Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
07.45 Once more, I am on the road in my parents' car. They'll drive me to the railway station. It will not be the one in Örnsköldsvik, as in the past trips, but instead the station in Sundsvall.
08.40 The midsummer eve celebrations is being prepared in a summer-like Ångermanland province. We have on our way south passed over the river Ångermanälven. 09.15 We have now arrived in front of Christer's house on Trafikgatan in Sundsvall. Soon Christer will enter the vehicle and the journey can continue. 09.38 For the third summer in a row we have not walked down to the railway station at the start of the journey. Two years ago we were driven by Christer's dad and last year we took a taxi together with our Indonesian friend Patricia. My parents have travelled on further south to celebrate midsummer. Christer and I are waiting for this year's first train. It'll be a lot of trains before this is over. 09.56 We are on board. Today's trip should not take us to an airport. Instead, we're going all the way to the Stockholm central station. 12.03 Our train has got up to speed again after having a stop for a train meeting. Now we are wondering about the direction of the bistro cart. We will soon reach Gävle.
Peter at Sundsvall railway station.
Christer is waiting for his food outside Maestro Pizzeria & Kebab.
A short break in Gärdet, Stockholm.
Peter has checked in at the Tallink Silja Line-terminal.
12.19 The train has arrived at Arlanda airport. We shall for the first summer since 2011, not get off here. The fact is that we don't even have to fly out of the country. In turn, it is something that has not been happening on our summer trips since 2005.
13.52 We have arrived in Stockholm. Now we will eat lunch. We have placed us among the screaming gulls and other birds at the outdoor tables at Maestro Pizzeria & Kebab, a simple eatery, which is near at hand when you just arrived with a train, or soon will go with one. Their toilet is often closed due to some problem. This goes for today as well. 14.38 Lunch is finished and the first metro trip is initiated. We'll go a few stations so that we will be closer to the ferry terminal. 14.52 The journey came to an end, for our part, at the station Gärdet. Now we are heading on foot towards the terminal. We revives the tradition from the Easter trip in Italy. We navigate by the blue dots on Google maps to find the best route. Right now we are taking a quiet bench break in a small park at Värtavägen. Before we entered the park we saw the high Kaknäs tower. 15.47 We heard the traditional midsummer songs from some celebration a bit further away before we left the park. Then followed some more walking. First we went to the impressive Tallink Silja Line terminal where we quickly checked in and then we walked on to the waiting Tallink ferry M/S Isabelle. We stay in the cabin 5500. It is located only a short walk from the entrance where we came on board. 16.51 I mentioned that it was twelve years since the last time but now another summer trip is about to begin with a ferry trip to the Baltic states. It is a lovely way to start a trip, especially if there is sun and no wind. Unfortunately, the weather is not with us today. It is quite chilly and windy. We'll see if there will be something satisfying on the deck or not. 17.16 Our journey has begun. Isabelle moves. It has become time to leave the cabin. We will take a closer look at what the ferry offers.
Our trip to Riga has started.
Viking Line is heading to Stockholm.
The Silja Line ferry to Finland.
17.34 At the same time as parts of the Stockholm archipelago slide past outside the window we are having coffee and strawberry cake in the café here on board.
18.29 Out on the aft deck, we found a toilet for the four legged friends. Unfortunately, the place where they sell beer on the sun deck is closed. Probably it is only open during favourable weather. Now it's windy and deserted on the deck. 19.10 We have made a small visit to the duty-free-shop. I bought orange juice and Toblerone. Christer bought lemonade and juice, at least he thought so. Here in the cabin he has discovered that the purchased beverages are green ice tea and kvass, a drink with the taste of liquid bread. Kvass is made by the natural fermentation of bread, such as wheat, rye, or barley, and sometimes flavoured using fruit, berries, raisins, or birch sap collected in the early spring. Modern homemade kvass most often uses black or regular rye bread, usually dried (called plural suhari), baked into croutons, or fried, with the addition of sugar or fruit (e.g. apples or raisins), and with a yeast culture and zakvaska ("kvass fermentation starter"). Source: Wikipedia 19.49 Outside our cabin, we hear a honking car. How in the world can that be? Is it from the car deck? 20.13 For dinner there will be a light buffet. The culinary will have to wait. What counts now is taking away the hunger. The beer was a setback. They offered only a bad Swedish beer brand. We will try to get real beer in the bar. We want to have good Latvian beer.
