Narrative

Vilnius

Flew Gatwick to Riga on a 737, then on to Vilnius on a Dash Q 400 twin prop. Met at airport by Eglė and transferred to hotel.

Went into city centre where celebrations of 25 years of independence were taking place. There were thousands of girls and women, all dressed in blue tops, running a race through the streets as part of the celebration. Made our way to the main square where a band was playing.

Grabbed a bite to eat at an Italian restaurant and went to bed.

The following morning we had a brief tour of Vilnius.

It included a brief drive through the self-proclaimed independent republic of Užupis. It declared independence a few years ago and the constitution was displayed on a wall in 10 different languages. This enumerated such rights as

• the right to die (but this is not an obligation)
• the right to make mistakes
• the right to love
• the right to be individual
• the right to have no rights

Trakai Historical National Park

With our bikes on tow we headed for the nearby lake resort of Trakai.

We stopped at a church a few km from Trakai, grabbed a bike each, made the necessary adjustments for height, etc. and then we were off to the petrol station 3km down the road. Most of us had a coffee and two of the group had a fag (in a petrol station; great idea!). We then cycled to the lake and started our journey round.

The weather forecast for the whole week was for rain and more rain. Today started with an occasional little light drizzle which was actually rather pleasant.

Visited the castle of Grand Duke Kęstutis. Inside there was a medieval fair taking place with food cooked over fires and men fighting. The fight with pikes, and the fight with axes were comical, looking obviously orchestrated, but the short-sword fight looked liked they might actually cause harm.

Inside one of the halls were were fortunate to see some medieval dancing by the 'duchess and ladies in waiting'.

By the time we left the castle the rain had become more constant although still light. We cycled to the Kybynlar restaurant to have some little kabinas (pies/pasties) for lunch. We sat outside, under cover, and then the heavens opened. After an hour of torrential rain we had to make a decision whether to carry on cycling or travel by minibus. Most, including us, chose the minibus but there were some hardy souls who were determined to carry on. Fortunately for the cyclists, the rain was beginning to wane but they still got fairly wet.

At the agreed meeting point we set off on foot to the old estate of Count Józef Tyszkiewicz known as the Užutrakis Manor Estate. The stunning manor house sits at the lakeside overlooking the castle. The main buildings, gardens and statues have been repaired and/or reconstructed following the damage caused during soviet occupation.

Now owned by the state it is a popular location for weddings and state functions.

Minibus back to Vilnius and then out for a Lithuanian group meal at Lokys. Wild boar for Karin, beaver stew for Steve.

Kintai

8am departure for the long drive to on the West coast.

Quick stop on the way for a coffee.

We reached our destination at lunch time so we ate before cycling. The weather was improved so we could eat outside. The cold beetroot soup (served with hot boiled potatoes) was a delicious, hearty meal.

Cycled to Ventė to the lighthouse and views over the Curonian Lagoon.

The Curonian Lagoon is formed by the Curonian Spit. A small strip of land between the Baltic Sea and the main coastline of Lithuania. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Northern part belonging to Lithuania, and the Southern part belonging to Russia.

Returned back Northward, downed an ice cream and then cycled along a bumpy forest trail to the nodding donkeys (wells). Mike was nowhere to be seen, a scenario that was to recur throughout our holiday!

Finally met up with the minibus and headed off for Klaipėda.

Klaipėda

Checked into our hotel. First impressions were good but then you started to notice various oddities. Oddities like the toilet roll holder being beyond the reach of anybody whose arms were less than five feet long; the raised level in the middle of the room causing extra effort with the suitcases and wasting the space where the steps were. To top it off the shower dribbled only slightly quicker than my dog.

There was a nice restaurant/bar on the XII floor of the main block with good views over the docks

Eglė took us on a quick orientation tour of the city, where some interesting artwork can be found, and then on to a group meal near the docks.

Curonian Spit National Park

The next morning we took the ferry from Klaipėda across the Curonian Lagoon to the Curonian Spit. Our first, brief stop was at the cormorant observation point. There were a few cormorants around but the majority have already begun their migration South.

We drove on to the Grey Dunes and walked up the dunes to views over the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon.

Deforestation causing an increase in shifting sands has caused villages to be completely buried. In 1825 the Prussian government sponsored reforestation.

We drove across to the Baltic side and a few people plucked up the courage for a quick swim.

After the swim the bikes came out. We cycled past Nida up to the sundial at the top of a steep hill. Kudos to Stuart who managed to cycle non-stop to the top! He deserved a medal or a trophy!

Then returned to Nida.

Had lunch at a self-service place where you chose a just-cooked smoked/barbecued fish. Fresh food with great views.

After lunch and a chance to visit the local supermarket and stock up on chocolate, etc., we cycled along Route 10 for some 20km. Then the group split. Most cycled a few more kms and boarded the mini-bus. Steve, Arnie, Stuart, Debs and Isabel chose to cycle the optional extra. We cycled at a good pace averaging around 23km/h and reached the ferry at the same time as the minibus. Shortly after boarding the ferry Mike cycled up behind us. Seems he decided to take the optional ride but left it too late to catch up with the main group!

Palanga, Sventoji, etc.

This morning started with heavy rain. We abandoned two sections of cycling and drove straight into Palanga. During a lull in the rain we got our bikes ready, but after cycling less than a kilometre, the rain returned so we all dashed into a coffee shop for half an hour. When the rain finally eased we set off towards the pier. The sea was rough and the wind was blowing a gale; very atmospheric.

