Accommodations: Tallink City Hotel
We had breakfast and then boarded our minibus to travel to Tallinn, Estonia. On the way, we stopped in Parnu, a popular summer resort town among Estonians, although many Finnish folks come to enjoy the spa and the beach as well. Our guide said it is very expensive to stay there. He said it’s cheaper for him to take a holiday in Italy or Greece instead of going to Parnu.

The first bathing establishment in Parnu opened its doors at the beach in 1838, where warm baths were offered during the summer and a sauna (pronounced “sow-nah,”) experience during the winter. The spa now offers massages, mud treatments, paraffin treatments, and many other amenities to relax you and give you pleasure. Parnu was chosen as the “best health and wellness tourism destination in Estonia”.

It was another beautiful day (we can’t believe how lucky we’ve been with the weather), and we walked the beach and enjoyed the sun.

We had soup for lunch after the beach and then went back on the minibus to travel the rest of the way to Tallinn.

As we traveled along, our guide Eero told us about the panel buildings that we saw along the way that were from the Soviet era. These were plain and functional buildings that housed people according to the number in the family. If you had a large family, your apartment was bigger than those who were either just married or single. He said many couples got married just to get bigger apartments and after the Soviet collapse, the divorce rate was high. The buildings looked like concrete boxes and reminded Allan and me of the apartments that we saw when we were in Star City in Russia near Moscow.

Some of these buildings we saw are now historical buildings and need work. Many are not insulated against the cold winters. Some need to be painted and some need new windows. The dilemma is…if the people who own these buildings can’t afford to pay for restorations, should the government help them by giving them or loaning them money? The problem is, if the government does this to preserve the history of the buildings and the renovations are completed, the buildings would then become valuable and could be sold by the owner at a very good price. People are saying that it wouldn’t be fair for those building owners to get money from the government to make restorations and then sell the buildings for a huge profit. But the other side is, if the renovations aren’t done for these historical buildings, they will deteriorate and might have to be torn down. A dilemma indeed.

We passed many pine trees and birch trees along the way. The ground is sandy since the area was once under the water, so many plants and trees can’t grow there. Someone asked if the tall and numerous pine trees ever blow down, since the soil is sandy. The answer is, they have roots that spread out and can find and latch onto the stone bed, so the chances of these trees being blown over is very low.

People cut the leaf laden twigs from the birch trees and use them as whisks for their saunas. Sauna whisks are used to enhance the sauna experience by increasing circulation, exfoliating the skin, and adding a pleasant aroma to the sauna. The whisks are soaked in warm water for maybe 30 minutes. Then when you come out of the heat of the sauna and your skin is warm, the whisk is gently tapped or brushed all over you.

The sauna experience is a way of life as well as part of the circle of life. Some women birth their children in saunas. Some folks, before they die, have asked that their body be taken to the sauna to be bathed before they are buried. The circle of life for sure.

Our guide told us that many Estonians liked President Reagan because he was against communism and tried to end the Cold War. He said he loved watching Reagan on TV and listening to his anecdotes. One in particular he liked was when Reagan told the story of a man in Russia who wanted to buy a car. He got the necessary permits and went to the car dealer and presented them. The car dealer looked them over and said, yes…everything is in order. Come back in ten years from today for your car. The man asked if he should come in the morning or afternoon. The car dealer replied that he didn’t know, but what difference would it make since it was ten years away. To which the man replied that it did matter because he already had a plumber coming in the morning that day. Too funny!

We arrived in Tallinn and walked around the upper city and we were able to see the beautiful panoramic views with the red roofs and churches with gleaming towers. It is a beautiful city.

We saw the medieval walls that surround the city, that have been preserved throughout the years. The first wall around Tallinn was constructed in 1265. It was 16’ tall and about 4’9” thick at the base. The walls have been enlarged and strengthened since that time. Some parts of the wall actually go through buildings where people live. No one wants to destroy the wall so the buildings were built around them. This is one of the reasons that Tallinn’s old town became a World Heritage site.