The car ferry on Rindö.
Fredriksborg fortress near Oxdjupet.
Dog toilet on M/S Isabelle.
Midsummer dining at sea.
21.10 Oh, OK, just the same watery beers in the bar also. It was probably just that beer at the sun deck also. It feels good though. We haven't missed anything.
21.35 When we went the to the duty-free store to buy a beer each, we were stopped. We could not enter with us our small backpacks. Strange, it went well earlier tonight. We went down to the cabin and left our small backpacks. Now we could return to shop. Is it not better to ask to see the bags, the backpacks at the cashier instead? 22.02 We have bought a little to drink. Finally, we have come across a Latvian beer. We wonder why it was so complicated to get a Latvian beer. 23.33 After talking about tomorrow, beer and more talk about memories from the past, it is now time to go to sleep. Tomorrow, we are abroad.
CHANGING TIME ZONE
09.28 It is Saturday and midsummer's day. From now on Latvian time will be used. Thus, we have moved the time forward an hour. We might have slept for a long time but who cares? The main thing is that we will have our breakfast before the arrival. Now a few chores must be accomplished.
09.46 It was a simple handpicked breakfast in the café. The buffet breakfast is so expensive that it required a hearty hunger if it will be worth it. M/S Isabelle moves right now up the river Daugava. Riga, which is located on the river a bit from the coast, is approaching increasingly more. Latvia will become (I think) the tenth country we arrive at with boat on our various trips. In the past such countries are Finland, Estonia, Poland, Albania, Italy, Cyprus, Turkey, Malaysia and Dominica. I don't count Sweden. 10.42 The people on the bridge have begun preparing Isabelle for a parallel parking at Riga's small ferry terminal. Soon, people will begin to leave the ferry. Emergency vehicles are heard in the distance. Since we started to make ferry trips over the Baltic sea the ferry terminals in Tallinn and Stockholm have developed, grown and modernized. Here it is still the same small ferry terminal that we arrived to the already fifteen years ago.LATVIA
11.03 We are together with a lot of other passengers on the way out from the ferry. One of the other passengers, a Russian-speaking man, has just taken a "live cocktail". He first drank straight from a bottle of Jägermeister, and then from a bottle of Sprite.
11.29 The ferry is abandoned and we take the first Latvian bench break in Kronvalda parks. It is a cosy park with a small stream and a nearby building with the touch of China. Speaking of China, it is where this long summer trip will end in August.
Riga is getting closer.
M/S Isabelle turns and park in the right position..
Riga ferry terminal.
We are having a short stop in Kronvalda parks.
Bastejkalna parks, Riga.
Signs of Latvian midsummer.
12.06 We continued to walk along the stream/channel which flows through the Riga city centre, we passed the old powder tower Pulvertornis. Now we are looking out over a park, Bastejkalna park. Beyond the greenery on the "bastion Hill" Bastejkalns you can see the freedom statue Milda gaze out over the city. Above all this, it is overcast. it is some drizzle in the air.
