The Baltic States

1.7.2021 Entry from Poland to Vilnius. After saying goodbye to our friends Bea and Ludwig in Mikołajki after the canoe tour, we continue to Wigry and then to Vilnius. The planned City parking space has unfortunately been moved from the grass to asphalt and is now hideous. We prefer to park along the green areas by the river. We cycle along the Neris on a single trail to the City. We go through Kalinausko G. under the national colors to the Stanislav Basilica and the Old Town. We strengthen ourselves with a snack. We have Khachapuri, which we know from Georgia, and beer. We go for another round until 8 pm, then we have to go back to the car. I would like to move it to the park, but Ulla is hesitant. So we quickly climb into the Dacia on the side of the road before the mosquitoes devour us.

2.7. Friday, Vilnius. Ulla quickly uses the shower at Carpark, then we drive through heavy traffic to the other side of the Neris River and have breakfast at the volleyball field. We can park for free and in the shade at the athletics stadium. We cycle past the basilica, a cemetery of soldiers from different nations and wars, and the Old Town. Ulla suddenly stays behind. When I find her, she is talking to my former colleague Marie. What a coincidence. We go to the basilica and to the Gedimino Kalsa with a beautiful view over the city. Behind the brick church, there is a café by the river with a swing over the water. We continue the tour to the city wall at the bastion and the town hall square. Short break. Then we look for the gate to the ghetto, but only find a sign. The old man is still lying in the city gate. We take a photo at Frank Zappa and at the Genocido Museum. But we don't want to go into the torture chamber. Back to the car and out of the city. Our next destination is the Hill of Crosses. But we will go there tomorrow. We find a nice little campsite at Lake Arimaičių near Karčemos. We swim and cook cozy until the sun sets behind dark clouds.

3.7.21 Saturday, near Šiauliai at the lake. Our first destination is the Hill of Crosses. Crazy story. Since the time of the tsars, crosses have been erected here as a protest, reminder, and hope. The Soviets cleared it twice, but it was rebuilt. Today there are supposed to be 400,000 crosses, many of them very creatively designed. The next destination is already in Latvia: Rundale Palace with a lot of splendor. Luckily we find a parking space. It's really crowded here. In the park, among the 1000 different roses, there is an opera concert. The back part of the garden is laid out symmetrically and rather plain with gravel paths. We take a nap in the shade and then go to the palace with its many magnificent rooms and halls. Where are we sleeping tonight? I suggest the parking lot near the old castle walls at Lielupe. But it is very busy and not cozy. A little further upstream, there should be a farmer's campsite. We are personally greeted and can stand in the garden under small fruit trees. We read and play games. To the SU we go down the steep stairs to the river and I swim despite the muddy water and peat.

4.7.21 Sunday, Pilsrundāle. The car is now in the sun and it is getting warmer. We place the breakfast table under the small fruit trees. Then we head north. In Bauska, on the Memel River, we notice the castle and look at it from the outside. It is still over 100 km to the Baltic Sea. We will visit Riga next week, but to get an impression, we drive past the Daugava River. But we don't see much and it takes time due to the traffic. In Garciems, we park at the train station and cycle to the well-attended beach. The beach is clean and has beautiful fine sand. To swim, you have to wade 50m across the sandbank. We enjoy a large ice cream at the roadside cafe. We find our pitch today after 2 attempts on the parking lot of the Jūras priede resort. Not a good choice: the sanitary facilities are very basic, there are algae everywhere on the beach, many mosquitoes in the forest, and the harbor is uncomfortable. Wood is being loaded there and there is no inviting corner for tourists. But there is a great sunset and we sleep peacefully.

5.7.21 Monday, north of Saulkrasti. We drive to Tūja, park in front of the supermarket, and switch to the bikes. The cycle path 101 offers a 10 km loop or longer, where gaps open up. We cycle near the coast. Many new houses have been built among the old ones. Behind the campground, the passage is blocked: private property. We go to the beach and walk among the boulders. There are also several meters of red cliffs with caves. We should have ended our tour here because what follows now is strenuous and rather boring. We have to carry and push the bikes down the stairs and through the sand for 500m along the beach. Then we go over gravel paths and main roads back. Only near Tūja, it gets more interesting again in the forest: isolated blueberries and small farms can be seen. The shop with its combined toy, tool, and care corner is curious. Ulla drinks 3 Caribbean Radlers and I have to drive again. Another stop at the beach, then we go to Estonia without control. At 6 pm, we park the car at the Konse campsite in Pärnu. It's not cozy, but today we plan to eat out and explore the spa town. After two rounds through the town, we stop for dinner. Duck and salmon look good. As the saying goes, the eye also eats! We still walk with the flow of people to the beach. Football is played over the volleyball courts. Nice to watch. Unfortunately, we forgot the melon, so we don't eat it at the beach but in front of the camp by the river and watch the boats.