Our last stop of the day was to see the Song Festival Grounds. The Tallinn Song Festival, known as Laulupidu, began in 1869 and had been a symbol of Estonian national pride and played a key role in the “Singing Revolution” of 1988. The Singing Revolution, was a series of protests sung by thousands of people, for independence from the Soviet Union. The original festival was considered responsible for fostering an Estonian national awakening. The festival is now held every five years, and is one of the largest choral events in the world, sometimes comprising more than 30,000 singers performing to an audience of more than 100,000. You can google the festival to read about how the choirs are chosen.

The place where the festival takes place is at a large open-air bandstand that faces a grassy area where the people who have purchased tickets to hear the concert can sit. The key function of the open air stage is to keep the tradition of the Song Festival, (which is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list) alive.

In addition to the choirs that perform, famous artists like Madonna, 50 cents, and Lady Gaga have performed at the bandstand to thousands of people.

We then boarded our minibus which took us to our beautiful hotel. There is a large bar in the lobby with plenty of seating to enjoy a cocktail or after dinner drink. Our room is large with a walk-in shower. There was a sign in the bathroom that told us who our room attendant was, but that she only will clean the room every three days. If we want more service or extra towels, we can request it. We usually put a sign on our hotel room door that we don’t need room service anyway, since we always reuse towels because it is more ecological to do so. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a hotel that actually does not provide the service until after three days or when you request it. The Estonians are definitely eco-friendly. And…it’s nice to be in countries where we can drink the water directly from the tap.

Eero told the group that there was a restaurant, Olde Hansa, that featured medieval fare. Allan and I looked at the menu and we decided it would be a fun thing to partake in. Another couple in our group, Diana and Peter, decided to join us, and Eero walked us over to what would turn out to be a very enjoyable evening at Olde Hansa. You can read about the restaurant and offerings here: https://www.oldehansa.ee/

We decided to order the Grand Chef Feast (which you can read what was served at the site above since it is too much to list here) and what a feast it was!! Allan and I had an herbal dark beer which was amazing, and each course of the feast was absolutely delicious. All of the dishes on the menu, including many wild game delicacies, are cooked using 15th century recipes and methods. Dessert was a type of pudding made from rose petals.

The evening passed by so quickly as Diana, Peter and Allan and I got to know each other, and before we knew it, it was almost ten o’clock. We couldn’t believe the time as we walked back to the hotel, because the sun was still shining!

It was a great first day in Tallinn!

At the beach in Parnu.

Delicious soup for lunch.

Walking around Parnu.

Arriving in Tallinn and walking the cobblestone streets.

Tallinn

You can see part of the wall of Tallinn next to the round building.

The wall that goes around the old town.

It is a beautiful town with so many interesting spots to see everywhere you look.

Established in the 13th century, St Mary’s Church is the oldest church in Tallinn and the only building which survived the 17th-century fire.

The Kiek in de Kök artillery tower. Occupants of the tower used to be able to peek down into the kitchens of nearby homes, hence the name “Kiek in de Kok” meaning “Peep into the Kitchen”. The tower was built in 1475 for fortification, and in the right side of the photo below the tree branch, you can see old cannon balls that are embedded into the walls of the tower that date all the way back to the 16th century.

Performers at the bandstand

About Gustav Ernesaks

The bandstand

This sign greeted us as we entered the Olde Hansa Restaurant

Emmanuel Willie

As we were escorted to our table, we had to pause to have warm water poured over our hands before we could dine.

The beginning of our feast. It was very dark in the restaurant and very difficult to take pictures of all the food that kept coming out for our medieval feast.

Our hotel is very ecologically aware.

