After a short stop in Moscow to gawp at billionaires and big gold domes, we’ve since been holed up in the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania. A key feature of our decompression strategy has been a (self-prescribed) need of sun, sand and sea therapy. The Baltic states have delivered and then some. We’re both trying to figure out how we can stay here forever.
To many, knowledge of these small states is limited to the Eurovision song contest and maybe if you’re so inclined, threatening tabloid headlines about migrants. Well, whilst we were swooning over Kevin Costner in tights (Robin Hood circa 1991), Latvia and Lithuania were overthrowing the soviets. For nearly a century these small states had been simultaneously occupied by both Nazi Germany (which systemically exterminated the Jewish population) and the Soviet Union (which banished all ‘opposition’ to labour camps to Siberia).
There is of course more to it than that. Forget the mediterranean, the Baltic is where it is at.
Our first week was spent holed up in a studio flat in lovely Riga, the capital of Latvia. We wandered through the narrow cobbled streets of the old town and lounged in the generous greenery of the city. I cried with joy when we found a gluten free café and subsequently ate my bodyweight in dumplings. Latvian countryside comprises of pristine white sandy beaches, abundant pine forests and quaint agriculture. I never really imagined that a pine forest could back onto the sea until we visited Saulkrasti. We picnicked in the shade of pine trees with the luxury of dipping our toes in the sea a few metres away. I can also confirm that whilst the Baltic sea is chilly, it is by no means as ‘baltic’ as you might think.
With heavy hearts, we boarded the bus to Vilnius to find ourselves, again, in a dreamy old town. Stumbling upon a folk festival in one of its many picturesque squares, we drank mead and bopped to along to the accordion. After a chilling visit to the KGB museum, we refreshed our souls with a trip to the hippy Republic of Uzpudis. Only a few sqkm in size, this is a state within the state of Lithuania where amongst other things, its constitution grants you ‘…the right to heating in winter, the right to make mistakes and the right to understand nothing’. Complete hippydom! I plan to come back next April Fools day when I can get my passport stamped.
Of all the places in Europe we have visited, I can’t recommend these enough. There is so much more that I want to explore and so I’m already planning a grand Baltic state tour (tbc).
So… back to the decompression. During our coalescence we’ve learned how to tell them time correctly and have reintroduced our bodies to the concept of fresh fruit and vegetables after a prolonged died of dehydrated potato. By the time we get home we hope to have nailed days of the week and at least be ready to appear functional.
Meanwhile, we’ll be skipping around Warsaw before a weekend of parties with ‘ich bin ein berliner’, Markus. Then we’ll head for the Channel. We look forward to seeing you at Harwich sea port at 6.30am in 6 days time.
Scamps on a train 