6.7.2021 Tuesday, Pärnu => Tallinn. The first destination today is the waterfall of Keila-Joa. We take a walk of 2 km through the park and back to the power plant. For Estonia, it is already a big waterfall, and everything around it is beautifully designed. Then we continue to Tallinn, park at the E67, and cycle or walk to the city center through the thick underpass. In front of the Niguliste Church, which is now a museum, we strengthen ourselves with muesli and melon. The seagull tries to retrieve the leftovers from the trash can. We help her. We briefly park our bikes on Raekoja plats. The cobblestones make it easier to walk. We go around the town hall once. Then to the Long Leg and up to the old town. Government seat, Orthodox church, Toom church, and Patkuli Vaateplatvorm. Now a coffee is good with delicious cake. We cycle again through the streets in the east and find a restaurant. We eat Chinese food. Ulla is very creative with the noodles. It's only 3.5 km to the car and then another 20 km to the Kivi campsite. We are the only guests at the beautiful site. First, we sit by the pond and then we watch the EM, Italy: Spain, but only until it's 1-1 at midnight. I want to sleep.

7.7.21 Wednesday, Jüri near Tallinn. First, I park the car in the shade because it's getting warm again. After breakfast, we drive to Lahemaa National Park, 70 km east of Tallinn. We park in the settlement of Tammispea, near a large boulder that we only discover on the way back. We take a 40 km bike ride from Loksa to the Purekkari peninsula. On the way, we have to take shelter from a rain shower. The coast only becomes beautiful after our swimming stop in the north on the east side. Several large boulders are on land or in the water. In Viinistu, Ulla gets her beloved coffee and the houses on the open plots become more and more stylish. The largest boulder is by the car. We quickly take a photo and then escape from the mosquitoes. They leave us alone at the beach on the Lepispea campsite, but I am bitten again while cooking. I flee to eat in the car. At 9 pm, we go out again with the bikes to find a TV for the England-Denmark game in Käsmu. In the end, we watch one half with the children from the summer camp at the Kaspervik restaurant. Before that, I take pictures of the beach while Ulla drinks red wine. We listen to the extra time in the car.

8.7.21 Thursday, Võsu. The car and the seating area are in the shade until departure. We only drive to the village and get back on the bikes to explore the next peninsula. Behind Lobi, a long forest path leads to the cape. Unfortunately, the cormorants spot us immediately and about 100 black birds take off towards the sea, only the white seagulls remain seated until another couple gets too close to them. Otherwise, it is not nice here under the old Russian watchtower, but at least the horseflies leave us alone. Back on the road, we observe the many white butterflies in the purple flowers. In Natturi, we make two more attempts to find a cozy spot by the sea, but we flee from the horseflies and a thunderstorm is approaching. In Atja, there is a rustic restaurant with a thatched roof. We meet some Germans and sit down with them. Although Atja is an old fishing village, there is no harbor. The boats are simply on the beach. There are more old thatched houses made of dark wood. The sky is getting dark now and heavy rain catches us on the road in the forest. In 400m, there is a cemetery where we seek shelter and find it in the tool shed. The path in the cemetery turns into a stream. Since I'm already wet, I decide to get the car from 8 km away after 15 minutes. The puddles on the road are 10 cm deep with warm water. Just as I arrive at the car, the rain stops and Ulla calls me that she is coming towards me. We drive to the national park information center with the Palmse manor. What rich people were able to afford in the past: a beautiful park with a bathhouse, stables, brewery, distillery, palm house, and ... We explore the manor house from the cellar to the library. The music system is remarkable, it turns and clatters after inserting 2€. And in the dressing room, we can dress up in festive clothes for a photo, the table is already set. In front of the property, a sign points to smoked fish. Unfortunately, there is nothing to take away, so we share a delicious fish soup. As the sky still looks gloomy, we decide to drive 100 km towards Tartu today. We end up at Lake Saadjärv and stay in the 2nd parking lot near Äksi. The weather has calmed down and we go swimming and enjoy the evening light.

