Bernii
Bernii Wood Joined: May 4th 2006
Logged in: January 19th 2012
Logged in: January 19th 2012
It's been 5 years since my last bike trip (really?) and it's a sad farewell to my trusty old Marin that accompanied me on some great adventures over 15 years. But, a hello to my Giant. Let's see how we go traversing the countrysides of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania together. I'm hoping it's the start of a wonderful partnership that will be one of many future adventures we have together. And while I'm at it, I hope to raise awareness and much needed funding for The Mental Illness Fellowship through the MyCause website.
I'm also hoping that the Baltic States will provide some much needed solitude and places for restful contemplation (a bit of Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel channeling there) and some interesting experiences to boot. And oh, there will also be the obligatory silly runaround through central Europe to catch up with relatives and friends (sans bike) at the end.
Travel Blog Posts
Last time I wrote I was getting ready for 10 days of cycling through the borderlands of Germany and Poland. Er, that seems like a lifetime ago. Well, since then I've been there and done that, and from what I can remember, it was enjoyable (when the weather was agreeable). Really. I have a vague recollection of us being somewhere around Berlin. I know I was in Poland because I was paying with zlotys for a couple of days. I know the places I overnighted because I made a point of writing it down. The rest though is all a bit of a blur. I've been racking my brain to understand why and come up with a theory. Here goes... For the last 18 years I've done these types of bike trips on my own. Suffice ... read more
I Made It!
A BIG thank you to all those that prayed and wished for a temper-tantrum free bus trip from Riga to Klaipeda. All went well, and smoothly, although admittedly there was some trepidation. When I arrived at the bus station there were already 3 bicyles there... What's my plan B? Oh, that's right, I don't have a Plan B. And because I did not have a Plan B I was beginning to think that not only would I have to convince the bus driver to take my bicycle, but that I would also have to convince the other bike riders that I deserved to be on the bus too. I'm so glad I didn't need to grovel. I really don't like grovelling. I think it doesn't become me. As luck would have it, the fellow cyclists were ... read more
Just another Baltic sky
I haven't had an overwhelming response to the should-I-stay-or-should-I-go question. In fact, no one has offered anything other than assurances that I will make the right one whatever I decision I choose. That's as much sitting on the fence as me. Leaving Liepaja the following morning (or was it that morning) I really wasn't feeling great. Tired, bit of ear ache, slight headache and well, not altogether that great and not having that much fun. But, the road was quite nice once out of Liepaja. Mainly farm land and again wonderful sky vistas. Oh yes. Wherever I looked, a black cloud. It was only a matter of time, I knew, before either I met the weather, or the weather met me. And, sure enough, early afternoon, a downpour. I was sheltering under some oak trees which ... read more
Usual lunch fare
That when you want a haircut the hairdressers are always fully booked? And when you think you've found the perfect spot for a break (ie toilet stop) someone comes along either on a bicycle or on foot looking like they're in no real hurry (as opposed to me). And when you think you cannot stand another day of rain and call a rest day it's sunny? Why? Please explain. And so it was today here in Liepaja back in Latvia. Couldn't manage to get my haircut here either because they're fully booked today. The sun is shining, not quite not-a-cloud-in-the-sky kind of weather but... And rest assured I have not tried to find a spot in the city to "break" - I leave that for the countryside. it might not look like I've done a fair ... read more
Sometimes I get to a blank computer screen and think, what on earth am I going to write about? Not because there's nothing to write about - there always is - but where to begin. When I left Vilnius, or should I say when I tried to leave Vilnius, it was another late start. By the time I'd run around to get groceries and another piece of that pastry (!!) it was well past 10. Add to that getting my bearings completely wrong and cycling in the absolute opposite direction to my intended one (having dismissed the taxi driver's assistance with way-finding (shame on me) and not only was it a late start but it didn't put me in the best of moods. Trying to find the A16 amongst all the other signage seemed to be ... read more
Made it to Lithuania
I've been pleasantly surprised with Lithuania. Granted, I've only been here for 5 days but it has a good feel about it and, the roads have seen a significant improvement. Yay! What I am a little disappointed about though, if that's the right word, is that there's no fanfare when you cross the border, no passport inspection, no stamp. You're lucky if you get a welcome sign. I'm not saying bring back the days of old but I am nostalgic about trying to discern which country's stamp it actually is in my passport... And you know, if you're on the road for 3 months (or longer say) it would be great to have a little more proof, other than the this-is-the-date-you-arrived stamp and the this-is-the-day-you-left stamp with nothing in between, that you actually travelled through the ... read more
Forget-me-not
Here's the deal. I'm in the library, banging on a keyboard who's spacebar seems to be stuck so am making quite a racket. I'm in the library because, according to tourist information who didn't listen to me when i said that the internet cafe they said I should go to is closed, is the only other place i can use the internet (according to them). What's happened since I last blogged? Well, i've had my gear cable replaced, chain oiled and a new tyre fitted but well, i'm still stuck in first gear. Grrrrr. Not so bad because I'm in hilly country, Latgale, but still... And tomorrow I'm out the door (ie border) to Lithuania. So after Aluksne I was Balvi bound. But, you know how things can change... I was still Balvi bound and what ... read more
What have I done since I last blogged? Moved on but not all that much and still managed to make it to a new country. You gotta love Europe for its incy wincy distances and new countries every few hundred kilometres. Ride out of Tartu pretty uneventful. Did meet a Swiss cyclist, Jepp, riding into town as I was riding out. He had ridden from Switzerland in the same time that I had spent in Estonia. And done double the distance. Hmmm. Am glad I'm not cycling with these guys I'm meeting along the way. Actually, what am I saying? There's no way I even could! I did end up camping that night in a place that also doubles as a nightclub "Life" just near Podha. Luckily, there was no life at the club. Just me. ... read more
Arriving in a town on a Sunday, when there is a bit to see in it is not the best. Not here in Estonia anyway. All museums are shut on Mondays and Tuesdays and reopen on Wednesdays, usually at 11am. And so, I arrived in Tartu on a Sunday. Not the best day obviously but it does make for more imaginative planning for Monday and Tuesday. So yesterday I ran around Tartu trying to find these dotty orange cups they have here in hostel (B&B)Terviseks. They're lovely bone china, nothing fancy but ever so joyful to look at and feel so nice in the hand. Apparently this is what every household had as they were manufactured somewhere in the Ukraine. Unfortunately, all the second hand shops I visited only had clothes. What else to do? Oh ... read more
I was lucky enough to have a tail wind. That always helps. And I decided to get off the number 1 Tallinn - Narva - St Peterburg road. That wasn't all that much fun. Lot's of trucks, and unlike other countries, still not that many places to stop to have a coffee. (Really, if I could I would open up a coffee franchise here on these highways, there is a lot of money to be made). So, I stopped at a petrol station, had a coffee, and wait for it.... one of those hamburgers they sell there. Wrapped in plastic, a minute in the microwave and voila. Um, not the best decision I've made (cold around the edges, eeeeeew) but I ate it and really did have lots of energy after that. So, onwards, onwards and ... read more
