Baltics

May 2024

A 15-day adventure by Shawn Read more

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4countries
15days
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- May 11, 2024, 8:42 PM
- ☀️ 9 °C
- Altitude: 26 m
- Estonia Harjumaa Kesklinna linnaosa Toompea 59.43616, 24.74412759°26’10” N 24°44’39” E
Day 1
Old Town Tallinn
May 11 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
Cool and cold. Enjoying the distinctive and how the city blends the old and new.
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- May 12, 2024, 12:39 PM
- ☁️ 12 °C
- Altitude: 17 m
- Estonia Harjumaa Kesklinna linnaosa Kalamaja Baltic Station 59.441177, 24.7360659°26’28” N 24°44’10” E
Day 2
Balti Jaam Turg (Baltic Station Market)
May 12 in Estonia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Before heading to Riga, a stop at Balti Jaama Turg (Baltic Station Market) in the Telliskivi section of Tallinn.
One of my first stops when visiting a city for the first time is a food hall or central market because that's where I can get a good sense of the local culture and customs. Balti Jaama was this and so much more. It's a food hall, an antique store, a shopping center, a farmers market all rolled into one. One really cool feature was this miniature bistro (see small white building). There is seating for only four or five inside, so many people place their order and eat outside or climb the steps and eat on the terrace above the restaurant. There were a number of these and they came in all different colors and had varieties of food to match.
Then it was on to Riga. There weren't many billboards on the way, so advertising requires some creativity, like the giant chair promoting a resort. Or the giant beer stein promoting...Beer? Steins? Not sure, but it made an impression.Read more
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- May 13, 2024, 12:09 PM
- ☁️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 20 m
- Latvia Rīga Āgenskalns Māras Dīķis 56.935877, 24.07218956°56’9” N 24°4’20” E
Day 3
Jurmala
May 13 in Latvia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Lovely time at Jurmala after brunch in Riga. Jurmala is a resort city with an incredibly eclectic collection of buildings ranging from homes that recall old gingerbread houses and Beaux Arts style to the most modern of designs. Dozens of storefronts and restaurants mix wonderfully with nods throughout the community to history, culture, and nature. Plus, locals have the convenience of being able to take the train to the beach, which added to the charm.Read more
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- May 13, 2024, 9:46 PM
- 🌙 11 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- Latvia Liepāja Stacija Aizputes 56.511104, 21.013556°30’40” N 21°0’49” E
Day 3
Liepaja
May 13 in Latvia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
Farewell Liepaja, Latvia's music city and home to an entire street of Art Deco buildings.
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- May 14, 2024, 11:40 AM
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 5 m
- Lithuania Klaipėda County Neringa Municipality Pervalka Pervalkos Įlanka 55.41254, 21.09208855°24’45” N 21°5’32” E
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Day 4
Neringa, Curonian Spit
May 14 in Lithuania ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Another day of memories. This time at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Curonian Spit in the Lithuanian Municipality of Neringa. Jutting out into the Baltic Sea, the landscape is highlighted by the Parnidis Dune (1) near Nida. Near the dune is a large concrete sun dial (2) that invokes the obelisk in 2001: A Space Odyssey in addition to spectacular views (3,4) of the beaches on the western side.
The area was favored by author Thomas Mann and that view of the water through trees (5) is from the home he occupied in the early 1930s and is now a museum. His home is typical of those in the area (6). The slender trees, like those near Mann's, were the highlight for me. The way they are bunched together so closely created brilliant light displays bouncing off the verdant forest floor (7)
There is also a "Hill of Witches" dotted with dozens of wooden creations meant to keep the gods' favor. (8) They were a little creepy, but hey, as long as they made the gods happy.
And last, that is a statue of the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (the sculpture memorializes his visit in 1965) whispering in the ear of moi (9) Perhaps he was offering advice about my backhand (10).Read more
Traveler This looks amazing
3wReply
Traveler The pictures don't do it justice. Incredible place.
3wReply
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- May 15, 2024, 3:23 PM
- ☁️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 26 m
- Latvia Rundāles Novads Rundāles pagasts Pilsrundāle 56.414269, 24.0257156°24’51” N 24°1’33” E
Day 5
Rundale Palace
May 15 in Latvia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Rundale is a bit out of the way, but well worth the excursion. Having seen Versailles last year, Rundale was its equal.
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- May 16, 2024, 2:47 PM
- ⛅ 21 °C
- Altitude: 113 m
- Latvia Cēsu Novads Cēsis 57.312923, 25.27167657°18’47” N 25°16’18” E
Day 6
Cesis & Tartu
May 16 in Latvia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
On the way back to Tallinn, stops in two cool and very different towns.
Cesis in Latvia is a charming small town with a castle dating to the 13th century. The castle tour gets you down into the bowels of the structure while sharing its history in an illuminating way. Really interesting stuff.
Just outside Cesis is the Gauja National Park, the largest park in Latvia. One of the park's signatures is the cliffs and the one pictured, Eagle's Cliff, was particularly stunning in the May sunshine.
On to Tartu, a university town in Estonia, which was named a European City of Culture in 2024 and is celebrating with elan. A concert stage takes up a prominent place near the school. The neighborhood by the school has restaurants, which were packed with diners enjoying perfect weather and the kind of energy you'd expect in a college town. That's a rendering of Oscar Wilde on the bench. Dinner in an old munitions plant was delicious. Before leaving, a visit to The Upside Down House.Read more
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- May 21, 2024, 4:29 PM
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 26 m
- Finland Newland Region Helsinki Kaartinkaupunki Vanhankirkonpuisto 60.168788, 24.94191360°10’8” N 24°56’31” E
Day 11
Helsinki I
May 21 in Finland ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Today, Finland 🇫🇮 became the 30th country I've visited. Making up for lost time.
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- May 21, 2024, 8:19 PM
- ☀️ 16 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- Finland Newland Region Helsinki Kluuvi Havis Amanda 60.16738, 24.95104260°10’3” N 24°57’4” E
Day 11
Helsinki II
May 21 in Finland ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Was looking forward to visiting Helsinki for years and it exceeded long-standing expectations.
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- May 25, 2024, 9:18 AM
- ☁️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 27 m
- Estonia Harjumaa Kesklinna linnaosa Toompea 59.4359, 24.744559°26’9” N 24°44’40” E
Day 15
Tallinn
May 25 in Estonia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Tallinn was every bit as magical as one could have hoped. A gorgeous Old Town, vibrant culture, world class museums, beautiful waterfronts, fabulous food...
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