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  1. #91
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    Stage 27A “A Day in Elva”

    tere hommikust (Good Morning!)

    WOW! What a really nice and rather exhausting day we have had today!

    The day started after breakfast by returning to the railway station as we wanted to do the ‘Small Trail Nature Energy’ walk that is 3Km long, except it also takes you another 3Km to get back to the start that it looks like someone forgot about, oops! ….



    While along the trail are 36 Wood carvings that are related to Estonian Fairy Tale Stories, the first one is a story about a boy caught in a lightning storm….



    As we made our way along the trail we would come to clearings in the forest with some very nice houses built in them….



    While a bit further on was this ‘Old Boy’ whom you could sit alongside and have a conversation with, albeit one sided….





    While each carving was related to an Estonian fairy tale story….



    Girl on a broomstick….



    As we spotted this BIG Bear we were able to get with the help of Tuuli in the Tourist Information Office at the Railway Station a translation of the Estonian story, which goes like this:
    “Once a farmer had beehives from which he got his honey, however there was a BIG Bear in the area who used to sneak in and steal the honey from the beehives. The farmer became desperate as all is honey was disappearing, so he thought of a plan. He made a sweet of honey and a drink for the BIG Bear and put it near the beehives, then climbed into a tree and waited.
    As night came the BIG Bear came and ate the sweet, then fell asleep, so the farmer climbed out of the tree and tied a bell around the BIG Bears neck, then climbed back into the tree and waited.
    The BIG Bear woke up and was startled by the bell ringing as he moved his head from side to side, he ran off into the woods and never returned to steal more honey, but if you ever hear a bell ringing in the forest then look out for the BIG Bear who stole the farmers honey!”….



    The next carvings were of a Wolf a Fox, some Fish and a Man, but the story was rather long to include in the Blog….





    The fishes carved into the end of the Wolf carving….





    Then just around the corner was this nice view with the small bridge and open area along the trail….







    While a bit further along we find this man having a rest…..



    Some quite large carvings on the trail….









    The just when you think they are completely dead, you see the colourful fungus growing…

















    While this was the last carving on the trail it seems to have had something to do with Halloween from the expression on the face….



    With another nice Forest House as we made our way back to the start….



    With the carving that was a permanent resident in the Tourist Information Office as we got back,



    We were asked if we had any plans for the afternoon by ‘Tuuli’ the young lady on reception?
    Our reply was that we did not but needed to get some lunch first.
    We were then asked if we would act as ‘Guinea Pigs’ for a walking town quiz that would not take long to complete, but would take us on a short tour of the town with clues, questions and answers as we went along, we ‘signed up' for the challenge.

    Lunch was duly sorted out then it was back to the TIC (Tourist Information Centre) to collect the Quiz Sheet and a Town Map, then we were off as the results of the first clue gave you the location of the next one and so on, and the answers with the next clue location on was in this format, either pinned to a pole, doorway wall or seat, so you had to use your eyes to spot them!….



    On the way around we saw the 'Old' no longer used Fire Sataion…



    While next along the quiz route was this 342 year old Fir Tree that is now a permanent feature of Elva….



    We then had to find the Ice Cream Kiosk that sadly was not open as the temperature was hitting 25C today, so this was hot and thirsty work!

    This was the kiosk ….



    While close by was this children’s playground that got some adult attention as well!















    Our next stop was the lake for the next clue and and answer to the question, however I was not tempted to strip off and jump in to cool down even though it did look inviting, but we did see a small boy selling bunches of Rhubarb outside his house for €1/Bunch, so we stopped and got one, then watched the smile appear as he went off to tell his Mum that he had sold one! WOW. I think we made his day!!!



    While after that we made our way to a house that was used by the Professors of Tartu University for relaxation.
    While all the windows of the house are different sizes and shapes which is called ‘Wackwerk Lattice’. The building is now being used for child daycare.



    Next answer was the Elva Singing Area which is a very nice outdoor arena….



    With a visit to the Town Hall unfortunately we did not have time for the journey to get the final 3 answers to the quiz, but it was very interesting to take part seeing parts of the town that we had missed out on seeing as you drive around, and for that and being asked to take part we were really grateful to Tulli for asking, it was good fun.

    Meanwhile I think we will definitely be in for a good night’s sleep tonight before we head off on the next stage into Latvia tomorrow….

    head ööd (Estonian “Goodnight”)

  2. #92
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    Stage 28 Elva – Raiskums (Latvia) (92 Miles)

    tere hommikust (Good Morning!)

    Hey Ho time to hit the road again and head for the next stop which is Apalkalns Camping and across the border to get there as it is in Latvia….

    Not long and we pass through the small village of Rongu.



    As we breathe twice we pass through and out the other side





    Passing through countryside that is not unlike the flat parts of Austria with the Valga sign popping up as that is the Border point between Estonia & Latvia….