Accommodations: Metropole Hotel by Semarah 

Before I talk about our day, i just wanted to share some interesting things about Latvia:

Latvia is known as The Land of Lilacs and Riga is especially known for its lilacs and has regulations against picking them. However, the city of Dobele, not Riga, is actually the most well-known land of lilacs, because of its lilac garden at the Institute of Horticulture where one of the world’s largest collections of lilacs can be found. That being said, the lilac trees are blooming all over Riga and the floral bouquet that wafts into the air is so pleasant as you walk by. Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers so I’m truly enjoying the lovely fragrant clusters that are all around.

The Latvian flag. The flag has a red stripe top and bottom with a white stripe in between. The story goes that a soldier was wounded in battle and the sheet on which he was placed was stained by his blood with only the center stripe of the sheet remaining white, hence the flag of Latvia was created.

Now on to our day.

After breakfast we met with Dr. Karlis Bukovskis, the Director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs and an Associate Professor at Riga Stradins University. He spoke about what it was like for a country like Latvia to get where it is today. He told us of his days as a child under Soviet rule and how he and his friends stood at the corner store where the shelves were bare, waiting for the truck that would deliver bread and milk and if the kids were very lucky, perhaps some ice cream. Only chocolate and vanilla would be available, but it was a treat they always hoped for.

He spoke of how the Soviets took over private farms and made them into collectives. When the Soviet government collapsed, if the farmers or their relatives were still alive, they had to find the deeds to the property so they could reclaim it. By that time, most of those farmers and their families had either died or had left and pursued other jobs so they were no longer interested in the farming life. They often times used the property and house that they had previously owned, as a summer cottage and then either sold the property at a very low price or rented it to people who actually did want to continue to farm.

Latvia became independent in 1991 and the government and free economic system redeveloped. Latvia became part of the European Union and NATO in 2004. Banks in the country were able to expand and foreign banks, especially Scandinavian ones, began to pour money into the country. Now, the people who had suffered under Soviet rule could borrow money to buy the things they wanted. But prosperous times didn’t last. The collapse of Lehman Bros. affected the economy drastically. Following this event, the country went on austerity and has been able to triple its GDP since then.

Recently, however, Latvia realized it could not keep spending money on social programs as they had been doing, because they realized they had to put more money into defense, given what is happening in the Ukraine.

He was a very interesting speaker and we learned a lot about Latvia and the struggles the country has been through, much of which I spoke about in yesterday’s blog post . He mentioned many times during his talk how grateful the Latvians are for the US aid to Ukraine to help them fight the Russians.

Then we boarded our minibus and traveled through the countryside to Rundale Palace. The 138 room, 18th century, baroque-designed palace was designed by the Italian-Russian architect Rastrelli (who also constructed the Winter Palace in St. Peterburg). In 1735, the Duke of Courland, Ernst Johann von Biron, purchased land that had a medieval castle on the premises. The castle was torn down and construction began in 1736 on a new one that the Duke planned to use as his summer residence. However, Biron was exiled, so the palace stood empty for many years until he finally was able to return in 1762 and construction was finally completed in 1768. He died in 1772.

The Duchy of Courland was absorbed by the Russian Empire in 1795 and Catherine the Great gave the palace to the youngest brother of her lover Prince Zubov until he died. Following his death, his young widow married Count Shuvalov, and the palace eventually passed into the control of the Shuvalov family.  

During the French Invasion of Russia in 1813, the palace was used as a hospital for Napoleon’s army, and during the German occupation in WWI, the Germans turned the palace once again into a hospital.

The palace went through many more unconventional uses by different regimes through wars, etc. until finally in 1972, the Rundale Palace Museum was established and extensive research was done to restore the palace to its original beauty. During the restoration undertaking, which eventually finished in 2015, the total cost wound up to be 8,420,495 euros, funded by private donations as well as the state of Latvia.

The palace is magnificent with its intricate decorations on the walls and ceilings created from stucco in the Rococo style. Oil paintings that have been carefully and painstakingly restored, and original furniture and artifacts grace the many rooms.

We then went for lunch at The White House, a restaurant that was within walking distance from the palace. Allan and I enjoyed a dark beer that complemented the delicious lunch.

