July 18 to 29, Latvia:

We perceived a difference as soon as we crossed borders. It is true that so far we have only visited the coast (and often the more turist places) of Lithuania, but the feel of this country is a bit different. The way people dress and the kind of shops and even the quality of the stuff in the shops are a bit down. The thing we loved the most is the amount of nature...so unspoilt!

The Baltic countries have a low population density and there are only 2 million people living here, so what we have a lot is super fresh air, forest, lakes, rivers and more forest. The villages are really small, lots have "manors" (like estancias or small castle), a castle (or its ruins), the old wooden houses, plenty of very beautiful and new houses with huge land and often a few blocks of apartments in poor state; almost with an abandoned feel plus an abandoned factory here and there.

Riga: from the art nouveau buildings (oh, so majestic! why today buildings cannot be done with such artistry and exquisite thought?) to  the beautiful crafted parks with fountains and bridges to the plethora of coffee shops and restaurants with bands....



Riga has everything you need to have a good time!... and a reflective one too, as we stopped in the numerous buildings remembering the Jews that were killed here... we never knew how big it was the population here but at one point there were 200 synagogues around!! No one of them left, just rubble to remind us of terrible times.

After a few days in Riga we drove to Sigulda to do more bike riding on the Gauja National Park. This one was very much like an Indiana Jones adventure, with broken bridges an all! There are lots of camping everywhere and at every turn there is a volleyball court. Another peculiarity is driving from one village to the other and finding lots of "typical" restaurants and coffee shops along the motorway.

At Cesis we decided to have a rest. Nettled in the bush, on the river; we spent 2 days just relaxing, eating BBQ and nothing else. The coming and going from one place to another, finding and sleeping each night in different places, driving and walking or biking....sometimes we (...well I!) just want to do nothing!

I felt refreshed after the rest and what the coincidence but we just landed on "Cesis annual festival" day! Never expected to see so many people, market stalls and bands! It was a great Saturday afternoon, the weather just great and listening to rock Latvian music was fantastic!

We saw them in the river the other day, all kind of rafts, from canoes, to kayaks to just simple few pieces of wood fixed together....this seems to be the "thing to do around here", paddle down the Gauja river...we have to do it!

and we did it....30 km! Slept very well last night :)

Lithuania 17-18/7

It was very interesting but mostly funny, and particularly stupid. We visit a Russian underground missile launch station . There are only 4 of these types in Europe. This one covered the Cold War. Just to see the amount of money spent in creating, supporting, managing, resourcing these places you just have to laugh at the futility of all. And everything looked so obsolete!! It reminded us of the Get Smart series (Super Agente 86)! And we slept just outside this "top secret place"!!!

A very powerful message...."the Hill of Crosses", on the outskirts of Siaulia at Jurgaicaiai.....there are now millions of crosses; erected, one on top of each other, different sizes....they are there as a reminder that faith's strength can overcome the most difficult challenges. It was here where people started building crosses to commemorate those who died in the uprising of 1863. It was a sign of opposition to Tsarist rule, which having subdued the rebels punished everyone whose farmstead coined crosses and tore them down. Religious people decided to build crosses on the hill and did so at night time so that no one would spot them. When Lithuania regained its independence, the Hill of Crosses started attracting crowds of pilgrims from all over the work who started building and bringing crosses to the hill.

We keep moving from castle to castle crossing forest and rivers.

The weather is creating havoc with our diet and exercise. It is so cold and mostly raining so we haven't been able to pick up our running since we come from Fiji. And the food certainly is not helping!!! The black breads (caraway seeds!), smoked cold meats, herings, potatoes in every form and shape.....this trip to the Baltic's is going to be costly for our bodies!!)

We are crossing to Latvia, this was only the  west side of Lithuania we are coming back for the capital Vilnius and the east.

July 10 Lithuania

Ninth Fort Museum and Memorial

Every time we get to a new country there is a mixture of anxiety, a feeling of being overwhelmed, uncertainty but also excitement. It is very difficult to explain but we feel that there is always so much to see and we don't know where to start, and certainly don't want to miss a bit.

Our entry to the country was through the War memorial in Kaunas. A war memorial plus a deportation centre and museum of both the Nazis and the red army or the Russian occupation. Such a despair! It is incredible to think that there could be any survivors today of the horrible century that these people have lived.

We are coming back to Kaunas to visit the city which we didn't as the rain forced us to continue our travel to the cost.

