Baltic Blast

So my first visit to Poland left a very good impression and I look forward to seeing more of the north in late August as I head for home.

However the Baltic States await and my first dip in to Lithuania started at Merkine in the Dzukija National Park where the French girl at the information center spoke no Lithuanian but perfect English. She pointed out various approved free camping spots and gave me a couple of cycling route guides - much needed as I had not been able to get a Baltic States map card for my GPS and whilst Maps.me is excellent it isn't as versatile. I checked out first one site down a gravel track and then another down by a river but the track was rough and narrow and the area seemed likely to be a mosquito magnet. Thus I returned to the first option where a couple of young adults were set up with a fire going and making good use of the wooden shelters provided. I set off on the bike and whilst most of the route could be followed one indistinct section left me rather adrift in a large grassy area with waist high foliage. However I persevered and eventually came out on a track which eventually picked up the green paint flashes that indicated the route. It is a tradition here to have carved totem poles by the houses - these very rural wooden buildings are scattered around the land of woods, rivers and lakes.

 

The next day I followed a longer route, some 40 miles, again with sections tricky to find and one wooden bridge about to collapse. Many of the villages had seen properties destroyed and partisans executed by the occupying Soviet forces during and after the war and there were some lonely and poignant but still well cared for cemeteries dotted about.

 

A lofty viewing platform gave good views across the main river and wetlands before I returned to the camp ground for a very peaceful second night. I moved on through the quiet but delightful countryside of forest, lake and river.

I reached Trakai on a sunny Sunday afternoon and parked up at a property near the Lake offering camping in their large garden but with no facilities other than water - when solo in the van water will last a week, the Thetford ten days or more and so far with minimal cooking or cuppas the 907 Camping Gaz bottles are lasting about a fortnight. Irritatingly (and totally my fault) I had failed to rectify a couple of loose connections in the leisure battery circuits so after bumpy tracks the wire under the main leisure relay loses contact, also the fridge relay which ensures that the fridge runs on 12v when driving has a worn out fuse holder so the fridge is rarely cooling when travelling - these will be a priority to resolve when I have a week above Brecon in early September - otherwise the van is doing remarkably well and with steady driving on mostly flat roads is almost breaking the 50mpg figure : not bad for a 2.5 ton high top. I have one 907 left (and may be able to get exchanges back in Germany) but also have two 3.9kg Calors each of which would last at least a fortnight so my final month is easily covered and a quick search indicates there may even be 907 exchanges available in Parbu in southern Estonia.

 

The stunning red stone castle of Trakai sits on an offshore island and is a big attraction so whilst Sunday visitors receeded I cycled down to the station to see about trains in to Vilnius some 15 miles away and later was absorbed by five hot air balloons floating right over the van towards the lake.

 

Monday morning saw me navigating the Lithuanian Railway Network app to obtain an eticket which was relatively straightforward and was soon on the 10.10 for the twenty minute journey. The station is handy for Old Vilnius and I spent an enjoyable and sunny day exploring the maze of streets and alleys with endless churches of various denominations, state buildings and former mansions and palaces. The literally high point of Gediminas hill topped by a red castle tower and easily, if lazily, reached by a modern funicular railway gave a great view of the old town and across the river the newer developments. Lunch was a rack of pork ribs washed down by a beer and followed by coffee and dessert for a reasonable £15 after which I returned on the 4 o'clock train leaving me time to walk over to the island and visit the Trakai Castle with its extensive exhibits including some lovely old carved pipes.

 

Heading north again I detoured at one point to visit austere Visaginas which houses the 5000 workers who used to work at nearby Ignalina Nuclear Power Station which was decommissioned in 2004 as it was the same design as Chernobyl - there is talk of a new installation but for now the dreary blocks of flats are a sombre reminder of Soviet rule.

A night on a quiet free camp by a river was enjoyed - two paddle boarders turned up but didn't last long with the midges and I soon had the place to myself : perfect. With the half way point of my trip approaching I decided to push on a bit stopping one night in another wild camp where I even went for a dip in the lake before reaching the Latvian border - barely distinguishable by a slight change in road signs and the usual chirps from my phone announcing my roaming limits from a new provider. Coverage has by and large been excellent and I seem to remain more or less within my 12G monthly limit.

North of Kraslava I stopped at Siveri camp ground on Lake Sivers which was a real gem. It was almost empty and right on the shore with a lovely lass, Inga, in charge, who spoke very good English. I was soon set up with a tank of water and the included electric plugged in, as is often the case around Europe the live/neutral connections were reversed but my adapted lead soon rectified that - sometimes you can just turn the two pin plug round instead, depending on the housing.

Next day I took off for a circuit of the lake bright and early before departure, Inga was delighted with a novel in English I had finished and insisted on giving me a free ice cream in return. I had seen photos of the site in winter when it all looked very beautiful but the days must be very short this far north and it would be a very different trip.

 

 

 

 

 Ludza Castle as I travelled north once more was closed for repair but the beautiful church alongside had an exhibition of glass sculptures which I discreetly enjoyed as there was a service in progress.