Then, back to the palace to roam the beautiful gardens with gorgeous tulips and pansies in bloom and manicured trees and hedges lining the walkways. The garden is known for its rose bushes, but of course it was too early in the season to see them blooming.

We came back to the hotel and…wait for it…had McDonald’s! The meal was much cheaper than the same meal we get at home and it was just as good. We were just too tired from walking all day to try to find a local restaurant to eat at.

Rundale Palace

Notice the ornate stucco designs on the ceiling

Roses were very common to have in rooms, even in male bedrooms. It was the fashion and the roses depicted the ornate baroque and rococo style.

This photo shows the before and after of a painting that was restored.

The long hallway.

In the left hand corner, notice the white structure. These structures were heaters for the different rooms and were fed logs by the servants.

Notice the “marble” on the wall. It is not marble, but rather a technique used to depict marble. One would think this was a cheaper way to have marble on the walls, but actually, the process to obtain the desired marble effect was time-consuming and expensive, costing much more than marble itself.

Our really good dark beer.

Lilacs bloom everywhere throughout Riga.

Tulips blooming in the palace garden.

So beautiful. (And the gardens were pretty spectacular too!). (Allan has not gained weight. He has his knapsack under his jacket. lol!)

Trees and hedges lining the walls

We were lucky that many flowers were blooming.

Accommodations: Metropole Hotel by Semarah

I didn’t get the best night’s sleep last night, but I did get a lot of reading done from 1:30 am till about 4. LOL!! Then I had a few good hours until morning finally broke and we dressed and went down to breakfast. We met five more people on the trip who will be traveling with us, and then we sat down for breakfast. They serve mimosas if you desire (we didn’t have any), and the choice for breakfast was regular breakfast fare that you would find anywhere. It was enjoyable.

After breakfast we met Eero in a conference room for an orientation meeting of what to expect during the next few days and then we went around the room telling everyone our names, where we lived, and our hobbies.

After the meeting, we boarded a mini bus and met our local guide, who took us on a city tour of Riga. Riga was an important trade port which made it a prime target for nearby countries to try to take over and these countries have, in the past, claimed Latvia for their own. Russia, Sweden, Lithuania, and Germany have over the span of many years, set claim to Latvia until Latvia declared its independence.

Latvia endured Soviet occupation in 1940, German occupation in WWII, and Soviet Union occupation in 1944-45. Under German occupation, 30,000 Jews were killed during the Holocaust and another 30,000 from the Riga ghetto were killed in the Rumbula Forest in November and December 1941, to reduce overpopulation in the ghetto and make room for more Jews being brought in from Germany. The Soviets reoccupied the country in 1944–1945, and further deportations took place.
Latvia’s independence was fully and finally restored in August 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Our minibus allowed us to get out periodically to walk around Riga and see some of Riga’s collection of Art Nouveau buildings. There are about 800 in all, but of course we only were able to see a few of them. The buildings are unique and each building was more beautiful than the next with gorgeous windows of different sizes and shapes and gargoyles carved into the facades.

We then drove through the old town and walked along the cobblestones to see the sites. You had to pay attention because the cobblestones are uneven and one could easily stumble and fall.

Next, we walked to the Central Market, which is one of the largest indoor markets in Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Interestingly, the market is housed in former zeppelin hangars. The smells of black rye bread, herbs, baked goods, fresh coffee, and fresh vegetables assaulted our senses in a good way…but not so with the fish market. The fish smelled very fishy. Eero gave us all a slice of rye black bread. It was delicious.

We boarded the minibus again and drove to Kipsala Island. It is a prestigious area with wooden buildings that are being restored by millionaires. It has a beautiful view of the Old Town of Riga which we could view across the Daugava River.

We rode to the Old Town of Riga and walked past St. Peter’s Church as well as the Riga Cathedral. Since it was a Sunday – and a beautifully sunny one to boot – people were out and about enjoying the rare warm and sunny day.

