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BaltiNavia by Bike

June 2016 - July 2017
A 422-day adventure by Sarah Read more
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  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    1
    1121
    Day 374

    Its Baltic!

    June 13, 2017 in Lithuania ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    I first heard the weather being described as "Baltic" by a scottish person when we were huddled as a group round a pot of tea in a mountain hut. I thought, wowza, it must be a whole new level of miserable if a Scotsman describes weather as bad!

    Today we found out first-hand what Baltic summer conditons can be like when yesterday's rainy blast continued into today but with the added gift of 60km/h winds.

    Winds on a boat = great.
    Winds on a touring bike which handles like a boat = not great.

    As Peter mentioned, the roads in Lithuania are easy to navigate because there aren't many of them. The minor roads (sandy tracks) weren't an option today as the dust was being blown into clouds that you could see from a distance. The major roads are very open, offering a great view of the landscape and traffic, but complete exposure to all weather conditions.

    We only managed to move forwards as a snail's pace today and haven't quite made it to the coast. The rain came as forecast mid-afternoon causing a wardrobe change to winter again : bandanas, gloves, layers and waterproofs.

    When the roads were feeling risky (leaning into the road to stay balanced, getting sheltered and then drafted by a lorry was causing numerous stops/ wobbles into the gutter ) we had to make a plan B so looked for a B & B. There was no way we were going to meet our target campsite in those winds, and our ultralight tent stood no chance of survival.

    The first town had 2 options on the map.
    In reality, 1 had burned down, 1 was for sale. = another perilous 8km of sideways cycling until the next town.

    Next mission is buying more meths for the stove again.. the same problem we faced a few weeks ago in Slovakia. (We can't really stockpile it because of the bulk and weight). In our current town we reached a DIY store with EVERYTHING (10s of types of gloves, every conceivable door handle)....but no meths. We were told that some other clear spirit was the same and would work, we bought some and now have a very sooty pan and a stinking burner that doesn't burn that fuel. Oops!

    If anyone has an insights on buying Brennspiritus /meths in the Baltics, get in touch!    Read more

  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    Day 375

    Der erste Elch

    June 14, 2017 in Lithuania ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Memel stand heute als Hauptrichtung auf der Tagesordnung. Glücklicherweise schien die Sonne. Leider gab es wieder Gegenwind, den ganzen Tag. 40 km/h sagte der Wetterdienst. Es fühlt sich an, als fährt man ein Radrennen, die ganze Zeit höchste Belastung, nur dass man mit 12 km/h dahin kriecht. Das ist nun der 4. Tag mit starkem Wind.

    Der Anblick den Memel dem vom Süden Kommenden bietet ist nicht hübsch, gelinde gesagt. Jena Lobeda kann da nicht im Ansatz mithalten ;-) Es gibt einen riesen Hafenbereich, viele Gleise und lange Güterzüge - in Litauen gibt es übrigens nirgends Schranken - aber auch eine tolle Altstadt. Kurz stehen geblieben, bemühte sich sofort ein Einheimischer, uns die Richrung zu weisen und gab uns noch eine kleine Stadtrundfahrt. Spiritus haben wir hier auch keinen bekommen, dafür Ethanolbrennpaste.

    Nach Memel verliefen die letzten Kilometer über einem Radweg wenige hundert Meter vom Wasser entfernt. Und da stand er auf einmal, ein Elch! Direkt am Weg kaute er genüßlich am Grün der Bäume. Die Leute interessierten ihn garnicht. Wer ihm zu nahe kommt, dem rennt er auch mal ein paar Meter hinterher. Sarah dachte auf den ersten Blick, es sei "...irgendein lustiges Pferd..." :-D Das Geräusch meines Chris King Freilaufs mochte er jedenfalls garnicht, also immer schön treten, wenn Elche in der Nähe sind. Ich bin gespannt, ob die jetzt so häufig zu sehen sein werden, wie bis jetzt die Störche.    Read more

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  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    111
    Day 376

    Chapter 9 - LATVIA! (Lettland)

    June 15, 2017 in Latvia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    After a comfy night's sleep in the tent pitched on piney forest floor, we breakfasted with a Swedish cycle tourist and exchanged stories for a while before making our way out of Klaipeda towards the Latvia border following European cycle route number 10.

    Eurovelo route 10 has probably been the most scenic of our trip so far, making today an absolute biker's paradise (except for the unfinished bit of EV10 on deep deep sand and the 22km of A road (which has the same size designation as a motorway)) but we'll forgive Lithuania for that because the cycle route building is very much underway. We'll be left with memories of pine forest, sand dunes and blue skies, very much like a Dali painting.

    Today we;
    ...went over the 2000 miles mark(imperial day!).
    ...saw the Baltic Sea for the first time today - very satisfying after 6 weeks on the road.
    ...ate far too many biscuits.
    ...got applauded as we crossed the border.
    ...found 2 shops in the same village with 10 varieties of tomato pasta sauces which all contained a tonne of added sugar. Yuck. (We have enough sugar consumption on the menu already, thanks to baltic bread and biscuits!)
    ...are the only people on our small private campsite.
    ...are going to try and go to bed by 11pm despite it not being dark, to finally adjust to the timezone we've been for a week!

