16 October, Tartu, Estonia
Another glum and cold day today, but luckily most of our activities were indoors. We re-assessed our views of the Draakon Hotel this morning when we were treated to a reasonable breakfast. We managed to get a three course breakfast down, even though we lashed out last night on a couple of pizzas that were slightly bigger and heavier than we had anticipated. Lucky we walk such great distances to work it all off.
We now consider ourselves experts on Estonian history, having explored several history museums in great detail. It has to be said that the Estonians do an excellent job in presenting history through a mix of interesting multi-media and artifact displays. We even went to the Tartu University Museum today. Yep, you guessed it, we probably allocated a little too much time to our stay in Tartu!
News of a rail strike in Germany has frightened us a little. We are 10 days or so off from needing to use DBRail, so hopefully it will be sorted.
We leave Estonia for Latvia tomorrow. Having spent only 5 days in the country, we are no experts, but we feel we have seen more of the real Estonia than your average tourist. One of the quotations in the Estonian National History Museum, that we visited today, probably sums up our views on Estonia fairly well. "A country's past is an anchor to maintain its culture, but an anchor can also be a drag on a counry as it strives to move into the future." Estonia's past has been painful, no question, but to us there is a tendency to dwell on it far too much, rather than looking forward to a future that could well replicate the success of their Nordic neighbours.
17 October, Latvian train to Riga
Ain't it always the way? When we are travelling all day, the sun breaks through.
Elron train 330 from Tartu to the border town of Valga, Latvia, was a pleasure to ride, with brand new, airlline-quality seats and smooth as silk, even at 120 kph. From Valga we were to pick up a Latvian train direct to Riga, but track work has closed part of the line so the first leg to Strenci was by bus. Not as bad as it might seem, because the bus had to stop at all stations along the way, so we were treated to some interesting back roads and quaint little villages. Our current conveyance is far less comfortable than the flash Estonian trains. Never mind, it is a nice day and the sedate 50 kph lets us take in some nice country scenery. Cost wise, rail transport here is extremely reasonable. Today's full day trip cost about $15 each. And the very best thing about European railways, even out here on the edge of the EU, trains, buses, trams, whatever, leave and arrive exactly on time.
After the usual game of "Find the Hotel", we are settled in the very nice Monte Kristo Hotel, right on the edge of Riga Old Town. A real novelty in our room is the hi-fi system! We are currently indulging ourselves with a little Slim Dusty... NOT my fault... it was the first thing that came up from the USB and I don't know how to change folders!!!
Elron train 330 from Tartu to the border town of Valga, Latvia, was a pleasure to ride, with brand new, airlline-quality seats and smooth as silk, even at 120 kph. From Valga we were to pick up a Latvian train direct to Riga, but track work has closed part of the line so the first leg to Strenci was by bus. Not as bad as it might seem, because the bus had to stop at all stations along the way, so we were treated to some interesting back roads and quaint little villages. Our current conveyance is far less comfortable than the flash Estonian trains. Never mind, it is a nice day and the sedate 50 kph lets us take in some nice country scenery. Cost wise, rail transport here is extremely reasonable. Today's full day trip cost about $15 each. And the very best thing about European railways, even out here on the edge of the EU, trains, buses, trams, whatever, leave and arrive exactly on time.
After the usual game of "Find the Hotel", we are settled in the very nice Monte Kristo Hotel, right on the edge of Riga Old Town. A real novelty in our room is the hi-fi system! We are currently indulging ourselves with a little Slim Dusty... NOT my fault... it was the first thing that came up from the USB and I don't know how to change folders!!!
18 October, Riga, Latvia
Autumn can be a real lotto here in northern Europe. Mid-October will always be cool/cold, but today was a bit over the odds for autumn! We know we aren't as well dressed for winter as the locals. Our gear is mostly many layers of the same stuff we would wear at home. But today the cold was creeping through to the bone under four layers, including a Driza-bone (what Aussie doesn't travel with one?) and a pure Australian wool jumper. The forecast was -1C to 3C, but we were sure the day started at well below zero and only hit positive territory sometime late afternoon. Naturally enough, today was the day we decided to do the self-directed walking tour. By lunch we were ready for soup and that's just what we got and very fine too!
Latvia's history is very similar to that of Estonia, although, interestingly, the Estonians seem more culturally aligned with the Finns, probably because of common language roots. Irrespective, all three of the Baltic states share common horrific experiences resulting from their fairly helpless involvement in the ebb and flow of European history.