12.50 Now our backpacks are behind the check-in counter at Doma Hostel http://www.domahostel.lv). We, ourselves, are welcome to check in about an hour from now when a room should be ready for us. The sky out there is all the duller. 13.11 We have gone out on a hunt for lunch and ended up at the nearby Peter's Brewhouse. The chase was interrupted by a sprinkling of rain. We will order unfiltered beer and possibly even their sausages. The rain is more intense. Luckily we are sitting under a parasol. 13.26 We have ordered burgers and a beer each. The waiter tried to entice us to order a full tray with samples of all their beers, but we contented ourselves with one. 14.17 It was tasty food and great unfiltered beer. The prices here in Riga is much higher now. You can't eat anywhere and anyway as the first few times we were here. Now, we are in room 4 at Doma Hostel. It is situated at Mazā Jaunavu iela 8 (Little virgin street 8). We've got a room full of bunk beds but we are only two. In addition, we will not sleep in any of all the bunk beds. Instead, two single beds have been placed in this large room with ceiling window view over the square outside. At payment can our hostess forgot that we should pay the tourist tax. It was in all cases cheaper than that was on our paper. The wet continue to fall over the capital of Latvia. 15.17 From the square, you hear jazz music, and thankfully no rain just now. We are about to get ready to get outside.
Lunch at Peter´s Brewhouse.
The entrance to Doma Hostel.
The small reception at Doma Hostel.
A view of the square from our roof window.
Doma laukums, the largest square in Riga old town.
The cathedral in Riga (Rīgas Doms).
15.56 Both jazz and rain calmed down, so we went out. The first we visited was an ATM. Cash is always better than card when you should have control on the money. Then we went to the nostalgic café (V. Kuze) William Kuze (http://www.kuze.lv). It is a nice café, dating from bygone days. William himself was active in the 1920s and 1930s and was then called for "candy king". Tragically, he was deported to Siberia during the second world war and died in a camp in 1941.
16.50 We enjoyed good coffee and pastries. Now after the cafe visit we have passed two classic photo places, the powder tower (Pulvertornis) and Swedish Gate (Zviedru vārti). Now we enjoy a bench break. We are back in the green sweet Bastejkalna park. A bit away is still one of the world's padlock hanged bridges. 17.30 We have made a visit to the train station. This was done mostly to see what they got to offer us before the departure tomorrow morning. We also learned that our old hotel Aurora at Marijas iela 5, that closed a couple of years ago, is now an Ibis hotel. Not a trace is left of the old building we stayed in a couple of times 10-15 years ago. Now it's off to our classical restaurant Dzirnavas (the Mill) in order to check the opening hours. It is one of several restaurants in the chain Lido. 18.30 The mill had no open hours at all today, they had closed due to midsummer, what a pity. Alus Seta, a smaller more centrally located restaurant in the same Lido chain was open. We will go there for dinner later in the evening. Before we came home we bought tomorrow's breakfast in a Circle K store. 20.08 "I will survive" is interpreted with Spanish guitar, song and percussion. We continue to have free musical entertainment through our window. For us to survive, we should leave the room in order to eat.
Pulvertornis, Riga.
Coffee break at the excellent café V. Kuze.
The green heart in Riga.
Love padlocks in Bastejkalna parks.
The freedom monument Brīvības piemineklis with Milda on top.
Peter is imitating.
20.33 It has become time for dinner at Alus Seta. Here, we have eaten many times before. Outside there is a rolling pub, or if it should be called beer bike. It is a pedal propelled vehicle of larger dimensions. People drink beer and bike at the same time.
21.14 Here at Alus Seta is the food and décor from the Latvian countryside. This is a delight for multiple senses. The restaurants in the Lido chain (https://www.lido.lv/en/) works so that there are a number of stations inside the restaurant, where different types of food is available or prepared by a member of staff. You pick whatever you want. Then what you have on the plate is added up at the cashier and you pay before you sit down at a table and eat. Next we will probably have a quiet hike through the bright summer evening. 21.37 We walk in a slow pace on a pedestrian and bicycle trail parallel to the river Daugava. Would you buy a litre of diesel here in Riga, you get to pay 0.96 euro. 22.03 Before going home, we went around and said good evening to beautiful Riga. We also got to hear the Santa Lucia being played with stringed instruments and a drunk gentleman swerved into me. Before we went back to the Doma Hostel, we bought a 4 cl bottle of Riga Balzam, each just before the close of the store, which is one of all the small Balzam shops which are located in the city. 22.37 The music from the bottom the restaurant on the square still reach up to us in our rooms. Now, we shall soon taste our herbal liquors, Riga Balzam. Just now we hear an acoustic version of the Beatles Yesterday. We may hope that as should not keep on all night. We need the sleep.
