peninsulas and islands jutting into the Baltic coast along the Gulf of Finland. Streets and avenues curve around bays, bridges reach to nearby islands, and ferries ply among offshore islands. Having grown dramatically since World War II, Helsinki now absorbs more than one-tenth of the Finnish population and the metropolitan area covers a total of 474 square mi and 315 islands. Most sights, hotels, and restaurants cluster on one peninsula, forming a compact central hub.

Helsinki is a relatively young city compared with other European capitals. In the 16th century, King Gustav Vasa of Sweden decided to woo trade from the Estonian city of Tallinn and thus challenge the Hanseatic League's monopoly on Baltic trade. Accordingly, he commanded the people of four Finnish towns to pack up their belongings and relocate at the rapids on the River Vantaa. The new town, founded on June 12, 1550, was named Helsinki. For three centuries, Helsinki had its ups and downs as a trading town. Turku, to the west, remained Finland's capital and intellectual center. Ironically, Helsinki's fortunes improved when Finland fell under Russian rule as an autonomous grand duchy. Czar Alexander I wanted Finland's political center closer to Russia and, in 1812, selected Helsinki as the new capital. Shortly afterward, Turku suffered a disastrous fire, forcing the university to move to Helsinki. The town's future was secure. Just before the czar's proclamation, a fire destroyed many of Helsinki's traditional wooden structures, precipitating the construction of new buildings suitable for a nation's capital. The German-born architect Carl Ludvig Engel was commissioned to rebuild the city, and as a result, Helsinki has some of the purest neoclassical architecture in the world. Add to this foundation the influence of Stockholm and St. Petersburg with the local inspiration of 20th-century Finnish design, and the result is a European capital city that is as architecturally eye-catching as it is distinct from other Scandinavian capitals. Today, Helsinki is still a meeting point of eastern and western Europe, which is reflected in its cosmopolitan image, the influx of Russians and Estonians, and generally multilingual population. The city center, characterized by its large multistory malls, is densely packed. The wide street Mannerheimintie is comparable to New York's Broadway, moving diagonally past the major attractions of the city center before terminating beside the Esplanade. Southern Helsinki is a tangle of smaller streets, some of them curving and some of which run for just a few blocks before changing their names.

 

Thursday--the ferry was fast and smooth and the weather gorgeous. We got in at 11:30, taxied to the hotel and took off walking. Navigating the city was difficult and it soon got very hot. We were glad for a good map.

I got tired and we came back and rested a while. Went out again and had a good, albeit very expensive dinner at Torni: mushroom soup, game burger (G) and smoked salmon salad (J). Very expensive wine. No real Old town here. It is rather deserted. Apparently most Finns have a second, country home and are all on vacation in July.

Friday  8-July  Helsinki

Walked and walked. Hot, but with a breeze. We covered all the Cathedral area and hear an organ concert there at noon. Then we visited Temppeliaukio Church. It symbolizes the modern innovativeness of Finnish religious architecture and features a stunning 24 meter diameter roof covered in copper. We were lucky enough to be there when the (USA) Northwestern Girls’ Choir performed an excellent concert.

 

Saturday  9-July  To New York  depart 3:20 pm Iceland Air FI 0343 arr Reykjavik 3:55 pm; dep 5:00 pm FI 0615, arr JFK 7:00 pm

Good flight home. Herb was waiting for us. Got a pizza at 10:45 pm and to bed.