Allan and I ate at a place called Lido which is like a cafeteria. You get a tray and then walk along, choosing foods you might enjoy as you walk past all the offerings. The food was okay for a quick lunch, but not someplace I’d yearn to go back to for another meal.

Allan and I had tickets to hear the organ concert at the Riga Cathedral, also known as the Dome Cathedral, so we walked over to get a good seat. Originally of Roman Catholic denomination, it is now Lutheran. The organ of the Riga Cathedral was built in 1882–83. It has four manuals and one pedalboard. It plays 116 voices, 124 stops, 144 ranks, and has 6718 pipes.

The recital was beautiful, especially the organist Ilze Reine’s last selection – Handel’s Hornpipe from Water Music. It sent chills up my spine it was so magnificent. Huge screens were set up throughout the cathedral so everyone could watch the organist as she navigated the four manuals and the foot pedals.

After the recital, a few of us took a tour of The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, an historic educational institution. It was established in 1993 to exhibit artifacts, archive documents, and educate the public about the 51-year period in the 20th century when Latvia was successively occupied by the USSR in 1940, then by Nazi Germany in 1941, and then again by the USSR in 1944. I was so glad we signed up to have the docent guide us through the museum since he imparted so much knowledge and information in a respectful and sensitive way as he talked about this very horrific time in Latvia’s history. It was a poignant afternoon and we came away with an understanding of Latvia’s fight for independence and how the lives of so many were lost to gain it.

We left the museum and joined Eero for our Welcome Dinner that was held at the restaurant Tavern Lasite, housed in an authentic medieval cellar, replete with armor and medieval weapons on the walls. We enjoyed venison sausage kabobs and vegetables and everything was delicious.

After dinner we walked back to the hotel and bid everyone goodnight. Hoping to get a better night’s sleep.

Art Nouveau buildings

The Pauls Stradiņš Medical History Museum in Riga, displays a banner featuring a depiction of Vladimir Putin’s face merged with a skull. The banner faces the Russian embassy. The banner is in protest of the war in Ukraine. Interestingly, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on March 10,2022, the Riga council renamed a section of that street, where the Russian embassy is located, to “Ukrainian Independence Street”.

View of Old Town across the Daugava River.

The fish market.

Riga Cathedral

The pipe organ

According to a decree by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, as of August 1940, all Latvians are also citizens of the USSR. The passport of the Republic of Latvia must be exchanged for a USSR passport.

Lasite restaurant. They even had real candles on the tables.

Our meal

The granite and copper monument in the center of Riga symbolizes Latvian statehood, national unity, independence and freedom.

Arrive Riga, Latvia • Accommodations: Metropole Hotel by Semarah
Our flights were very nice. We were on a double decker Lufthansa plane which was very roomy and we were on the top level. We did get a little sleep on the plane after we had dinner, but the bed wasn’t the most comfortable.

We were late taking off in Newark, so we were hoping we wouldn’t have a repeat of our last trip where we missed our connecting flight. Fortunately the captain made up for lost time, which was a good thing since we landed in Frankfurt at Gate 62 Z and had to get to Gate 62 A to catch the plane to Riga.

Getting on the plane in Frankfurt was an experience. The plane was booked solid and they were asking people to give up their seats for 250 euros remuneration. That was a pretty good deal, but we of course couldn’t take them up on it since we had to get to Riga to meet our guide.

They started to call groups to board the plane and we thought things were going really great until we had to walk down flights of stairs out of the terminal with our carryons and then board a bus that went for what must have been miles to our lonely plane sitting out on the tarmac. We had to climb the stairs to enter the plane, and then we sat on the tarmac and waited, and waited, and waited till the next bus with passengers arrived. We were so glad we didn’t have a connecting flight because again, the flight was delayed.

We arrived in Riga and met our driver. Only three of us flew in today…the rest of the group came in a day early. We usually do that but since we are spending a few days in Riga, we didn’t think it was necessary.