    While the next villages name was quite an eye opener….



    Not long and we are entering the town of Valga, where TomTom and the road sign differed as TomTom said straight on and through the town centre whereas the road sign required a right hand turn….





    So we took the right hand turn passing the old border crossing point that is now totally closed down. The building in the next picture was just before it with a small fuel station.
    We went through it that quickly that we nearly missed it, but did miss the sign telling us we were now in Latvia! ….



    But got this one a bit further down the road….



    Then we made our way through part of Valga….











    Passing the house in the next picture who had old farming implements in the garden…..



    As we came out of the town into countryside we found the road condition had deteriorated, and then we got pulled over, while I got that sinking feeling of violating some obscure traffic law, but it was a check by Latvian Immigration Control and after a look at our passports we were wishes a ‘Good day’ and carried on down the road…



    While a little bit further on we came to the Roadworks that are resurfacing the road with European funding….



    Couple more towns to get through…







    Then it was a left turn off road number 3 and into the entrance to the National Park for a few miles to the village of Raiskums and the camp site was not far after….



    Campsite entry road….





    And very nice it is too, with your own deck, excellent facilities and wood fired BBQ’s









    Wood fired BBQ! I think the camping & caravanning clubs in the UK might require de-fibrillation kits to be installed in their offices for the officials if they even saw the pictures as Health & Safety would throw a fit!…





    Still while the meat cooked very nicely it made a very warm evening meal, especially as the temperature is still around 25C at 19:00hrs, and we understand it will be hotter tomorrow!

    Labvakar (Latvian ‘Good night’)

  3. #93
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    May 2012
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    Looks like you have hit the jackpot on this site as well as the weather. I don't think that I have ever seen such a well appointed camp site.

    Strange thing, I seem to be able to pick out what I assume are the Soviet era flats/buildings in your pictures. They all have that certain special look to them.

  4. #94
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    Quote Originally Posted by ssicarman View Post
    Looks like you have hit the jackpot on this site as well as the weather. I don't think that I have ever seen such a well appointed camp site.

    Strange thing, I seem to be able to pick out what I assume are the Soviet era flats/buildings in your pictures. They all have that certain special look to them.
    Hi ssicarman!

    I think you are right, Apalkalns has certainly come up trumps on this trip for us.

    Even though several families came to the camp site yesterday afternoon, as well as a birthday party for one of the children with Minney Mouse ballons, we had a really nice quiet night last night, with just one mosquito that didn't stay long.

    I understand that the weather will be even hotter today while certain other parts of Europe are having serious rain storms and floods

    I also thought that about the buildings as my good lady took the pictures, even outside the KGB Cells in Tartu the building had that Soviet look about it, while some of the houses look really nice, especially with the vibrant colours.

  5. #95
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    BALLOONS!!!!

    Did you get me one?

  6. #96
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    Quote Originally Posted by ssicarman View Post
    BALLOONS!!!!

    Did you get me one?
    Aw shucks, sorry no, I didn't realise you were a Minnie 'Fan' and the family have gone home now or I would have asked!

  7. #97
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    Stage 28A “A visit to Cēsis”

    Labrit (Latvian “Good Morning”)

    After a very relaxing and peaceful night we decided to head off into Cēsis for a look around as the town has quite a lot of history associated with it…

    A short drive and we arrive in Unity Square & Cēsis Victory Monument , that was built to commemorate Latvian & Estonian soldiers who were killed in the Latvian War of Liberation…





    We then after parking but not sure if we can only stay in the place for 1 hour even on Sunday, make our way to the Tourist Information Office following the signs & passing by these buildings….





    While the next building has a very interesting inscription on a plaque mounted on the wall that you cannot quite see in the picture as the Police vehicle is obscuring it…..



    But then I got closer…..



    Across the road from the building in the picture before last is the Police Office and not being sure of the parking time I went in to see if we could stay longer on Sunday. As I got to the enquiry hatch immediately on my right on the wall were around 10 or 12 TV screens displaying pictures of various parts of the town…..

    Out and back on track through the castle wall to the Tourist Information Office…



    Turn left and there is the modern castle built on some of the old castle foundations with mains electricity....



    While from around a clearer view this is the old castle with no electricity and there is a reason for telling you this as you will see a bit later….











    Because there is no electricity in the old castle if you wish to go up the tower with a roof on you have to take a ‘Candle Lantern’ to provide some light when going up some of the stairs and along a couple of corridors, so we ‘signed up’ and off we went like ‘Wee Willy Winkie’ and it was interesting and good fun….







    I hope you can just make out the stairs in the next picture, without the lantern it would have been really tricky to get up…



    The thickness of the tower wall was incredible….



    While this was the ceiling as we got on the first floor…



    While this was inside the all wood roof of the tower….