    Its seems the area we are currently in is well populated by small private campsites each eith their own unique charm and flair, run by old people on a piece of their land.

    The water here, like in Lithuania, smells and tastes like metal...the carbonated bottled water also tastes pretty disgusting (strangely like salt). Thankfully it's not so hot at the moment that we need to drink much of it!    Read more

  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    Day 377

    Nasser Sand

    June 16, 2017 in Latvia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Den gibt es nicht nur am Strand, sondern auch auf Lettlands Nebenstraßen, wenn es regnet.

    Aber der Reihe nach. Weiter entlang der Küste Richtung Norden kamen wir heute nach Liepaja. Die erste gute Tat war, eine Raupe zu retten, die den Bordstein nicht hoch kam. Dann Mittag essen.

    In Liepaja gibt es hübsche alte Holzhäuser zu sehen, die manchmal ein wenig an eine Westernstadt erinnern, es hat aber auch viel von einer typischen Hafenstadt.

    Man merkt der Gegend zunehmend russischen Einfluss an. Auf Schildern erscheint Kyrillisch, die Mode und das Verhalten der Menschen verändern sich ebenso. Viele Lebensmittel sind voll mit Zucker, auch Brot. Man muss etwas genauer hinschauen beim Einkaufen. Wasser schmeckt überall nach alten Leitungen.

    In einem Netzwerk von staubigen Nebenstraßen etwas verfahren, kam er dann, der große Nachmittagsregen. Wir kamen noch zu einem Hotel mit Campingoption, anders kann man es nicht nennen. Wenigstens konnten wir wieder die Küche nutzen. Das ist viel Wert und beruhigt das Gemüt.

    Den Wetterbericht werden wir jetzt wohl mal öfter prüfen. Das Rauschen der Ostsee zum Einschlafen zu hören ist toll, das Gefühl hierher gefahren zu sein noch besser.    Read more

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  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    Day 378

    Ventspils

    June 17, 2017 in Latvia ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    Over breakfast we decided that we should do a 100km+ day as that would take us nicely to Ventspils, the next big town/city on our coastal tour to Riga.

    Following the Eurovelo 10/13 we were hoping for a designated seperate cycle route that ran along the coast....we got a 85km A-road a few hundred meters away from the sea! Probably our longest, most repetitive road on the trip yet, but on the plus side navigation was easy and it rolled pretty well. Anything dry was an improvement on yesterday's rainy, wet sand experience!

    There weren't any real villages directly on the road so our one and only lunch stop came fairly late and was much-needed just to break the monotony amd so we could actually talk to each other. Whilst sat outside the little shop we met a cycle touring couple from Switzerland, cycling their way back from Thailand. After a chat (and 2 ice creams for Peter) we got back on the road to put the final 30km to bed with a pizza stop as the incentive at the end. We found cracker bread for the first time in ages so were able to avoid eating a sandwhich which tasted like cheese in a sweet cake. Yay!

    Ventspils makes a welcoming impression, very green, clean and tidy. Tree-lined avenues with well-networked cycle tracks run throughout the town. Tonight's campsite is directly in the town itself, its a bit like too commercial compared to what we are used to and like but that's the beauty of cycle touring- differnt locations every day!

    Photos-
    Today's drying effort after yesterday's rain
    The first real building we see on the road today-Ventspils brewery. (We tried their beer today= not great!)
    Pizza!    Read more

  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    1
    111
    Day 379

    Volle Kraft voraus

    June 18, 2017 in Latvia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Der Wind war heute auf der Fahrt von Ventspils nach Kolka unser Freund. Der Tacho stand oft bei 30, die Straße war leer, von gutem Belag mit leichtem Auf und Ab und abwechslungsreichen Wäldern links und rechts. Die 91 km vergingen wie im Flug. Dabei wurden wir auf vielen Kilometern von wilden Bienen begleitet, die manchmal schon etwas gefährlich erschienen.

    Nun sind wie am nördlichsten Seepunkt Lettlands und haben Ausblick in die Bucht von Riga, unserem nächsten großen Ziel. Die Inseln von Estland konnten wir heute Abend leider nicht sehen, obwohl diese nur 60 km entfernt sind.

    Der heutige Campingplatz ist wieder rustikalerer Natur, Trockenklo, Außendusche und -Waschbecken. Beim Kauf des Rotweins für heute Abend musste Sarah ihren Pass an der Kasse zeigen :-)    Read more

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  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    1
    11
    Day 380

    Polizeiruf 110

    June 19, 2017 in Latvia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Waking up to someone shouting "Schei$$e!! Alles weg!!!" on a quiet beach-side campsite was the last thing we expected at 4.30 this morning. A fellow cycle tourist had been robbed of everything, taken from inside his zipped tent (inner AND outer).

