Travel Journal
|
|
A Bird’s-Eye View of the Baltics:
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
March 2020
By Sandra Bertrand
July 18, 2017...
Leaving St. Petersburg in the rainy white light of 6:00am, my partner Joanne and I are bleary-eyed but resolute - dragging suitcases down an endless walkway of train cars, searching amidst the swirl of Cyrillic letters for number 17. Our passports quickly relinquished, we wait, half-in and half-out of our cabin. Joanne silently signals at an upper berth, where an unidentifiable body lies sleeping.
We sit, staring at a plastic yellow rose on a window table, serenaded by the soft snores of the sleeping stranger. The clerk eventually returns with our passports. A shudder of wheels beneath our feet, and we are on our way to Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia.
This Hitchcock-like start to our journey was in fact quite commonplace. We had booked seats on the night train from Moscow, and the stranger turned out to be a pleasant Russian woman in her forties. We exchanged wordless smiles as she drank her tea and opened a newspaper, not a bit rattled by our presence.
Leaving St. Petersburg in the rainy white light of 6:00am, my partner Joanne and I are bleary-eyed but resolute - dragging suitcases down an endless walkway of train cars, searching amidst the swirl of Cyrillic letters for number 17. Our passports quickly relinquished, we wait, half-in and half-out of our cabin. Joanne silently signals at an upper berth, where an unidentifiable body lies sleeping.
We sit, staring at a plastic yellow rose on a window table, serenaded by the soft snores of the sleeping stranger. The clerk eventually returns with our passports. A shudder of wheels beneath our feet, and we are on our way to Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia.
This Hitchcock-like start to our journey was in fact quite commonplace. We had booked seats on the night train from Moscow, and the stranger turned out to be a pleasant Russian woman in her forties. We exchanged wordless smiles as she drank her tea and opened a newspaper, not a bit rattled by our presence.
Tallinn, Estonia
The train station was happily within walking distance of our air B&B. Within minutes we were enveloped in a Middle Ages Old Town of winding streets and a crazy quilt of architectural styles to dazzle the eye. A ground floor studio with thick stone walls and modern appliances awaited us, with a young host who passed us keys to his kingdom.
Down the centuries, Estonia was a crossroads for trade between Eastern and Western Europe, becoming the prize of the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. A feudal system replaced its pagan roots, followed by major wars between Russia and Sweden. When the Swedish kings incurred the wrath of the Germans, Peter the Great intervened in 1709, with Tsarist rule dominating the next 200 years.
The train station was happily within walking distance of our air B&B. Within minutes we were enveloped in a Middle Ages Old Town of winding streets and a crazy quilt of architectural styles to dazzle the eye. A ground floor studio with thick stone walls and modern appliances awaited us, with a young host who passed us keys to his kingdom.
Down the centuries, Estonia was a crossroads for trade between Eastern and Western Europe, becoming the prize of the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. A feudal system replaced its pagan roots, followed by major wars between Russia and Sweden. When the Swedish kings incurred the wrath of the Germans, Peter the Great intervened in 1709, with Tsarist rule dominating the next 200 years.
|
The Estonians enjoyed a brief independence after World War I, but in 1944 the Red Army returned, subjecting the country to five decades of Soviet rule. Once the USSR collapsed in 1991, the besieged people were ready to embrace capitalism and its freedoms.
If your inclination is to soak up the tastes of yore, then Olde Hansa (the pride of the locals) is your choice. The cavernous interior was ablaze with fat, flickering candles. A greeting in English, Russian and Estonian read “Our household humbly thanks you for your gracious visit and may the Most High have you in his keeping.” Once we were seated, a white-capped waitress, looking like she could lasso a wild boar, dropped a thick loaf of rye bread on our table. Spicy chunks of Mediterranean-style lamb followed. It was a boisterous affair where we expected Robin Hood and his merry band to break through the doors at any given moment. It takes only a matter of minutes, strolling the cobbled streets on our way to the massive late-Gothic Town Hall square, to feel the happy, almost carefree bustle. At its heart is the early 14th century Hall, with its great spire, the oldest of its kind in northern Europe. Along with other elegant medieval structures, it’s a magnet for observing the passing parade. The open-air restaurants are equipped with area heaters and blankets for the mid-summer night chill - a perfect windup after our earlier visit to Olde Hansa. |
|
|
|
I would have thought that a visit to Kadriorg Palace, after the wonders of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, would be anticlimactic at best. We were mistaken. Kadriorg means Catherine’s valley in Estonian. It’s a totally enchanting summer place and museum, built in 1718 by Peter the Great for the imperial family. Designed by master architect Nicola Michetti, it resembles an Italian villa, its scale at once modest yet elegant. Slants of sunlight falling on the baroque ballroom invite rather than intimidate the viewer.