    The wooden tiles that are fixed to the outside just like clay or slate tiles….



    With the views from the windows in the wall of the tower…..









    With the help of the Candle Lantern we made our way back down and out which if anything was more difficult than going up….



    To be reminded just outside….



    Tower entrance…



    That’s what you went up and came back down with the little Candle Lantern....



    Then making our way back to the new castle to start that tour we get another clearer view of the thickness of the walls…..



    While catching the young lady from the TIC trying out a pair of stilts….



    Off into the new castle….



    Ground floor with large thick pillars holding up the inside…..



    Then into the first exhibition room that had pictures of old style Latvian clothes….









    Next came the true story about the biggest mass suicide in Europe when around 300 inhabitants of Cēsis and the near vicinity who were hiding in the castle and failed to resist the army of the Russian Czar Ivan Grozny and decided to blow themselves up rather than surrender to ruthless invaders…..



    While the next picture shows some of the treasure that was found later….



    The next picture is of the sculptural reconstruction of a young woman’s face who was one of the suicide victims….





    I thought the item in the next picture reminded me of the ‘Toolmaster’ Swiss Army Knife…..



    Family living quarters….





    While going upstairs we see the first ‘Loft Ladder’ but built into the wall….



    The next picture is also of another part of the living quarters that are no longer there…



    But the picture is….



    Library room….



    Back outside there were some preparations for a medieval festival, and on a table we spotted some medieval Europe ‘biscuits’….



    While the oven was being prepared for baking bread that had been prepared earlier….



    Meanwhile some of the people taking part in the festivities had arrived in the clothes of the period….



    Making our way through the castle park….





    We pass the open concert auditorium….



    Then come to the Christ Transfiguration Orthodox Church, while the grounds were open the church was locked….





    Then walking back into town we pass some interesting and quite old buildings…..





    While for every child on a hot day, what better play area than a water fountain….



    We come to St John’s Church but as there was a service going on inside we settled for this rather nice model just inside the outer doors…..



    While outside is this large sculpture of Matiass Jansons (2005). Belief says that if you rub the Lantern, the light will show the way for good thoughts, dreams and deeds.
    Maybe we need a ‘Politicians Pilgrimage’ here, transport is by bus for just that purpose?



    As we returned to the TIC we then passed this memorial erected for all the Cēsis people who were deported to Siberia through communist terrorism…



    Making our way back to ‘Flamenco Red’ we pass this sculpture on the corner of the old brewery with a very nice children’s playground alongside…..



    While having arrived back at the campsite for the princely sum of around £2 ($3.50) the Bird damaged grille on ‘Flamenco Red’ was suitably repaired, and the ‘smile’ is back!

    It certainly saved shelling out the price asked for a new grille that was between £200 & £300 + Fitting ($350 & $450)!



    Labvakar (Latvian ‘Good night’)

  8. #98
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    Stage 28B “A visit to The Secret Bunkers”

    Labrit (Latvian “Good Morning”)

    Firstly I need to make an apology!

    I put a picture on the update of me using a Steel Camp Site BBQ on the wooden decking outside the ‘Tin Tent’!

    BAD Mistake as the BBQ has vents underneath that hot charcoal can drop through and set the wooden decking on fire.

    My apologies, for this error, and the grey matter between the ears has been re-programmed to ensure there is no repeat performance!

    Today we are going to Ligatne and the Rehabilitation Centre where underneath is the ‘Secret Nuclear Bunker’ that was built in the 1980’s for the needs of the political and state authority elite who were responsible for state administration in case of nuclear war…..

    We head off for the 26 Mile drive and get there in time for the 10:00 tour only to be told that the tour would have cost us 33Lats/Person, however there is a tour at 15:00 that will cost us 6.30Lats/Person and will be in English, so we decline the first and go for the second …

    We then go back into Ligatne for a look around as it is still a ‘Paper-Mill’ Town and this is one of the old stone rollers, as a “Welcome” sign to the town…



    After a very nice visit to the Tourist Information Office that was once the Guard’s House for the 1st Paper-Mill, we set off on a walking tour of Ligatne as we have 3.5hours to use before we go back to the Rehabilitation Centre and Bunkers….

    First stop were the caves in the rock face that are nowadays used by craftsmen but previously were used for the needs of the first Paper-Mill….







    While climbing up all the steps at the caves when you get to the top you get to see the ‘before’ and ‘after’ effect of a number of years of Mother Nature….

    While the building in the right hand corner is the old Paper-Mill…..



    This is the new view….



    Down at ground level is this rather nice floral display with a couple of Swans in the middle….



    Taking one of the trails out of the town we pass by the outdoor concert area…..



    While a little bit further we come to a couple of bridges one set up on the cliff face….