Now we can finally experience Lithuania. First impressions: lots of greenery, bike paths, beautiful and cool women and petrol stations with wifi selling vodka!

12 July: Klaipeda is a port village that once was a centre of trade and commerce in the country and today is just a sleepy town, with cobblestone streets and a big working harbour. On the other side of the old town they built a big shopping centre. The highlight is the 50 km island, just a ferry across, that continue to Russia. We did a mega bike ride ( I said mega because we haven't done much physical activity since arriving from Fiji!) on the Neringa island, 23 km through the forest, dunes on one side and "lagoon" on the other. Crashed on the small holiday village of Juodkrante for coffee and cake but got distracted and instead walked on the "hill of witches", amazing wooden (scary!) sculptures all along the forest. Exhausted we took the bus back to the ferry terminal.

15 July we arrived at Palanga, another seaside village. This one has plenty of 5 stars hotels and the greenery around is just magnificent. It is a real pity that the weather is not helping. It is cloudy all the time, and cold and it rains here and there through the day and madly at night. We finish another bike run  on a spa and massage place....ahhhh!!! I love trying massages from different cultures!!!

July 7 to 9, Poland

We really rushed through Poland. It was horrendous weather, raining and so cold (summer!) and really we found the places ugly (sorry!).
There were some reminiscent places. Like the kermesse in the holidays town, circa 60', that found endearing... but other than that there is no much to report. We decided to keep driving across promising that we will be back to visit Warsaw and Lodz (places of my both grandparents).

July 4 to 6 Germany

Hambourg

Spending time with Rolf and Karina again in their beautiful home. We are spoiled by them! And we spent my birthday in the Baltic sea!

Karlshagen, Baltic coast near Poland

We say goodbye to our friends and we hit the road again. Germany is a very big country with lots and lots of people, so after 4 hours of driving we are still no where near Poland. But the hot weather even though is summer here is far in between it calls for a whole day on the beach!
What I love about the beaches in Germany is that clothes are "optional"! Nothing can beat the feeling of bathing naked on the sea. It is true that it takes a while to get used to see so many ugly and old bodies (sorry, but the truth!) laying around without clothes but the sheer normality of all is something to learn from them. Families, grandfathers, couples, singles....different shapes....it is a great lesson in life that this culture embrace aging of the bodies with such easiness. For us so hung up on "youth and beauty" this is certainly a challenge....!

July 2, Belgium

Bruges... exquisite, elegant, so pretty and clean. I know that I have said this many times: this must be one of the prettiest places I have ever been!! (and it is true!)

Is impossible for me to get tired of such incredible places, the old charm of these villages, cities. In the case of Bruges, we couldn't find the “other side”, that is the “not so pretty side”, the side of the “common people”. Bruges was all incredible perfect, a medieval city, and Hecti and I so much love the incredible bike ride system all across... which we couldn’t take part this time because it was so hot! It goes into our list of “must do” that we are keeping!!

June 18 to July 1

San Sebastian is the only place so far that we have visited twice! (apart of our "home" in Fontes"); and what a better way that to see this beautiful city with friends! Pincho, sangria and the happiness of a reunion.
We travelled with Karina and Rolf for 2 weeks through the French Atlantic Coast, Brittany and Normandy. We visited Plage de Moliets, Ile D'Oleron, Dunes du Pilat, Mont Saint Michel, Etretat and Fecamp

17 June

After 3 incredible weeks in Fiji, celebrating with family and friends such a magnificent wedding we are back on the road.

Zaragoza is the perfect place then to start this leg in our long and unexpected adventure. We like this place so much. The sense of openness, the clean and so well kept streets, churches and bridges. The old city and the new park open in 2008 with a fluvial expo. There are many bicycle routes that we were unable to do given the huge jet lag of the day. The cathedral is one of the prettiest we have seen with colourful mosaics at the roof and paintings of Goya and Velazquez inside up in the domes. It is easy to think that we could live in Spain for a whole year just enjoying the little villages and cities such as Zaragoza with vibrants cafes, plenty of museums, tapas!


On route to San Sebastian to meet our friends Karina and Rolf . We have planned this moment for the last 8 months! The idea is to travel the french atlantic coast all the way back to Hamburg, where they live, and for us to continue our journey to the baltic countries.

May 25 to June 15, Fiji time!!!

An absolutely highlight of our lives!!! Family, friends, island, laughs, sand, warm ocean...and most of all seeing the complete happiness of our little girl... her wedding spectacular and fun... and she... a star!! Speechless