Later we climbed a short hill within the park to the Kumu Art Museum, its stark geometry cutting boldly into the cloudbank overhead. It houses the best of Estonian art from the 18th century as well as special exhibits. A pleasant surprise was a conceptual show by women artists - the most thought-provoking were the molded body sculptures by Polish artist Alina Szuponowicz. She was a brave artist who made these sculptures as a testament to her own terminal cancer. A separate exhibit managed to highlight Estonian artists working under the style restrictions of Stalin’s government. |
|
Our Lux bus trip to Riga, the Latvian capital, shatters any presumptions you might hold against former bus rides - expansive leg room, pull down trays for computers and, most surprising, an expresso/cappuccino machine on the first landing before the downstairs W.C. We passed through a dense landscape of birch and hickory groves, lulled into a perfect mid-morning nap.
|
Places of Interest in Tallinn, Estonia Olde Hansa: Vana turg 1, 10140 (Tallinn) - Reserve Kumu Art Museum of Estonia: Weizenbergi 34/Valge 10127 (Tallinn) Kadriorg Art Museum: Weizenbergi 37, 10127 Z (Tallinn) |
|
Riga, Latvia
After checking in to St. Peter’s Boutique Hotel in the Old Town, we headed out for a hearty lunch at the first restaurant we spied. We’d barely opened the menu, when Joanne decided on a classic Latvian dish of salva. I opted for a pistachio soup with a truffle infusion, content to decline Joanne’s steaming bowl of “grey beans” (actually dark red) with bacon and onion bits and a small pitcher of buttermilk on the side. After lunch, our waiter followed us outside, pointing at an area of construction only yards away. He explained it was the site of another bank, an obvious blight on Riga’s medieval landscape. Riga has become the largest and most cosmopolitan of Baltic cities; and though its citizens pride themselves on their newly won independence since 1991 - not unlike Estonia’s own subjugation over the centuries - they treasure their pagan heritage and folk rituals. That same afternoon, we caught a convention of folk singing troupes marching through the streets. Riga is undoubtedly a city of stark contrasts. In the 14th century, the Town Hall, alongside the Dome Cathedral and Riga castle, was the heart of commerce. We wandered the square, admiring the majestic step-gabled House of Blackheads and others that enjoyed restoration during the city’s 800th anniversary in 2001. (The Blackheads were a band of unmarried merchants known for their riotous parties.) |
Three Brothers: A building complex consisting of three houses, situated in Riga, Latvia. The houses together form the oldest complex of dwelling houses in Riga.
|
|
|
The Cat House is notable for the legend that the wealthy tradesman who commissioned the building was refused membership in the Tradesmen’s Guild. In retribution he had angry cat sculptures placed on the rooftop facing the Guild.
An early dinner at Restorans 1221 was not as memorable for its cuisine - though satisfactory enough - but its pale blue painted façade with a climbing floral design and a pair of bucolic cows. Who could resist? The real surprise awaited us the next day, when we headed out on foot along the main route of Kalku iela, which leads to the “Centre.” We were greeted by wide boulevards and parks, the result of the removal of the old city walls in the mid-19th century. This area is of major interest for its Art Nouveau gracing one mansion after another with ornamental reliefs and plants characteristic of Latvia. It was here that we found Museum Riga, the former home of architect Konstantins Peksens. Built in 1903, with an interior design by Liesma Markova, it is the essence of the Art Nouveau style in the spiral staircase, room layout, tiles, wall paintings and stained-glass windows. Even the welcoming staff was dressed in appropriate fashion. We took up the rear of the tour, tempted to linger in every room. |
|
The shock of the new awaited us on our stroll back, where we stumbled upon a giant sculpture of an ape in a space suit peeking out from his open helmet. Stopping for a beer at an outside café, a drone rose from the neighboring treetops, whirring insistently for several minutes. This incursion of the contemporary world upon the heady atmosphere of pre-existent decades was fascinating if jarring.
To get a glimpse of Riga’s footing in the 21st century, you only need to dine at the Three Brothers (3 Pavaru) where nouveau cuisine rules the day. The only retro touch was hearing the Everly Brothers serenade us through the overhead speakers. Our waiter arrived, dropping rivulets of a currant sauce on my parchment placemat for dipping, then adding dribbles of basil pesto and an apple and cilantro concoction until the final creation resembled a more palatable drip-style creation than Jackson Pollock himself could have created. The fish selections were perfect - grilled trout and a fish named meagre that was anything but. |
Places of Interest: Riga, Latvia St. Peters Boutique Hotel: Peldu Lela 23, LV-1050 (Riga) Three Brothers: (3 pavaru restorans, Torna iela 4, jakaba kazarmas 2 B, (Riga) Restorans 1221: Jauniela 16, Riga - Reserve Museum Riga, Art Nouveau Centre: Alberta Street 12 (Riga) |
Vilnius, Lithuania
|
Another sun-dappled Lux bus ride on the way to Lithuania’s capital, and what a delight! Dark verdant forests falling away to farmland as far as the eye can see with mustard-colored farmhouses, fat cows and long-necked storks resting in their thatched nests.
