Tallinn day 1

Lovely weather, beautiful city, everywhere you look there's another pretty building, 

another church (all denominations), 

old walls and turrets.  

Walked the old town, all cobbled streets, 

took nearly all day, just great!

We've rented a flat next to the main market so eating what we can find on the stalls, all very tasty but the cheese is nowhere near as good as at Montréal!

Furthest north - Helsinki

Back in Tallinn now, after two nights in Helsinki.  Had a lovely sunny day there to visit the open air museum at Soerasaari, old houses, barns and farmsteads, beautifully set on a forested island. Very different style from those in the Baltic states.  

Then a stroll around central Helsinki admiring the rather stately buildings and the botanic gardens. 

Not a lot of great interest, even one of the highlights on the "Visit Helsinki" website is a day trip to Tallinn!  Found Helsinki very Scandinavian - expensive and difficult to buy alcohol.  Wouldn't recommend it for a city break but glad we went.

It rained all day when we left, and really surprised how many people were on the ferry, obviously some on a "booze cruise" as midsummer festivities are only a few days away and alcohol is much cheaper in Estonia.

Tartu part 3

Lovely buildings,

and the botanic gardens.

Tartu part 2

Sunday afternoon we strolled around Tartu, via statues, 

the ruined cathedral 

and the superb botanical gardens.

Then the heavens opened and we had the town square in the wet.

A beautiful town, lots of parks and interesting buildings.

Heading further north tomorrow.

Estonia - Tartu part 1

Our buses from Aluksne to the border town of Valka worked fine, then we had a three hour wait for the fast bus to Tartu.  Crossed the border, such as it was, 

to look around the old town on the Estonian side

then stupidly missed the bus!!  Quick  panic, but found a helpful lady who found us two onward local buses so got here two hours late.

A day of rain drove us to the Estonian National Museum - brilliant, spent the whole day there.  

Lots of recent history about how Estonia got to be the way it is with testimony from people who lived through it, descriptions of their lives, just great.  Loads of interactive stuff, mock ups of rooms, huts, tents, a truly amazing place.

Back in "FLatvia" ...

... but not for long.  Had a very nice walk and lunch before leaving Ignalina, first via Utena (great park and tea), then across the border to Daugavpils for one night.  Then northwards again to Aluksne, at one point within sight of the Russian border, big fence topped by razor wire and (empty) watch towers.  A scenic bus ride followed through occasional villages and hamlets, sometimes on dirt roads, a real social service.

Much less English spoken this eastern side of Latvia and Lithuania, but we manage.

Had a "severe weather" warning for this afternoon so set off early for a lovely walk around Aluksne lake, 

past the new castle 

and the old!

But, as someone said, it's a good time to be here, between the snow and the mosquitoes!  And the spring wild flowers are exceptional.

North again tomorrow, into Estonia.

Ignalina bike ride

Lots of lakes,

flowers 

small villages (they sold ice cream here, not in cones but in a waffle folded into a cone!)

and wood carvings.