The Museum of Occupation in Riga does an excellent job capturing the essence of the impact on Latvia of the wars of the 20th century. Soviet occupation, Nazi occupation and then the Soviets again - loyal Latvians mustn't have known which way to turn to best serve their nation. Tens of thousands joined the Soviet and thousands more, the German army, while thousands more took to the forests as partisans.
Like many of the locals, we have a morbid fascination for the dark years of Soviet occupation and the role played by the Russian KGB. Both the KGB museums we have visited in Estonia and here in Latvia, have been well patronised by locals. We only had time for a small part of the "Corner House" as the locals know it, the former KGB headquarters in Riga. We will probably make a return visit tomorrow.
What is fascinating when we look at the dates of all these events, is that anybody we pass on the streets who is in their thirties would have vivid memories of life under the Soviet regime. Even more to the point, people in their 80s, and there are a few around, would have lived through all this - the early Soviet incursion, the Nazi invasion then the Soviet re-occupation. Those our age would probably have been on the streets in the late 1980s, risking all for freedom when Soviet tanks rolled into Riga. Many would have joined 2 million of their fellow Baltic citizens to form the 600 km long human "Baltic Chain" that stretched from Tallinn to Vilnius, demonstrating Baltic solidarity in their move for independence.
Latvia's history is very similar to that of Estonia, although, interestingly, the Estonians seem more culturally aligned with the Finns, probably because of common language roots. Irrespective, all three of the Baltic states share common horrific experiences resulting from their fairly helpless involvement in the ebb and flow of European history.
The Museum of Occupation in Riga does an excellent job capturing the essence of the impact on Latvia of the wars of the 20th century. Soviet occupation, Nazi occupation and then the Soviets again - loyal Latvians mustn't have known which way to turn to best serve their nation. Tens of thousands joined the Soviet and thousands more, the German army, while thousands more took to the forests as partisans.
Like many of the locals, we have a morbid fascination for the dark years of Soviet occupation and the role played by the Russian KGB. Both the KGB museums we have visited in Estonia and here in Latvia, have been well patronised by locals. We only had time for a small part of the "Corner House" as the locals know it, the former KGB headquarters in Riga. We will probably make a return visit tomorrow.
What is fascinating when we look at the dates of all these events, is that anybody we pass on the streets who is in their thirties would have vivid memories of life under the Soviet regime. Even more to the point, people in their 80s, and there are a few around, would have lived through all this - the early Soviet incursion, the Nazi invasion then the Soviet re-occupation. Those our age would probably have been on the streets in the late 1980s, risking all for freedom when Soviet tanks rolled into Riga. Many would have joined 2 million of their fellow Baltic citizens to form the 600 km long human "Baltic Chain" that stretched from Tallinn to Vilnius, demonstrating Baltic solidarity in their move for independence.
20 October, Lux Express Coach, Riga to Vilnius
It is amazing what a difference a few degrees can make to comfort. This morning it was 11C, yesterday, 4C and the previous day -1C. Hard to believe, but we felt quite warm as we dragged our gear off to the bus station.
This is our first long-haul bus trip and it is pure class, with an "in-bus" entertainment system, WIFI and comfortable seats. The countryside is extremely open throughout the Baltic, with low population density, flat, rich farmland and abundant forests.
Now that we are moving more into "Euro-world", as opposed to the slightly more exotic "East", parts of most cities take on the sameness that we have spoken of in other blogs. In the country though, there are some distinct village housing types that set the Baltic states aside from the more modern farm houses of Western Europe. Timber houses still predominate and in Estonia in particular, combined barn/house/grain store structures can still be seen, though, sadly, many are now deserted and rapidly deteriorating.
Our hotel here in Vilnius is again right on the edge of the Old Town. We took a bit of a wander this afternoon and the early verdict is that Tallinn still is the best of the old cities of the Baltic. Some of central Vilnius escsped destruction during the war. It is always interesting to see current buildings in old photographs or paintings. The Vilnius Town Hall appeared in a couple of paintings we came across, one showing Napoleon's army in front of the building during the retreat from Moscow in 1812 and another 18th century scene we found in Warsaw.
We will probably have a big day on the tourist trail tomorrow as we have only allowed ourselves one full day in the city.
This is our first long-haul bus trip and it is pure class, with an "in-bus" entertainment system, WIFI and comfortable seats. The countryside is extremely open throughout the Baltic, with low population density, flat, rich farmland and abundant forests.