    While you might be able to see part of the ‘Eugen’ name on the smaller bridge at the back…



    While next we come to the wooden sluice that was used to increase the water pressure for the Paper-Mill from the river….



    The water being controlled by these rack and pinion gates that were raised and lowered….



    With more caves in the rock face used for storage….



    Walking back we nearly step on this little fella that we think might have been a Mayfly….



    Then as we start down the road to the new Paper-Mill we pass…..





    While on the other side of the road is Zakusala (“Hare’s Island”). These were the first wooden houses for the Papermill workers, were built in the 1880’s.
    They are wooden row houses with separate apartments for each family. The apartments consist of one room, the kitchen and small storeroom. While the single workers were given rooms on the first floor. Since 1890 the houses have been electrified. Electricity as well as water & firewood has been provided by the Mill free of charge….



    Then at the end of the road is the new Paper-Mill…



    Back along the road and it’s time for some lunch at the Pub: “Vilhelmines dzirnavas”
    We asked for a typical Latvian lunch, so for starter we had ‘Cold Soup’ that had lots of salad vegetables in with half a boiled egg and yogurt mixed with beetroot joice….



    Followed by Potato & Onion Pancakes, lin0gon berries, salad and sour cream…
    Both courses were really nice….



    After managing to stand up it was back to ‘Flamenco Red’ for a trip to the Ligatne Ferry to see if we could use this as an alternative route for our return….



    Then turning around to head for the ‘Bunkers’ we make our way past these Soviet style flats….



    With a rather nice but old property a bit further along the road…..



    Next stop is……



    Or…



    While waiting for the tour in the Rehabilitation Reception there is this very large fireplace with a good stack of wood waiting for the cold days to return….



    While a short walk outside in the grounds as we were a bit early, showed us the now disused swimming pool….



    A pair of swings made of wood, but don’t swing up to high….



    Forest carvings….





    While back inside it was time to start the tour, so after going down 3 flights of concrete steps we are confronted by a very heavy steel door that once closed is airtight…..



    Passing through and along a corridor we enter the main communications room that connected to other communication rooms in other towns and cities….



    The Bunker covers 2000squ meters of ground and is 27feet underground with very thick concrete walls and roof, while the corridors reminded me of the KGB Cells in Tartu, they were somewhat wider with better lighting.…



    The next room was a bit like a Telephone Exchange with the racks of equipment…..



    While next door were the teletype machines…



    The 1988 log of communications…..



    Meeting room next stop with a rather good map of Latvia on the wall….



    Next door was another telephone room for receiving messages from other places….



    While looking over proceedings was…..



    Next stop was the area of two rooms that were reserved for the KGB, and that only named KGB Officers were allowed to enter. A device in the door sent a message to Riga if unauthorised entry was detected…..

    Having passed in OK I was loaned a KGB Coat and hat to get a feel of what it was like, the coat although made of leather was extremely heavy, bit like chain mail….



    Outside in a rather dark corridor was this picture, not quite clear of the types of Nuclear clothing and masks to be found and worn in the bunker…..



    While in another room along with a large number of books in Russian was a book showing the different emblems and flags of the USSR States, this one being Georgia’s….



    The emblem and old flag of Latvia….



    Next we make our way to the Kitchen & Restaurant….
    The large grey unit on the left is the heating radiator as the temperature in the Bunkers never gets above 14C….







    While finally we go into another conference/meeting room with a display of different flags and gas masks for Nuclear fallout….



    Other rooms that had the air filtration/conditioning systems, backup power plant that is 2x12 Cylinder Diesel Generators that came from 2 Soviet T46 Tanks, and strategic maps in were off limits for photographs, never the less out 1 to 1.5hour tour turned into 2 hours and was very interesting, but I would not like to be in there for the expected 2 to 3 months that had been planned should a Nuclear event happen……

    Our thanks to Apalkalns Camping for making our stay a really nice time here.

    On the road tomorrow for the next stage to Riga…

    Labvakar (Latvian ‘Good night’)

  9. #99
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    Campsite deck was a bit singed I take it?
    Bit of glue for the grill?

    Don't blame you guys for going for the cheaper tour. Some on line currency conversion showed the Lats (?) at nearly two to one against the Canadian dollar.
    The soup looked, shall we say different.
    Comrade you look very Russian in the coat and hat.

  10. #100
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    Quote Originally Posted by ssicarman View Post
    Campsite deck was a bit singed I take it? Not quite but could have been
    Bit of glue for the grill? Well as the grille is only for 'decoration' then $3.5 beats $350.00 in my pocket any day

    Don't blame you guys for going for the cheaper tour. Some on line currency conversion showed the Lats (?) at nearly two to one against the Canadian dollar.
    The soup looked, shall we say different. It was. First time trying for us, but would definitely have it again!
    Comrade you look very Russian in the coat and hat.
    "Spasebo Comrade"

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