    I looked over to Peter in disbelief and my heart sunk. Bike tourists are so vulnerable and exposed in any country. The terrain, the weather, the people, the infrastructure... every single element has an effect on your day. You sleep with your worldly goods (typically the bare minimum to get by) separated from the outer world with a millilitre of fabric as protection and security. You want to trust strangers and always hope for the best in people.

    We looked through our flyscreen to see the purple tarp still in place secured by bungee cord in a bike-like shape and breathed a premature sigh of relief.

    Our eyes then naturally darted down to the front of the tent, which was uncharacteristically bare, discovering that our 4 front bags and our cooking equipment bag were all gone. Only the 2 pairs of shoes were left. All clothes, toiletries, pots, pans, stove, trainers, glasses etc were in those bags.

    The slightly nonplussed camp owner had since appeared, made her way to the woods to search for any traces and then called the police.

    It gets stranger...the camp owner called us over to say she'd found all of the bags. All of our stuff had been scattered around and the thieves had been through everything.

    But it was all there..... what a HUGE relief!!!

    We had already assumed it was a lost cause and prepared ourselves mentally for the mammoth task of replacing our fairly specialised set up in Riga, once we'd cycled there in our pyjamas and flipflops that is!

    Since re-packing everything we found that nothing important had been taken - just our good folding knife, my headphones, a pack of COTTON BUDS (yes, what the hell is that about?!) And some nail clippers. Moritz was not so lucky, having his entire valuables bag taken from near his head whilst he slept.

    The police didn't speak english and wanted me to come to them at the camp site entrance.
    As if i was going to leave my things unattended after a theft.. 🙈 They then left their briefcase (with wallet /ID cards) next to our tent as they left and got 1 hour down the road. Glad to be supported by such geniuses at our time of need!

    So many strange things don't add up.
    Why the camp owner didn't tell us at check in to mind our belongings due to a similar spate of thefts the night before - a vehicle was broken into whilst children were sleeping in it.
    Why the camp owner was so blasé about it all.
    Why she didn't give the rubber gloves that were found with our stuff, to the police.
    Why the thieves took only rediculous items from us.

    We're now 90km from Riga, totally exhausted, fuelled by bewilderment and chocolate. Hoping to get a good night's sleep tonight to be able to decide if we buy a ferry ticket to Stockholm or carry on with our route. Our new german buddy Moritz told us of his journey from St P and it sounds like a higher scale Poland experience. Intoxicated truck drivers on the main road, packs of wild dogs on the side.

    We need to think very carefully about what we do for "fun" and where to draw the line.

    That line is in reaching distance right now.    Read more

  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    3
    Day 381

    Ruhetag des Pesar-Express

    June 20, 2017 in Latvia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Beim Studieren des Wetterberichts während des Frühstücks wurde klar, dass heute nicht gefahren wird. Der Regen sollte bis Mittag anhalten, der starke Wind den ganzen Tag. So genossen wir den verglasten Küchen- und Wohnbereich unseres Campingplatzes. Später kam doch noch die Sonne heraus und wir gönnten uns ein Essen im Restaurant des Orts und machten einen Spaziergang.

    Die Wunden des gestrigen Diebstahls sind nun nicht mehr so frisch, das Gemüt beruhigt und die Beine erholt. Dennoch zeichnet sich ab, dass wir unsere Reise nicht wie geplant über Estland nach St. Petersburg fortsetzen werden. Zur Sommersonnenwende morgen werden wir wohl Riga erreichen. Höchstwahrscheinlich wird dies auch ein Wendepunkt in unserer Reise sein.    Read more

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  • Sarah and PeterBaltiNavia by Bike
    Day 382

    Chilling in Riga

    June 21, 2017 in Latvia ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Happy midsummer day from Riga where its 10pm, bright daylight and flipping cold!!. We're huddled in the outer tent trying to cook our evening meal sheltered from the wind. Headband, shorts, trousers, t-shirt, 2 long sleeved tops and a gilet combined with socks and sandals are the current uniform for the evening.

    We had planned to stay in Jurmala tonight but the campsites were ghettos right next to a busy A Road. One was in the shadow of a completely derelict block house building with broken windows. Creepy!

    As we were fresh from yesterday's rest day, (and its never dark!) we carried on the extra 15km to Riga where two city campsites are located on a strip of land on a river. The latter of the two looked the least ghetto so we rolled up there to find the 2 Munich-ers we met in Kolka on the same site. Small world! As it was so bitterly cold they invited us into their lorry conversion for a warm tea and an update on the past few days.

    As we are back in city territory that means better supermarkets = tofu and fresh spinach!!! Finally protein and fresh veg are back on the menu! . The smaller supermarkets were killing us slowly with their wall to wall of neon coloured soft drinks, syrupy pasta sauce, and endless processed junk. Hopefully Sweden will be more health conscious and veggie friendly.

    The current plan is to probably stay in Riga again tomorrow, not yet sure where, visit the ferry ticket office and see the city before closing the chapter on eastern europe the day after.. lets see what happens!    Read more

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