A Baltic Tour
Having visited in Germany on the way, I was over jet lag and arrived in Riga, Latvia, excited and ready to go. Atlantan co-travelers Meg, Jim and Carol were also on the flight from Frankfurt, so we piled in a taxi for the short ride to the Hotel Jurmala, our assembly point for Chuck and Betsy’s guided Baltics trip. Dinner at Uzbekistan, an aptly named restaurant with exotically spiced offerings, was a portent of culinary delights to come.
Seeing a pair of swans in the bay that night, riding the ripples close to shore, sticks in my mind. Beach hangouts were opening for the evening. The sky was a pale blue at 11 PM. Having a good night’s sleep on this trip would entail carefully closing the black-out curtains.
Next morning at breakfast was time to get acquainted. Gail, Clark, Paula, and my roommate Marcia rounded out the group. On a walking tour of residential Jurmala, a quiet neighborhood of mostly restored frame summer residences, lilacs still bloomed. Rhododendrons showed forth, part of the horticultural abundance we would find compressed into the short Baltic growing season. Back at the hotel, we met Andrejs, our driver. The grumpy Russian Latvian glowered at us as we boarded our van (thoughts of the Cold War). Chuck, the closest we came to a translator, took on the task of making clear to Andrejs where to drive. Tough duty, but soon we were enjoying red poppies flowering in the wheat fields. En route to Kuldiga, we stopped at the first of many picturesque eateries. A shallow horseshoe waterfall spanned the river. Plost Krogs (The Ferry Pub) served simple food and cold beer on a sunny porch. Atlanta appetites seeking the local specialty celebrated Chanterelle mushroom soup. Finding the Kuldiga weavers’ shop proved difficult, but the textile enthusiasts were dogged and Andrejs kept driving. We finally found the weavers’ temporary shop (permanent building being restored). Great rejoicing as we observed the women working hand looms, then ooh-ed and ah-ed and bought goods. We thanked Andrejs for zigzagging the van all over Kuldiga; Cold War began a slight thaw.
Crossing the border into Lithuania next day – more poppies – we arrived in Klaipeda, with reservations for dinner at Stora Antis. We entered down a few steps from the cobblestones and were seated in a cozy room with brick walls and brick barrel-vaulted ceiling. Chuck and Betsy really scored here. Wonderful meals, wine choices, definitely a “highly recommend.”
We found out Andrejs has a family – shopkeeper wife, son 13, daughter 6. Smiling, he showed us their pictures on his I-Pad. The lovely seaside resort of Nida on the Curonian Spit has quaint wooden houses and shops, some topped with weathervanes carved to identify the family who resided there in days gone by. I began to think about a weathervane souvenir, one sized as a Christmas ornament. Andrejs suggested additional stops on the way back to the ferry, including a heron rookery, lively on this late afternoon. Cold War over?
Next day we left Klaipeda for the lively city of Kaunas, and Carol surprised me with a weathervane souvenir she had found at a Klaipeda market. Perfect for the Christmas tree. What a thoughtful travel buddy! We also visited Rumsiskes, an ethnographic museum of villages created from old rural wooden homes. While there, wouldn’t you know it? (shades of Atlanta these days), a film crew and costumed actors were lounging about.
Heading north from Kaunus, we turned off to Ninth Fort, location of a former Nazi concentration camp. It featured an impressive Soviet sculpture on the hill where 50,000 people were exterminated by the Nazis. We recalled the intense sorrows of World War II. The Hill of Crosses, a site of resistance in Soviet times, was our next stop. Back in Latvia, our next lodging was Mezotne manor house, whose current owners have lavished attention and funds to restore this gracious home.
Friday morning we crossed the bridge into Old Town Riga, where the annual Grass Fair was underway. A temporary stage featured lively traditionally garbed dancers- with instruments, songs and a festive atmosphere. The coffee house nearby had rich pastries and outdoor seating. Booths in the square and down side streets offered textile items, jewelry, and handmade toys. Northern winters must bring residents to really appreciate summer. Riga’s Occupation Museum was a sobering experience, along with news from home of the killing of 9 people Wednesday at a Charleston SC, AME church. I was aware of the fragility of goodness and ready for a quiet time in my room. For dinner the much anticipated Aragats did not disappoint. Ludmilla, cared for us well. To start, we had a Georgian white wine, eggplant two ways and a beautiful packet of flaky pastry with soft cheese inside. Then a dish of chopped lamb and vegetables with a nice Georgian red. Dessert was fresh strawberries and ice cream, beautifully presented and appropriately light; lastly, mint tea.