Now that we are moving more into "Euro-world", as opposed to the slightly more exotic "East", parts of most cities take on the sameness that we have spoken of in other blogs. In the country though, there are some distinct village housing types that set the Baltic states aside from the more modern farm houses of Western Europe. Timber houses still predominate and in Estonia in particular, combined barn/house/grain store structures can still be seen, though, sadly, many are now deserted and rapidly deteriorating.
Our hotel here in Vilnius is again right on the edge of the Old Town. We took a bit of a wander this afternoon and the early verdict is that Tallinn still is the best of the old cities of the Baltic. Some of central Vilnius escsped destruction during the war. It is always interesting to see current buildings in old photographs or paintings. The Vilnius Town Hall appeared in a couple of paintings we came across, one showing Napoleon's army in front of the building during the retreat from Moscow in 1812 and another 18th century scene we found in Warsaw.
We will probably have a big day on the tourist trail tomorrow as we have only allowed ourselves one full day in the city.
23 October, St John's Apartment, Old Town, Warsaw
Even though we often don't know what day it is when we travel, we generally get the sequence of events right. That is, we leave a place on the right day and arrive at the next, also on the right day. Hmmm, not today!
It all started well with a pleasant, though noisy night (didn't notice the window was open!) in the northern Polish city of Bialystok. We had survived the long bus trip from Vilnius the night before, arriving well after 9:00pm, being delayed for almost an hour by traffic and road works. Given the late hour, we decided to grab a taxi rather than walk to our hotel, where, fortified by several packets of peanuts and some pretzels, we called it a night.
A cold and glum morning greeted us, but nevertheless, we decided to walk the 2 km to the station to catch the PKP, Polish Rail, Special ICC Train into Warsaw. Our first suspicions about the accuracy of the description on our ticket, were confirmed when we noticed that Warsaw wasn't mentioned on the Station destination boards. Checking with an official-looking gent - he had a clipboard - as we crossed the tracks to get to our train, we were assured that we were headed for Warsaw Central. When the guard came around to check tickets, he launched into a long and complicated explanation of our journey in Polish, to which we just shook our heads. Surprisingly, the teen/early twenties girl who shared our compartment didn't speak English so we were temporarily at a loss. A nice guy from the adjoining compartment helped out, explaining that the major part of our trip would, in fact, be by bus. Oh jolly, just what we needed after six and a half hours on the bus yesterday.
But the day was still young and, unknown to us, there were a few additional challenges awaiting us.
Ignoring a minor hiccup getting into the Metro in Warsaw, (who knew there were separate entrances depending on which direction you were going?) we easily found our apartment, situated within spitting distance of the Old Town City Square. Armed with the codes for the front door of the building and the apartment key box, we staggered up the three flights of stairs with our packs, hit the codes on the key safe and - no go! Bad language and yelling at the safe and each other, seemed to make no difference, so, ready for a stouch, we called the agent in Warsaw, only to have it politely explained to us the we were actually a day early for our booking. Oops! All ended well, the apartment was available for the extra night so, after the agent had walked the key around to us, we have moved in.
It all started well with a pleasant, though noisy night (didn't notice the window was open!) in the northern Polish city of Bialystok. We had survived the long bus trip from Vilnius the night before, arriving well after 9:00pm, being delayed for almost an hour by traffic and road works. Given the late hour, we decided to grab a taxi rather than walk to our hotel, where, fortified by several packets of peanuts and some pretzels, we called it a night.
A cold and glum morning greeted us, but nevertheless, we decided to walk the 2 km to the station to catch the PKP, Polish Rail, Special ICC Train into Warsaw. Our first suspicions about the accuracy of the description on our ticket, were confirmed when we noticed that Warsaw wasn't mentioned on the Station destination boards. Checking with an official-looking gent - he had a clipboard - as we crossed the tracks to get to our train, we were assured that we were headed for Warsaw Central. When the guard came around to check tickets, he launched into a long and complicated explanation of our journey in Polish, to which we just shook our heads. Surprisingly, the teen/early twenties girl who shared our compartment didn't speak English so we were temporarily at a loss. A nice guy from the adjoining compartment helped out, explaining that the major part of our trip would, in fact, be by bus. Oh jolly, just what we needed after six and a half hours on the bus yesterday.
But the day was still young and, unknown to us, there were a few additional challenges awaiting us.
