Disclaimer: the sky really was that blue – it wasn’t a fancy camera filter!
I travelled to Riga in Latvia (one of the 3 Baltic States) by plane from Edinburgh, arriving late on Thursday night.
Early April morning, St Peter’s Spire, Riga, Latvia
I took 22 bus from the airport to the centre and walked through the underpass to the Wicked Weasal Hostel which I highly recommend. It is clean and the staff are really friendly. I was offered a free beer and there’s tea (including green) and coffee in the well stocked kitchen. I was in a shared dorm with a Spanish soldier and ended up reviving my Spanish until late at night as we swapped life stories!
The Art Academy of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
I stayed less than 12 hours so have very few photos to show for it. On the way out I passed the astonishing golden domes of the Riga Nativity of Christ (Russian Orthodox) Cathedral, and the statue of Rainis (Janis Plieksans, a famour Latvian poet, playwright, translator and politician in the Riga Esplanade park.
Unusual clock behind the Art Academy, Riga, LatviaMural in the Pärnu bus station, EstoniaPärnu River, Pärnu, EstoniaPärnu River, Pärnu, Estonia
I took two buses that day – one to Pärnu along the main highway, and the other which doubled back south for some of the way and then headed slightly inland to Massiaru – four hours in total.
A church I snapped through the bus window on the way – the majority of Estonians say that religion is not important in their lives. The ones who are, are either Christian or OrthodoxThis part of Estonia (south west) is flat and forested. In many places they clear the pines and leave the silver trunks of the birchesEverywhere there are brightly coloured timber houses – pink, yellow and blueMany of the houses have smaller buildings in their gardens which are buried up to the roof on three sidesI am staying in the small village of Massiaru in the Pärnu region of EstoniaRussia is to the east of Estonia, Finland to the north west. I came north from Riga in LatviaIn the old school house, Massiaru, Estonia
Every day I walk for a couple of hours – on the first day to the south, then to the north, the west and east. The roads are straight and wide, some dary grey tarmacked and some stony and pale apricot. It is monotonous walking – mentally relaxing.
Pussy willow, one of my first successful close-ups enabled by my new phone cameraI am surrounded by trees including the familiar Scots Pine
Standing amongst them
The patience of trees
The forebearance of trees
The pure being of trees
Do you think the birds tickle them?
Mostly silver birch and various types of pinesAlso some oaks in the garden which has farm land around it
I find a sunny place in the mornings to do my swinging exercises, T’ai Chi and to ‘Stand Like a Tree’ (a chi gung exercise) for my general health and to counteract the 6-7 hours a day of cerebral work writing hours at my laptop.
There is a new pond in the garden. The reflection reminded me of a natural green version Dali’s Mae West lips
I sit in the sun to have my lunch, topping up my vitamin D levels after the Scottish winter. In contrast to my trips to Spain in previous years, I have gone back in time coming here, leaving the Spring behind me, but it is getting warmer every day and the plants are shooting nicely.
The forests provide for many people’s livelihoods – logging and wood preparation. The hay bales are in long, white plastic covered snakesNearby is an industrial buildingNepeta cataria (catnip). The primary resident is creating an artist’s herb garden – cultivating and planting seeds in hanging trays in the old classrooms, and creating presentations indoors in the bedrooms through the winterHawthorn and Dandelion – 2 more residentsI am writing about death and loss, so this window sill display is most appropriateThis thrush was not killed by the kittens who live here as they were kept in after their operations. A sleek grey lynx was spotted in the field next to the garden that day, but I think it was more likely to be the visiting cat
Before they left, M and R took me to the beach on the Baltic Coast near Kabli which has a camp site where the RMK Estonian Hiking Route walkers can stay close to the end of the trekThe patterns in the sand are amongst the most impressive I have seen. Beach, Pärnu Region, EstoniaThis green painted Orthodox church is 3 kms away in the village of Urissaare
Scotland is incredible and I love all my walks there. Here in Estonia I can concentrate fully on writing which is a luxury I don’t have at home, but I shall always enjoy returning. Thanks for your reading Irene 🙂
Walking without a donkey 
Wonderful information and stimulation as always. Isn’t Scotland lovely?
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Scotland is incredible and I love all my walks there. Here in Estonia I can concentrate fully on writing which is a luxury I don’t have at home, but I shall always enjoy returning. Thanks for your reading Irene 🙂
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