Muskox

No biking todayWarm but cloudy. Later some drizzle.Travel day. Got up, ate breakfast at hostel. Packed for the flight. Had some spare time and walked around Riga one last time. Stopped at the Cathederal of St Gertrude - patron saint of travelers.... read more

Today we biked about 15 miles for a total of 472 miles. Warm, but not hot. No rain but breezy at times. After breakfast, wondered about some. Met at the Bike shop for our 2 planned bike tours today. Marcus, who is a transplanted Aussie, took us on a tour of the Kipsala, the Citadel and Art Noveau neighbors. Looked at redevelopment and refurbishment of Russian Wood Historic homes. Most have been torn down, but there is a movement to save this old relics from the Russian Empire ( not Soviet). They are mainly in Kipsala, on the other side of the river from Old town Riga.We also visited the Art Noveau area and identified several fascinating buildings in ... read more

Today we did not bike, but walked a lot. Warm to hot, depending if you were in the shade. Nice wind if up at higher elevations. Definitely a sunblock day. Ate breakfast at our flat. Walked to National Cathedral and Museum complex. The climb to the upper castle was easy on this very hot day. It provided a commanding view of Vilnius. Went to the top of the tower, looked at various exhibits here. Then went to the National Museum. Looked artifacts and castle remnants mainly from 1350 to 17th century. Very interesting Lithuanian history lesson. Later had lunch at Japanese restaurant and sushi. I had "warm" sushi, which was very good. Later went to Museum of Genocide. This the building where the Nazis and Soviet era KGB performEd their ghastly work. Overall pretty depressing. They ... read more

Biked about 2 miles today for a total of 432 miles. Sunny and warm to Hot. Cooler in the shade. Absolutely no rain. Got up at 6:30 am to catch the 7:30 am bus to Vilnius. Road with Ecoline bus service - free coffee, tea, WiFi. Straight shot from Riga to Vilnius on freeway. Arrived at 11:15 am. Left our gear at la ocker, as our AirBNB room would not be ready until 3:00 pm. We went on a walking tour in the old town and in the fictious republic of Uzupis, created by drunken artists and now celebrated by locals and tourists. Good overview of Vilnius centrally. Had a difficult time finding our new home, but it was worth it. It is a studio apartment near the only left gate to the old city called ... read more

Today Pam and I biked 31 miles for a total of 424 miles. Started partly cloudy, but eventually partly sunny. Very good biking weather. Had a tailwind for a short time. Had a nice breakfast at Igate Pils. Left at 9:11 am. Road did not have much of a shoulder, but most drivers were respectful of us. Made good time. Stopped at Brinini castle. One of many castles in this area. Built in the beginning of the 11th century, but the current building is from the 18th century. Beautiful grounds and buildings. A Big manmade lake in front of it. Storks have taken up residence in one of the towers. They called to us by smacking their bills together rapidly. Later made it to the Turaidas Pils complex. There is much to see here. Lots of ... read more