Ignoring a minor hiccup getting into the Metro in Warsaw, (who knew there were separate entrances depending on which direction you were going?) we easily found our apartment, situated within spitting distance of the Old Town City Square. Armed with the codes for the front door of the building and the apartment key box, we staggered up the three flights of stairs with our packs, hit the codes on the key safe and - no go! Bad language and yelling at the safe and each other, seemed to make no difference, so, ready for a stouch, we called the agent in Warsaw, only to have it politely explained to us the we were actually a day early for our booking. Oops! All ended well, the apartment was available for the extra night so, after the agent had walked the key around to us, we have moved in.
Good bye to the Baltic.
Our trip through the Baltic states has taught us a lot about the resiliance of these peoples and the amazing struggles for freedom that have occurred here, mostly un-noticed by the West and more sobering, un-noticed by those of us who grew up in the same times.
History has dealt almost identical hands for each of the three nations - hard-won independence in the early years following WWI, then betrayal, through deals done by their larger neighbours. All three suffered occupation by the Russians in 1939, "liberation" by the Germans, re-occupation by the Russians and eventual inclusion in the Soviet Union at the end of WWII. Throughout these years, millions were exiled, imprisoned, or executed by the Germans and the Russians.
We visited the Occupation Museums and the KGB Museums in all three nations and the evidence of the brutality of the Soviet occupation from the end of WWII until 1991, when all three states declared independence, is just frightening. Many Russians were visiting these museums at the same time as we were and, just as we have often pondered what young Germans must feel when confronted with the holocaust, we wonder how Russians feel when facing evidence of atrocities inflicted in far more recent times.
From a touristy point of view, our vote goes to Tallinn as the pick of the Baltic cities. They all have something worth seeing and experiencing, but Tallinn's Old City is our favourite.
Our trip through the Baltic states has taught us a lot about the resiliance of these peoples and the amazing struggles for freedom that have occurred here, mostly un-noticed by the West and more sobering, un-noticed by those of us who grew up in the same times.
History has dealt almost identical hands for each of the three nations - hard-won independence in the early years following WWI, then betrayal, through deals done by their larger neighbours. All three suffered occupation by the Russians in 1939, "liberation" by the Germans, re-occupation by the Russians and eventual inclusion in the Soviet Union at the end of WWII. Throughout these years, millions were exiled, imprisoned, or executed by the Germans and the Russians.
We visited the Occupation Museums and the KGB Museums in all three nations and the evidence of the brutality of the Soviet occupation from the end of WWII until 1991, when all three states declared independence, is just frightening. Many Russians were visiting these museums at the same time as we were and, just as we have often pondered what young Germans must feel when confronted with the holocaust, we wonder how Russians feel when facing evidence of atrocities inflicted in far more recent times.
From a touristy point of view, our vote goes to Tallinn as the pick of the Baltic cities. They all have something worth seeing and experiencing, but Tallinn's Old City is our favourite.
24 October, Old Town, Warsaw
Our "bonus" day in Warsaw was well spent with a leisurely wander through the National Museum of Warsaw. We don't know much about Polish art and artists, but working on the premise that any art you like is good art, we now believe that there are some gr
eat Polish artists. Our one reservation would be in the area of contemporary art. Much of what we saw of this genre was just way too bizarre for our tastes.
During Soviet times, many, very basic cafes, called Bar Mleczny (Milk Bar) served cheap simple meals to the working masses. Most of these have disappeared over the years, but we managed to find one today and partook of a grand lunch of dumplings for the princely sum of $3 each. The place was packed and there was a constant queue at the counter.
A little spooked by our error with our itinerary yesterday, we stopped by Warsaw Central station and, carefully checking and double-checking dates and times, picked up our tickets to Krakow for next week. It will be the third last leg of our long overland journey from China.
During Soviet times, many, very basic cafes, called Bar Mleczny (Milk Bar) served cheap simple meals to the working masses. Most of these have disappeared over the years, but we managed to find one today and partook of a grand lunch of dumplings for the princely sum of $3 each. The place was packed and there was a constant queue at the counter.
A little spooked by our error with our itinerary yesterday, we stopped by Warsaw Central station and, carefully checking and double-checking dates and times, picked up our tickets to Krakow for next week. It will be the third last leg of our long overland journey from China.