9.7.21 Friday, Äksi, Tartu => Raiskuma ezers. Until 2 am, Ulla hears cars coming, but I slept deeply. I make coffee, bring it to Ulla without milk because it has thickened, and jump into the lake until my tea water boils. We noticed the mixed masonry of the church on the village street and take a closer look before going to Tartu. We explore Tartu by bike and on foot. There are several sculptures to discover. We have a coffee break at the Rotunda on Toomemägi = Dome Hill. Very cozy until Ulla discovers the strange pig's tail on her bag. We buy smoked fish at the market hall. As a conclusion, we can listen to a choir rehearsal at Jaani kirik. Then we continue through the countryside with large grain fields. It is very hot and I have planned a swim stop at Gauja. The spot at Stenči is very nice and the brown water is refreshing. In Valmiera, I wanted to stock up on groceries at Lidl, but the store is not open yet. But we can still shop at the parking lot near Lake Raiskums. The campground is a bit busier, but we get the last spot in the front row and jump into the lake right away. For dinner: potatoes, salad, and smoked fish, we get a visit. The stork suddenly stands unnoticed next to the table and is happy about the parts of the fish that have already become soft in the heat. We take a walk around the site and then go to the car while the neighbors are still sitting by the fire.

10.7.21 Saturday, Raiskums. We spend 2 nights here and take a bike ride through the forests to the Gauja River. Unfortunately, the sandy paths make us sweat quickly and attract the horseflies. Every stop for a photo costs a sting. We almost go crazy. Equipped with a fly swatter, we walk for a bit and discover an ancient oak tree on a hill. Ulla lets me go alone to the ruin and cave in the river valley. There is a beautiful bathing spot at the bridge to Cēsis. Many canoeists start here too. We cycle uphill to the town. Children play at the fountain and we cool off with ice cream. Ulla doesn't want to go to the castle, and I also don't feel like going alone. I prefer to go to the park to read. We can make a good fire at the campsite, and we buy something for grilling: Muh? Or Oink? No, Cock-a-doodle-doo. The saleswoman helps us with the selection. :)) The evening has a full but quiet program: making a fire, grilling, swimming, sitting on the jetty, listening to a concert, laughing at stand-up paddlers, and having a nightcap by the campfire.

11.7. Sunday, Raiskums. We drive the car to Cēsis again. There are beautiful sandstone cliffs north of the Gauja River. The paths are equipped with wooden stairs, and we can enjoy the views for a while. Actually, you would have to swim to the arch on the other side or look at it from a boat. Many have carved their names into the soft sandstone. Sometimes chunks break off, as can be seen from the light spots. It gets warmer again, and I want to go into the water, but the Baltic Sea is again covered in algae and not inviting. Well, anyway, I go in. The camping Nemo has remained in the 70s. We park our car between the colorful wooden huts. Today we only have soup and bread, then we cycle a bit along the beach. It goes well on the firm sand here. On the way back, we drive a bit inland. A lot of construction is going on. The thunderstorm comes when we are in the car. We have to roll up the windows, but afterwards, the air is nice and fresh.

12.07.21 Monday, Sigulda. Now England (2:3 on penalties) didn't make it. We decide to stay another day here. It's getting hot: 32⁰. Here you can take a chairlift and ride up to the city with your bike! We have to do that. It costs 1.50€ + 0.50€ for the bike. There is a path through the gorge of the mosquitoes to the riverside meeting point near the hotel. Unfortunately, we can only see photos of village life. We go to the cliff, here too it goes down 20 m in steps. We find a nice spot with shade and enjoy the fact that there are almost no algae in the water here. Around noon, more people arrive at the beach and we drive a bit further to Ulmale. The picnic area is well maintained and there are even table settings with candles on the tables. There are only a few people here and we go for another swim. Then we drive to Liepaja, check where we have to check in tomorrow, and continue through the prefabricated buildings to the city. It is difficult to find a nice restaurant until we find the Klondaika. Our last dinner is delicious and cozy. We drive to the outskirts and park between the prefabricated buildings and the railway leading to the harbor. Many people still walk along the railway tracks to the beach. We follow them and enjoy the sunset from there.

13.7.21 Tuesday, Sigulda. Before we start for Riga, I jump into the Gauja again after packing. The A2 is partially built like a motorway, only the last 6 km to the city center are slow due to the many (22, of which 15 are red) traffic lights. I miss the free parking spaces today. It cost 9.50€ at the moat, but at least we are parked in the shade. We cycle along the canal from fountain to sculpture and to the old town. There is no fixed route, but we try to reach all the sights. Churches, squares, and special houses: Schwarzhäupterhaus, the three brothers... We pay €5 entrance fee for the cathedral and listen to the organ music. We take a break at the barracks with a pizza before visiting the Jugendstil houses in the new town. Then we head towards Jūrmala out of the city. We still need to go shopping. The Lidl is still being built. It costs €2 to enter Jūrmala. The heat exhausts me, and I want to go into the water, but the Baltic Sea is again covered in algae and not inviting. What can you do, we still go in. The Nemo campsite has remained in the 70s. We park between the colorful wooden huts. Today, we only have soup and bread, then we cycle a bit along the beach. It goes well on the firm sand here. On the way back, we drive a bit inland. A lot of construction is going on. The thunderstorm comes when we are in the car. We have to roll up the windows, but afterwards, the air is nice and fresh.

