During a further drive of about an hour we crossed the border once more – we had now arrived in Lithuania (no alcohol-related stop this time). We made it straight for Jurgaičiai and the Hill of Crosses.
We spent about an hour at this place of Christian pilgrimage and symbol of peace, featuring more than 100K crosses – including a quick stop at the information center, on for a walk across the hill to the church and monastery on the other side.
We had another long day ahead of us. We left Riga in the morning for a drive of about an hour, to make our way to Rundāle for its palace, the palace museum and a quick view of the fabulous palace gardens.
The palace goes back to the 18th century and today tells from its diverse history – from palace to accommodation for military veterans to school and ultimately to today’s museum showcasing the palace in its original style.
In the late afternoon (after we had made our way back from the market and after a short break at the hotel) I decided, to leave the old part of town behind and cross the Daugava River to the South Side of town, to get a view of the non-touristy part of town. I made way across Stone Bridge, heading towards the National Library of Latvia and on towards the Monument to Soviet soldiers – liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from German fascist invaders (its real name – built in 1985 – clearly lacking the reference to the great patriotic war; currently off limits). I made my way back through Victory Park and across Vanšu Bridge – and got back into old town in good time for a simple Asian-inspired dinner.
Post-dinner drinks though had to be special again, as we made our way to to the Radisson Blu hotel and its Skyline Bar on the 26th floor, featuring great views of town.
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Another country, another capital – and another city to explore. We started with an all-morning guided city tour, passing by the statue of the Bremen Town Musicians (Bremen is a sister city to Riga), checking out St. Peter’s Church and … Continue reading
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We left Cēsis behind this morning, first making our way to Sigulda. Here we were dropped at a parking lot for our walk to Paradise Hill with nice views of the area. On the way we had an introduction (or … Continue reading
This evening three of us ended up in what is probably the finest and best restaurant in and around Cēsis (if not in the whole of Latvia) – KEST.
This was easily the best meal during the whole trip … five courses, all unique and well done with well fitting drinks and some superb cocktails afterwards … Probably just a question of time, until this restaurant has a Michelin star (or two) next to its entrance.
After our tour around town, it was time to leave the city and get into Gauja NP proper. The first stop here was at the Ligatne wine cellar with a tasting of fruit wines and some harder spirit – including some surprises (e.g. spirit made from carrot or beets). After the tasting and a visit to the shop, we made it – slightly inebriated – to a nearby restaurant for lunch, followed by a short walk along the Ligatne river to Ānfabrikas klintis with views of the river and a closed papermill. From here we continued to the trailhead for the walk to Zvārtes iezis, first following a nice trail along the Gauja river, then using a bridge to get to the other side of the river and up to the viewpoint.
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We spent the morning with a walking tour around Cēsis, starting in the Maija Park just behind our hotel; from here we did a circle around the castle, passing by the Russian-Orthodox church (Enlightenment of Christ Orthodox Church), the town … Continue reading
We were leaving the island today; first making the one hour drive back to the port at Kuivastu, followed by a short ferry trip to the mainland. It now way back onto the bus and on for another 45 minutes to Pärnu, a resort city, known for its 19th-century timber villas and a dream-perfect sand beach.
We first had a quick tour around the city, followed by a transfer to the foggy beach and the option for a quick dip into the cool waters or a walk along the beach or promenade. I – of course – had a refreshing – not so short – walk into the shallow water; by the time the water reached my bellybutton, I was barely able to still see the beach (due to fog) – so had a quick dip and made my way back. After changing back to somewhat thicker clothing and a short walk along the beach, we made it back to town – time for further sightseeing, shopping, late lunch and a good coffee.
We left Pärnu in the afternoon and made it straight to the border with Latvia. After a quick rest stop in the former border station and a stop in an alcohol wholesale store (I still don’t understand that one) we had left Estonia behind and were on Latvian roads, heading for our next destination and adventure – on to Cēsis and a zombie(-story)-infested evening in the local craft beer brewery.
We were back to Saaremaa at about 14:30, now continuing with a tour of the highlights of the island (some of which felt rather odd and random to me – hence the title).
After about an hour we arrived at Panga Cliff on the Northern coast of the island. The coastal cliff is the highest on the island – with a height of about 20m and a length around 2.5km. It might not be super-impressive, but with the forest on top and the walking trails next to it, it actually made a worthwhile stop.
Our next stop – at Angla Windmill Hill – was really for re-fueling … so essentially a coffee stop at the coffee shop at a tourist attraction (open air museum with windmill theme) and a slightly over-strained coffee machine (which is, why I went right for the ginger beer 🙂 ).
Nearby Karja Church was our next stop – a medieval church with rich stone decorations – and (un)fortunately closed. Final on the list of oddities was Kaali Crater. The crater (or rather craters, as there are nine in total) go back to a meteorite back around 1450 BC.
From here it was back to our base in Kuressaare, where we arrived around 18:00. After a bit of a break and a quick walk through the ground of Kuressaare Castle, it was dinner time. We went to the same place as the day before … enjoying a craft beer tasting (all from the local brewery) in a wine restaurant (somewhat odd), a fish with (odd) green bones (garfish) and rowan berry sorbet with champagne (the real stuff – oddly delicious 😉 ). So – nicely closing off a great day.