25 October, Old Town, Warsaw
The fate of the Warsaw Jewish Ghetto in WWII, is reasonably well known, but outside Poland, far less is known about the Polish Uprising that began in Warsaw, 1 August 1944. Hundreds of thousands of Warsaw's citizens, Jews and Gentiles alike, had suffered unspeakable oppression under the Germans, after Poland fell in 1939. In the early years of the war, thousands of Polish soldiers and airmen escaped to the West and joined the Allies based in England. Many thousands more were demobilized under German occupation. Around this core, a well-organised Partisan Underground Army developed during the years of occupation and by the time the Red Army pushed into Poland in October 1943, the so-called Polish Home Army was a significant force, numbering over 35,000.
As the Russians advanced, they initially co-operated with the Home Army and fought side by side with the Partisans as the Germans retreated. This co-operation was short-lived. As soon as the Red Army's short-term objectives were achieved, they arrested and executed or imprisoned the leaders of the Home Army. Many of the Partisan fighters were Communist and these were promoted and supported by the Soviets to establish an early puppet government in the "liberated" areas of Poland.
On 1 August 1944, the people of Warsaw rose up against their German occupiers. For 63 days, a largely civilian, untrained, poorly-equipped force held the Germans at bay. Small arms, home-made bombs and simple street barriers were, however, no match for trained and battle-hardened troops, tanks and dive bombers. Through all this, the Red Army stood by, within striking distance of the capital as more than 35,000 Partisans died and most of the city was razed. The Russians were happy to let the Germans destroy the Home Army, a force that they would have to defeat to impose their planned future regime.
Before the war, Warsaw had a population of 1.3 million, by the time the Red Army finally moved into the city in late 1944, as few as 1000 people were living in the rubble of this once-great city. As revenge for the uprising, Himler had ordered the city to be totally destroyed and the population exterminated. His orders were carried out, almost to the letter.
All these events are recorded in the incredible Warsaw Rising Museum, where we spent most of this extremely cold day. The weather probably matched our mood after learning about the heroism and sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of citizens of Warsaw involved in this desperate uprising.
Part of the museum is a 3D movie showing the city as it was at the end of the war. Looking over the city now, it is remarkable that so much has been recreated in just one life time.
As the Russians advanced, they initially co-operated with the Home Army and fought side by side with the Partisans as the Germans retreated. This co-operation was short-lived. As soon as the Red Army's short-term objectives were achieved, they arrested and executed or imprisoned the leaders of the Home Army. Many of the Partisan fighters were Communist and these were promoted and supported by the Soviets to establish an early puppet government in the "liberated" areas of Poland.
On 1 August 1944, the people of Warsaw rose up against their German occupiers. For 63 days, a largely civilian, untrained, poorly-equipped force held the Germans at bay. Small arms, home-made bombs and simple street barriers were, however, no match for trained and battle-hardened troops, tanks and dive bombers. Through all this, the Red Army stood by, within striking distance of the capital as more than 35,000 Partisans died and most of the city was razed. The Russians were happy to let the Germans destroy the Home Army, a force that they would have to defeat to impose their planned future regime.
Before the war, Warsaw had a population of 1.3 million, by the time the Red Army finally moved into the city in late 1944, as few as 1000 people were living in the rubble of this once-great city. As revenge for the uprising, Himler had ordered the city to be totally destroyed and the population exterminated. His orders were carried out, almost to the letter.
All these events are recorded in the incredible Warsaw Rising Museum, where we spent most of this extremely cold day. The weather probably matched our mood after learning about the heroism and sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of citizens of Warsaw involved in this desperate uprising.
Part of the museum is a 3D movie showing the city as it was at the end of the war. Looking over the city now, it is remarkable that so much has been recreated in just one life time.
26 October, Old Town, Warsaw
One of the most remarkable things about modern day Warsaw is that, in 1945, the city was quite literally a pile of rubble. In just under 70 years, this modern day phoenix has achieved some remarkable things. Around us here in the Old Town, the whole area has been faithfully restored to the way it was prior to WWII. Fourteenth and fifteenth century buildings, like the Royal Castle at the end of our street are so well restored that it is hard to believe that it is not original. Luckily, many of the castle's priceless art works were spirited away and hidden prior to the fall of Warsaw. Many other works were plundered by the Nazis. Most of these works have now been returned.
Poland, unlike the states of the Baltic, was not integrated into the Soviet Union. Poland was governed by a strongly pro-Russian communist government. It has to be recognised that it was this government that rebuilt the city, restoring it to what we see today.
Poland, unlike the states of the Baltic, was not integrated into the Soviet Union. Poland was governed by a strongly pro-Russian communist government. It has to be recognised that it was this government that rebuilt the city, restoring it to what we see today.
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