Hotel Aurora no longer exists. Now Ibis Riga Centre Hotel is located here.
Krišjāņa Barona iela, Riga.
A "beerbike" has parked in Riga old town.
Christer´s dinner at Alus Seta.
Melngalvju Nams, a building destroyed by bombs in World War II. Now rebuilt as a copy.
The evening ended with some Riga black balzam (Rīgas Melnais balzams).
08.29 A night with cool breezes from the open window has passed. I have just come from the shower located in a separate room. Today we will break new ground.
09.22 We shall, after completing our purchased brokastis, breakfast on the bedside, now make ourselves ready for that trip to the north. Well, to be honest it will be northeast. 09.43 We have checked out from Doma Hostel and will now walk through a quiet and tranquil Riga to the railway station. 10.15 In the final steps up towards the rail station, we had a pigeon in front of us. It jumped first a step at a time in three steps. Suddenly it came on better thoughts, and flew away. Now, we have once again boarded a train at Riga railway station. Last time this was done was in 2005. It was not easy to find the right track/platform. We walked around for a while before we found a staircase that led us to the right place. 10.49 Our train trip with the Latvian rail company Pasažieru vilciens, started with a female conductor that surprised checked our tickets which were purchased via the internet. She looked and thought for a while before she with a smile gave them back to us. Everything seems OK. 11.23 The train that will take us to the border with Estonia have just left Krievupe. The landscape is flat and inhabited by a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees. On the train, it is peaceful and quiet.
The railway station in Riga.
Waiting for our train.
One of many train trips this summer will soon start.
We were almost the first passengers to enter this train.
We have reached Valga. We are switching from the Latvian train (to the right) to the Estonian train (to the left).
Peter is getting prepared for Estonia.
11.53 We have just come to a stop in Sigulda, one of the many stations that this train stops at. This is no high-speed train. It moves slowly through north-eastern Latvia and stops here and there, a great help for all who want to smoothly travel even if they live in rural areas.
12.26 The train slowed down and stopped. Two people rushed through the carriage and ran in haste out through one of the train doors. Their conduct aroused the interest of a fellow passenger, and also thr conductoress. They're talking now about something that I don't understand. The doors the rushing went out through open and close. Now we continue our journey. 13.34 There is not great variety on the world outside our train. This first train journey is soon over. But a new one awaits.ESTONIA
13.59 Our train has arrived and come to a stop in the border city of Valga and all went out. Across the platform and on the other track was our next train, an orange-and-black train from the Estonian company Elron. Now we are for going for a train trip in Estonia. It will be the 34th European train country for us. In total there are 39 possible. The town is called Valga in Estonian and Valka in Latvian. It has a special history. Valga was occupied in January 1918 by Germany. During the Estonian and Latvian struggle for independence arose the tug of war about the town. On the basis of the parties ' unwillingness to compromise, the dispute was resolved by an international committee, under the British colonel S. G. Tallents management simply divided the city into two parts. The main part of town and the train station went to Estonia. Source: Wikipedia.