14.07.21 Wednesday, Nemo near Jūrmala. We drive through Courland, past large grain fields and small forests. The road is being expanded for long stretches, and we stand at traffic lights and drive on gravel, but it doesn't kick up as much dust today after the rain. In Kuldiga, we get on our bikes. After a short tour through the beautiful town, I walk into the widest waterfall and Ulla drinks coffee. There is a sand cave to visit downstream from Venta. With 4 deaf-mute people and a Russian family, we get a trilingual tour through the little candle-lit mine. Our mobile phones have to light up. The passages at depths of 8-11 m are narrow, and you can't stand everywhere. There are 3 larger rooms where we get explanations. It's only 8⁰C inside all year round. Outside is 32⁰C again, but we still look around the town. Then we go to the coast. At the Hortus campsite, we get a spot right on the edge of the cliff with a table. Great view. And there are fewer algae in the water too, so bathing in the small waves is really fun. We enjoy the beautiful spot, cook, and look over the sea from above for a long time.

15.7. Thursday, near Jūrkalne. I make coffee for Ulla and then go down the 60 steps to the beach for a swim. After breakfast, we drive the car from the camp and get on our bikes. In Jūrkalne, there is a Catholic community in Protestant Kurland. The place is more like a village, but they have set up a new gathering place near the hotel. Unfortunately, we can only see pictures of village life. We go to the cliff, here, too, it goes down 20 m in steps. We find a nice spot with partial shade and enjoy the fact that there are almost no algae in the water here. Around noon, more people start to arrive at the beach, and we drive a bit further to Ulmale. The picnic area is well maintained, and the tables even have place settings with candles. There are only very few people here, and we go swimming once more. Then we drive to Liepaja, check where we have to check in tomorrow, and continue through the prefabricated buildings to the city. It is difficult to find a nice restaurant until we find the Klondaika. Our last dinner is delicious and cozy. We drive to the outskirts and park between the prefabricated buildings and the railway leading to the harbor. Many people still walk along the railway tracks to the beach. We follow them and enjoy the sunset from there.

16.7.21 Friday, Liepaja. I wake up before the alarm at 7 am and make tea and coffee as the first thing. We take it to the harbor, check-in, and have breakfast in the somewhat differently organized queue. The drug dog passes by and sniffs intensively. Loading takes a long time. The trucks have to reverse onto the ferry. After an hour, we drive up the ramp and also park in reverse. There are only ten cars on board with us, and we have plenty of space. The old Urd leaves at 10 am punctually. We get our seat tickets for the sleeping chair in the rest area, where we leave our luggage. Unfortunately, there is little shade on deck. We settle in the corner under the stairs and bring all our things from the rest area upstairs. Then we have plenty of time for reading, playing games, and people-watching. Two families with small children bring life to the ferry. Gradually, we empty our supplies of food and beer. There is little shipping traffic on the Baltic Sea and no shoreline to be seen. The time on the mobile phone jumps back by one hour. We cross large yellow/green algae carpets. It doesn't look good at all. After nine o'clock, the sun comes out between the clouds for the sunset. The deck empties, and we settle in with a sleeping bag and camping mat for the night. The wind dies down, and it is not cold at all, so we sleep well.

17.07.21 Saturday, on board the Urd. We will arrive around 12 pm. After showering and a frugal breakfast, land slowly comes into view on both sides of the ferry. Let's see how long it will take to get off. We pass the northern breakwater. The beach is already well visited. The fairway narrows and is full of boats. I wouldn't want to paddle through here now. In contrast, it is beautiful to look at everything from above. All passengers are now on deck to watch and then go to their vehicles. The ramp is put down directly and we can drive off in reverse with the second row. I head straight for the first Aldi to buy supplies and LICORICE. Then we get stuck in traffic! 30 minutes before Hamburg, it usually runs smoothly on the A1 to the south, although it's crowded. One driver change and a 60-minute coffee stop in the Tecklenburger Land with my friend, Farmer Klaus. We drive into the Südring at 8 pm and are greeted warmly: unload the car, take a look in the garden and my apartment. The dryers are running: it's hot and loud between all the blue hoses. So we prefer to have a drink on Ulla's balcony to celebrate the wonderful vacation.

Mileage 152139 in Hattingen. These are 4079 kilometers driven including the tour to Poland. Good Dacia!