 

 

 

 

Suur Munamagi at 318m is the highest point in the Baltics, so not high then, but well worth a visit and topped by a lookout tower giving thought provoking views across to the vast expanse of Russia with Moscow only a few hundred miles away but the east coast opposite Japan some 6000 miles away as the bomb flies.

 

 

Later the sand stone caves left behind by mining the very fine sand found locally at Puisa were fascinating. The young Estonian girl had very good English, learned she said rather surprisingly,  from watching cartoons rather than in school and explained the history of the site which like this whole area had seen oversight by German and Soviet occupations. The historic photos were fascinating and up to forty different colours of sand had been used in the top end glass industry. Some 4000 bats now hibernate there over winter with 9 out of the 14 Estonian species encountered.

 

 

Soon at Varska I reached the shores of Lake Peipsi, the 5th largest in Europe at 3,500 square kilometres but with a maximum depth of only 15m. It forms the Russian border and stretched away east in to the distance with just some modest and quiet fishing villages along the shores. Varska is an onion growing area and these as well as smoked coarse fish were for sale in a number of small roadside stalls.

Having never seen Balmoral I was unable to confirm that the white castle at Alatskivi does indeed take its design from that building but it was handsome enough in the bright sunshine and back on the coast Mustvee had a small harbour and modern cafe in an otherwise small town.

Vasknarva sits 200m from Russia across the river that drains Peipsi in to the Baltic and has an ornate Orthodox monastery near the small new harbour that with an old watch tower looks right across to the Russian bank. There is a long history of movement across the borders of both people and goods which for now is suspended, no doubt to the detriment of locals on both sides. With luck normality will return but reading up on the history of the area it would seem to have been par for the course for generations.

Moving on towards the Baltic Coast I stopped at the beautiful Kuremae Russian Orthodox convent with its onion shaped domes, carefully tended gardens and a range of other stunning wooden properties and two huge wood stacks. There was a lovely atmosphere with many believers visiting, the women folk all wearing head scarves and a calm serenity everywhere.

 

Finally I saw the Baltic Coast for the first time as I entered Laheema National Park with the coast of Finland visible in the distance. I pulled up at Estonia's most northerly point and walked out on to the final spit of land to watch a good (and my first) sunset over the sea. Camping was allowed and there were a few other vans plus some tents amongst the trees but it was quiet and peaceful and very refreshing with a cool onshore breeze.

 

So on the last day of July I rolled in to Tallinn to park for 2 euros/24 hours right next to the gigantic concrete bulk that was in 1980 the base for the Moscow Olympic Sailing classes. Having served as a concert arena and conference venue it has in recent years fallen in to disrepair and been heavily graffitied. It is a national monument but faces an uncertain future so its stark and bulky remains again point to an era of brutalist Soviet architecture.

It was a short walk in to the old town through one of the wall gates and straight away I was immersed in the maze of cobbled streets, churches, a cathedral, the government and presidential buildings and right at the centre the town hall square where a colourful and excited band and dance troupe from Brazil were attracting much attention. I explored for several hours before walking out along the sea front to the Seaplane and Maritime Museum, passing en route the vast slowly crumbling prison that had seen its fair share of horrors over the years. The Seaplane Museum was absolutely amazing - three huge concrete domes had housed the aircraft with access directly from the water and at its time of construction in the 1930s had been at the cutting edge of concrete know how. It now houses a very rewarding display of yachts, nautical memorabilia, anti air craft guns and a remarkable decommissioned 1930s submarine, the Lembit, whose cramped interior you are welcome to explore. The sheer complexity of the vessel with pipes, gauges, valves, machinery, the periscope and torpedo tubes all wrapped round the crew quarters and facilities was amazing.

 

Out on the quay an old ice breaker that had ventured in to the Arctic many times could be visited and whilst far more spacious than the Lembit had a similar amount of engineering crammed in. Multiple engines powered bow thrusters for ploughing through pack ice and there was even a system to rock the ship from side to side to break up any ice that jammed it up when stationary.

As the area is being redeveloped there are new flats and an unusual Igloo Park where dozens of wooden pods are used as cafes, shops, workspaces and mini spas - a group of women were clearly enjoying a girly break in one and others could be rented for the weekend,

So after a fascinating day I returned to the van for a quick break before heading back in to town for the quieter night time experience. It hadn't been particularly busy for such a popular destination, perhaps as post Covid less cruise ships call in, just the one was moored at the harbour but the car ferries to Sweden and Finland came and went throughout the day. I returned to watch the sunset from the Linnehall structure alongside a number of others with modern Tallin's skyscrapers ablaze as the sun set.

Today I have well and truly turned south and am at Haapsalu for two nights with the intention of getting an early ferry first thing tomorrow to cycle round the island of Vormsi.

Then it will be Hiuuma and Saaremaa with the van before heading back towards western Latvia.

As ever piccies for your perusal sit here.