After dodging some more rain we cycled on to the Palanga Amber Museum, which was inside part of the Tiškevičiai Palace. Afterwards we cycled though the botanical gardens.

We found our way onto Route 10 and made for the village of Sventoji for our lunch-stop at Du Malūnai. Here many of us tried the potato-based dumpling with meat inside. Naturally, we had to try this local dish but I wouldn't choose it again; I could sense my cholesterol levels rising with every bite!

Back on the minibus we had a long drive to Riga. After such a heavy lunch, many of us had a nap. En route, and just over the border in Latvia, there was a loud bang as the side window shattered.

Riga

We arrived at Riga in the early evening and had a group meal at the nearby Alberta 13 restaurant. The food was delicious and beautifully presented.

The following morning we drove from the hotel to the old town (including a loop round the block because Eglė had left the maps behind). Just after assembling on foot, ready for our orientation tour, it started raining. Shelter was found in the nearby Double Coffee. As the rain subsided we commenced the tour.

Riga appeared to be a big, busy city, but the historic centre was relatively quiet and civilised. There were some signs of soviet occupation in some of the statues that remained.

After the tour we were scheduled to go cycling on a nearby beach. Given the poor weather conditions many of us decided to stay in Riga and have a good look around. Karin, Julia, Isabel and I wandered back to the hotel via a number of shops including a wool shop called Hobby Wool. Wool was used to advertise their product and included keeping the drain pipes warm and a big woolly bike.

Karin and Steve returned to the historic centre for lunch and then a good look around, including a trip to the top of the tower of St Peter's church which afforded stunning views over the city.

From the tower we could see the old Zeppelin hangers that are now used to house a huge market, so after descending we headed to the market. It was lively, colourful and a good chance to restock on bananas and oranges.

We returned to the historic centre to visit a honey shop. The girl inside told us about this family run business; how her father kept bees and her mother made the products on sale. Obviously we bought ourselves some honey.

One of the more unusual sights in the city was a caravan with three CCTV cameras on its roof. It turned out to be the ticket office to a car park!

Our evening meal was at the restaurant called Key to Riga. There was a nice quiet atmosphere in the centre and this restaurant was full of people, inside and out, chatting away. The waiters and waitresses were all in medieval costume and there was a trio playing medieval music. Plus, there were candles everywhere. Finished the meal off with a Black Balsam with blackcurrant.

On the walk back to the hotel (we took the road rather than the park) we came across several young people preparing banners. Given the political situation in Ukraine, it seemed likely they were going to protest at the Russian Embassy. There were two police officers casually watching them from the other side of the street. Being on the border with Russia and having been previously occupied by the Soviet Union must make the population feel anxious ever since Russia grabbed Crimea and covertly backed the separatists in the rest of Ukraine.

Lahemaa National Park

8am departure for the long drive to Lahemaa National Park in Estonia. We made a quick coffee stop at the Latvia/Estonia border. The Estonian road was in a poor state and a lot of road building work was visible as they presumably try to bring their road infrastructure up to a reasonable level. We made a lunch stop in Turi along the way.

We arrived at Vihula Manor at about 3pm and left immediately for a cycle ride. We cycled around a peninsula passing Vergi along the way.

At Võsu Arnie, Mike and Steve headed down to the beach while the others continued back towards the Manor House. Arnie went for a paddle, Mike had a cigarette and we all admired the views. Arnie spoke with one of the locals who said that they would not choose to swim here because they prefer a warm shower! As it turned out, the water was so shallow that Arnie had to lie down to get wet!

All three then made a good pace and caught up with the rest of the group who had stopped at a museum in Sagadi.

We then returned to the Manor House for a drink (to celebrate Karin staying at the front of the pack for the whole ride), a wander around the estate, a quick bite in The Tavern and an early night.

The following day started with a birthday celebration for Stuart at breakfast time. Sorry Karin and I weren't there (I need sleep more than food).

Onto another cycle ride around a different peninsula, passing Vinistu and Suurpea.

A few of us made a quick detour to look at a harbour at Vinistu. The concrete suitcases were an unusual sight.

We quickly caught up with the pack and carried on down the East coast of Hara Bay arriving in Loksa. Next stop was Tallinn via minibus.

Tallinn

This beautiful historic city centre seems to be overrun by tourists and tourism, but a good friend of mine who lives just across the water in Finland (Wes) pointed out that Tallinn was a run-down mess at the end of the last century and that it's tourism that has helped fund its renovation.

Lunch was in Draakon within part of the Town Hall building. A simple bowl of elk soup and a meat pie, plus as many gherkins that you can be bothered to skewer from a barrel. Karin asked if they had any Sprite. She was told this is medieval times, 15th century, 'they have only poison water or cider'. We went for cider which Steve liked and Karin didn't.

This was followed by a tour of the historic centre.

Tallinn seems to have a sign meaning no relay races using handbags!

In the evening we had our final group meal in the Peppersack. A good evening with some play-sword fighting on the stairs, great food, good company, followed by way too much Vana Tallinn liquer. For me, the end of the night was a blur. I hope I behaved myself.

The next morning we were exhausted!

Epilogue

This was a fabulous journey, made through three interesting countries with historical and cultural background provided by Eglė. Most of all we were accompanied by a great bunch of people. Thank you Arnie, Julia, Angela, Sue, Mike, Moira, Mary, Bernard, Isabel, Andy, Doreen, Debs and Stuart.