Next day in the van, my birthday, I was feted with song and locally found gifts; sweet. We traveled through the countryside to a lovely eighteenth century frame manor house, Ungurmuiza, which interested me more than Rundale Palace. The wooden walls were painted with landscapes and figures. Behind the house, a large plank swing hung from an old tree near rabbit hutches, a small orchard and a garden. Staff bustled about preparing for a wedding, as they might have done a century ago. It must have been a joy to live in that house, especially for children. Back on the bus, I was surprised by Andrejs, now everyone’s old friend, with a bouquet of flowers – bright blue cornflowers, white daisies, red poppies. What Cold War?
On our last full day in Riga, we went to the city market housed in 5 zeppelin hangers rescued from oblivion to make wonderful high ceilinged venues for selling vegetables, meat, live fish and other local goods. It caters mainly to the local market, including chefs. At the hotel, we readied for early departures in the morning, then walked to neighborhood restaurant Cemodans (The Suitcase). Staff were incredibly gracious, service impeccable, and good food well presented. Time passed quickly, however, and we knew we would be late to bed this last night in Riga. It was a measure of the entire trip that we nevertheless stretched out our enjoyment of the entire evening.
-Lynn Hart
Women's Book Club
The Literary Ladies of the Lullwater Estate Book Club have been free-lancing this summer, with no meetings planned until autumn, and a nice list of recommendations shared by members. Most recently, they read All the Light We Cannot See, a WWII tale interweaving the lives of a blind French girl and a young German soldier, both teenagers. With beautifully drawn settings and well portrayed characters, the story is engrossing and bittersweet.
The group is open to any woman residing at Lullwater Estate, and when meetings resume an announcement will be made.
North of the Arctic Circle
When Chuck and Betsy Marvin and Lynn Hart discovered that Norway appeared on both their bucket lists, as they had planned already to be in northern Europe together, they started looking at travel websites, especially the Hurtigruten cruises along the western coast of the mountainous country. This company began with small boats carrying mail and other necessities to the little villages, many of which were accessible only from the water. Nowadays it's turned into a big cruise business, each ship carrying several hundred fiord-seeking tourists.
For Chuck, Betsy and Lynn, along with Lynn's younger daughter Susan, this sounded appealing, so they booked a four-night deal to visit the spectacular scenery and a few towns along the way, up to Tromso, over 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
First they spent several days in Oslo, visiting the castle, the famous Vigeland sculpture park, and other attractions, before boarding the train to ride over the mountains to Bergen. The old town, its historic seaport and fishing heritage, and four-building art museum entertained the Harts and Marvins for a few days, until time to get on the ship. They all enjoyed going out to the summer home of the composer Grieg to hear a piano concert late one afternoon.
The vessel was ingeniously designed with several lounges and spaces for sitting and simply watching the lovely fiords, villages and mountains drift by, but stops and day trips to landmarks along the way enlivened their time. A competition for guessing the exact time (to the second) we'd cross the Arctic Circle drew our special attention when Chuck won it, guessing only five seconds off! His "prize" was a surprise stuffing of ice cubes down his neck, followed by a shot of cloud-berry wine. The ship's captain then presented him with a Hurtigruten flag.
They disembarked at Tromso, from which they'd fly to Oslo, then Frankfurt and home. Betsy and Chuck stayed two extra days in the town, where it never gets dark at this time of year. Lynn, Susan and Chuck went up a funicular for a bird's eye view of Tromso, and then to a concert at the modern Arctic Cathedral, where they heard music for organ, cello and soprano. The highlight for Betsy was a visit to the "northernmost botanic garden in the world," where daffodils, many varieties of tulips, and blue Himalayn poppies were just blooming. An organ concert that afternoon in the old church was most enjoyable, too.
They never saw the actual "midnight sun," as it was cloudy much of the time, but found the northern ambience very pleasant. No trips there are planned for winter, though.
Townhome and Condo living: peculiarities and possibilities.