Our hotel is centrally located and very near to the many sites we are looking forward to seeing. The city is very clean and our driver pointed out sites along the way.

Our guide Eero met us when we pulled up to the hotel. We were able to check into our rooms and then Eero sat down with us and gave us many maps and pamphlets of things to see and do in our free time.

He took Allan, myself and Sue, (the other lady that came on the plane with us) on an orientation walk. Everything is very close by and easy to get to by walking.

There is an opera house down the block from our hotel and tonight my favorite opera, Madama Butterfly is being performed. I would have loved to have gone (and now sorry we didn’t come a day early to get time acclimated), but I knew we were very tired from our travels and would probably be asleep by the time Butterfly sings Un bel dì, vedremo in Act 2.

Weekends are apparently meant for rowdy celebrations here in Riga and there were kids out in the streets enjoying the sunshine, drinking, eating, and cheering the hockey game between Sweden and the USA. The town puts port-a potties around so that people don’t wind up peeing in the streets during the weekend nights of revelry. Eero said on Monday morning, the town won’t look as clean as it does now.

During our walk we saw some interesting statues of animals. Apparently the statues are depictions of the animals from the movie Flow, a 2024 Latvian, French, and Belgian co-production. The film has no dialog and is about a cat who is trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. The film broke several Latvian box-office records, becoming the most-viewed film in Latvian theaters in history. At the 97th Academy Awards, the film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature film and was also nominated for Best International Feature film. It was the first film from Latvia to ever win an Oscar as well as receive a nomination. It also won a Golden Globe award for Best Animated Feature film. As you can imagine, Latvians are so proud of this recognition, they have erected large statues of some of the animals portrayed in the movie.

After our walk, Sue joined us for dinner at a local restaurant and then it was back to the hotel. Our hotel is in the style of art nouveau, built in 1871 and has obviously been renovated a few times. It is quite cozy with a beautiful bathroom.

We straightened out our luggage, brushed teeth, and went to sleep.

We asked our driver what the yellow patches were that we saw as we flew into Riga, and she said that they are canola fields and they are harvested for the oil.

College kids having fun drinking, singing, and pedaling through the streets. Everyone sits on bar stools and they pedal furiously to make the truck move.

The dog from the movie Flow

The cat from the movie Flow

TV screen in the middle of the square with the hockey game being broadcast live

Allan insisted on taking the obligatory pic in front of McDonalds. No…we didn’t have dinner there.

We are leaving today for our trip to Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark – leaving on Lufthansa airlines. Newark airport has been having so many problems…we are hoping we get off the ground on time. Fortunately, we are spending a few days in Latvia, so if we happen to be delayed, it won’t be a big problem.

We are looking forward to learning about the indigenous traditions of the Sami people in Swedish Lapland and hope to have hands-on encounters with a reindeer herd to discover their importance to the Sami people’s way of life. And in Norway, we’ll learn about the controversial topic of whaling, which is a traditional and hotly contested practice. And…we might even visit Santa up in the North Pole (but he might still be vacationing in Bermuda. Who knows).

We’ll spend a day with a community in Swedish Lapland and learn how they raise huskies and hopefully enjoy some hands-on activities. We’ll also join a Swedish family in the mining town of Kiruna for a home-hosted dinner for a taste of home-cooked cuisine.

C’mon along as we travel to a unique part of the world.

PS Recently I was speaking to some of the folks who read my blog (all 5 of them) and they were amazed when I told them that I compose all the posts on my iphone – and usually at night – after a long day of touring. I don’t bring my iPad nor a computer with me, so I just depend on my iPhone to type on. It isn’t the easiest since many of my posts are lengthy, so please excuse any misspellings, etc. that might be apparent, (although Allan does a great job proof-reading for me and he is invaluable to my blog, as is my son Jamie, who set the blog up for me and does a fantastic job whenever I have a problem with it).