14.32 The next train trip has begun. Some American young people have stepped on and speak loudly as Americans often do. They can be heard throughout the cart. The train we are riding with is new and fresh, it feels almost brand new. 15.11 Our Estonian train ride has taken us to the small town of Elva. Along the way Christer has seen several storks. We are now in the vicinity of Otepää, known as a winter sports resort, where world cup competitions in both cross-country and biathlon are held. 15.40 We have now come to the next city on this year long journey, Tartu. Because we do not intend to remain at the train station, we will now continue on foot. Around the station was some form of renovation work, so it was slightly difficult to get around. 15.47 We have made a small stop in a park with a bear statue, Vaksali park. Now we have to use our "Blaupunkt help" in Christer's mobile phone to bring us to the next accommodation. Blaupunkt (a name that our friend Roberth started to say for the first time at our Easter trip simply means that through an app service on the phone bring up a city map, indicate where you are and where you want. Via blue dots on the screen takes you where you want.
Skulptuur "Karu" in Vaksali park most of all looks like a bear going to the toilet.
Julius Kuperjanovi is the name of the street we are walking along in Tartu.
Green beds in our room at Barclay Hotell.
Tartu Linnavalitsus (The town hall in Tartu).
Raekoja plats (Town hall square), Tartu.
16.17 To follow a blue dot works well, especially when you want to navigate on streets that swings, decrease in width and change the name. Barclay Hotell (https://www.barclayhotell.org) is quite OK and the room 48 is our new home for a night. Now we just have to calm down a little before we head out for dinner. A menu that is here in the room mention the dish Pasta without pasta. It sounds interesting. What remains?
17.12 After a small reloading of stamina and a quick clothes washing, we will now also see something of Tartu. Tartu is located in the historic Livonia and was until the Estonian independence from 1918 known in the world, in Dorpat. It is a university town of approximately 100 000 inhabitants and is Estonia's second largest city. 17.35 With a growing hunger we walk around our latest home town. It is a cosy small town. However, it is difficult to enjoy something when you are hungry. It is also a light rain in the air. 17.57 Tonight there will be pizza at La dolce vita (http://ladolcevita.ee). We will drink the local beer (A le Coq).
Peter is having dinner at La dolce vita.
Christer´s tasty pizza.
The university in Tartu was founded by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf (Gustavus Adolphus).
The restaurant street Rüütli.
This bronze pig was created in 2008.
19.16 It was great with beer and food. After having looked at the Swedish founded university we took a walk through the city centre. We located the bus station that we will be going from tomorrow morning. Now we rest by the Emajõgi river, which, with its 101 km is Estonia's second-longest river. Along the river there are pleasant walking areas.
20.03 To take care of the dullness and silence the coffee guts, we are at Café Werner (http://www.werner.ee), a café dating back to 1895. 20.22 We were not disappointed with Werner. We had a window table and enjoyed a friendly atmosphere, this bright summer evening. 20.53 Prior to returning to the Barclay Hotel and room 48 we looked at some statues. In the park opposite the hotel, we found the statue of the man who the hotel takes its name from. Mikhail Bogdanovitj Barclay de Tolly. He was a Russian field marshal, minister of war and fürst. He descended from an old Scottish noble family that moved to Riga in the 1700s. Barclay de Tolly took part in the Finnish war against Sweden and also in the war against Napoleon. We then looked at Vilde and Wilde, a statue of Estonian writer Eduard Vilde and the more famous Oscar Wilde from Ireland. They sit next to each other on a bench near our hotel. 20.53 At the supermarket Rimi we purchased a little of each for the evening. An alcohol thirsty man circulated in the store and wanted to have some money from Christer. He didn't give any. Why are we so tired? It is lack of travel experience? We tend to have more momentum. 21.52 Now it will be an evening beer. It is, after all, a tradition. The fact that the beers are tasty does not make the situation worse. In the slope behind the hotel, some teenagers have a small secret party. They play music and drink unknown beverages.
Werner is both a café and a restaurant.
Evening coffee at Café Werner.
Coffee lamp.
The russian military Barclay de Tolly is remembered i the park outside the hotel with his name.
Wilde and Vilde. What are they talking about?
You can see 26 photos from June 23 in this photoalbum.
You can see 76 photos from June 24 in this photoalbum.
You can see 51 photos from June 25 in this photoalbum.