From the moment we rolled our suitcases into the Old City, through the Gates of Dawn - once a pilgrimage site and the last standing gateway from the city’s original defense walls - I was enthralled. Our Royale Europa hotel was a short walk down the main boulevard, and, once our arms were free, I was ready to go exploring. We stopped at Café Montmartre where we enjoyed mussels in a lemon coconut sauce and where the occasional passerby glided past with the most immaculately-groomed dogs I’ve ever seen. As my eyes and feet roamed this baroque and neo-classic wonderland - the exterior of the Vilnius Cathedral refashioned in the 18th century by architect Stuoka-Gucevicius to resemble a Greek temple no less - I knew I was only scratching the surface of this shining international city. |
|
One of the most beautiful introductions to Vilnius history was a visit to the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. We came upon an operatic rehearsal in the Great Hall, where we sat for a timeless moment listening to a lovely soprano.
Trakai Castle: Lithuania
|
The next morning’s tour of Trakai Castle, thirty miles west of Vilnius, was further enhanced by a charming English-speaking tour guide who filled us in on its fascinating history. The castle rests on one of 21 islands in Lake Galve, existing as a seat of power during the 14th century reign of Vytautas the Great. Russian Cossacks largely destroyed much of it in the 1655 invasion, but in the late 19th century, it enjoyed a romantic revival.
As our bus rolled into the village of Trakai, the colorful houses of the Karaimes people came into view. A centuries-old mainstay of the island, its Turkish speaking inhabitants practice a religion that is neither Jewish nor Catholic, but one largely Ukrainian. The rust-colored embattlements of the castle were filled with squealing children, their medieval fantasies given full play. The most impressive room displayed a majestic painting of The Battle of Grunwald, reminding visitors of the close alliance between Lithuania and Poland against the Teutonic Knights. |
|
After a lunch of Kybyn, a popular minced meat pastry, we wandered the shores of the island skirting the castle, watching weekend locals in their sailboats as a family of swans and their ducklings kept close to the lake’s embankments.
The Museum of Genocide Victims (renamed The Museum of Occupation and Freedom Fights in May 2018) was a must on our agenda. But after the lazy leave taking from Trakai, the museum’s importance in Lithuanian history brought us back to reality. Just outside the grim grey walls of the former KGB building, rows of children’s drawings depicted the tragic effects of this terror regime on the young. Once inside, we lingered over the personal photos and stories of countless Lithuanians who suffered first the Nazi occupation, then from 1944-91, the Soviet takeover. The numbers of casualties are staggering, but in concentrated waves of expulsion from 1940-1960, almost a half million Lithuanians, Poles, Germans and Memellanders (Prussian Lithuanians) were forced to repatriate elsewhere. Nothing is more sobering than descending the stairs to peek into cells and touch walls riddled from executioners’ bullets. Exiting the building, the bright July sun seemed surreal. A leafy pocket park nearby sported a poster of Frida Kahlo with an uncharacteristic white mustache. We ate strawberry ice cream in silence, a welcome respite from the dark memories that would hold fast for some time. |
Prison: Museum of Occupation and Freedom Fights
|
On a lighter note, our taste buds were tantalized at every turn. The 12 Stories (12 Istoriju) just down the street from our hotel specialized in water fish. We started with a local vodka and smoked caviar which arrived in stubby rolls, rivalling St. Petersburg’s finest. This was followed by a half dozen snails, fish dumplings in a porcini sauce, and bass fillets.
The pride, passion and persistence of the Baltic peoples, everywhere visible, is extraordinary. These three capitols are grand dames for the ages.
The pride, passion and persistence of the Baltic peoples, everywhere visible, is extraordinary. These three capitols are grand dames for the ages.
Places of Interest: Vilnius, Lithuania
Europa Royale Hotel Vilnius, Ausros Vartu 6 (Vilnius) - Reserve
12 Stories (12 Istoriju): Ausros Vartu g9 (Vilnius)
Trakai Castle, Vytauto gatve 69 (Vilnius) - Tickets
Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania, Didzioji St. 17/1 (Vilnius)
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania National Museum: Katedros a, 4 (Vilnius)
Europa Royale Hotel Vilnius, Ausros Vartu 6 (Vilnius) - Reserve
12 Stories (12 Istoriju): Ausros Vartu g9 (Vilnius)
Trakai Castle, Vytauto gatve 69 (Vilnius) - Tickets
Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania, Didzioji St. 17/1 (Vilnius)
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania National Museum: Katedros a, 4 (Vilnius)
Sandra Bertrand is an award-winning playwright and painter. She is Chief Art Critic for Highbrow Magazine and a contributing writer for GALO Magazine. Sandra was Sanctuary's Featured Artist in May 2019 and is also Sanctuary's columnist for "Travel Journal."
Next installment coming in May...
Malta & Sicily: Time Traveling Adventures, Part I.
Later this year, Sandra will be taking us back in time to discover Greenwich Village in NYC through the eyes of Edna St. Vincent Millay (American Poet & Playwright: 1892-1950) and other notables making their mark during the "Jazz Age."
Malta & Sicily: Time Traveling Adventures, Part I.
Later this year, Sandra will be taking us back in time to discover Greenwich Village in NYC through the eyes of Edna St. Vincent Millay (American Poet & Playwright: 1892-1950) and other notables making their mark during the "Jazz Age."
