Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Friday 9th of August
08.21 The day of our return journey starts here at Auberge Le Saladier (https://aubergelesaladier.hoteluno.top) in Mahėbourg, Mauritius. Hopefully we will be in the air within half a day. Before that, everything will end with a nice day here in this coastal town. We are really grateful that we can check out late and take a last shower in the afternoon.
09.27 Our host Younoos arranged breakfast which was eaten on a table outside our room. He had already brewed the coffee at six o´clock this morning. Now we have asked him to arrange a transport to the airport at 16.30.
09.47 Alright, now Christer has checked us in for the flights from Mauritius to Istanbul and from Istanbul to Riga. It's one small step for mankind, but two giant leaps for us.
10.59 Condensation has formed on Christer's juice bottle. Those in the Paris Olympics who are involved in 10-kilometer open water swimming have even more wet conditions. We ourselves are going out soon for sightseeing.
11.20 Now we are down by the sea, on a bench quite close to where we had dinner last night. The sun is sparkling in the sea and the nice breeze is refreshing. We have a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean and Lion Mountain on the other side of the bay.
11.53 It is nice but treacherous to sit in the scorching sun and a nice sea breeze. It is easy to get sunburned without feeling it. We have seen some information plaques about the history of Mauritius here by the water. It is said that Napoleon's only victory at sea took place right here. The English translation forgot about the naval victory and only said Napoleon's only victory. More successful than that was the general and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
11.59 We have walked past Mahébourg Bus Station and a park with a statue of the guru and yoga teacher Swami Sivananda. Indian culture is noticeable everywhere in Mauritius.
12.07 Our walk has ended at a monument that wants to remember the great naval battle of Vieux Grand-Port. Tourists have gathered here taking pictures and a dog is resting in the shade. The great naval battle took place during the Napoleonic Wars in 1810 when the British tried to take over Mauritius, which was then under French control. The British failed and the French victory is also commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
16.20 The room we have been staying in for a day has been left. We are sitting at the breakfast table on different chairs than we were sitting on this morning. We have simply changed places.
19.20 With some difficulty in the duty-free shop, my card malfunctioned, we have bought rum from here in Mauritius for, among others, our friend Roberth who had his birthday a few weeks ago. We are now on board in seats 38 J,K. The really great thing is that there are no seats behind us. We can sit back without disturbing anyone. We are flying with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul.
CHANGING TIME ZONE
Saturday 10th of August
Morning inside room 8.
Peter is waiting for breakfast.
The reception area at Auberge Le Saladier.
We are on our way to the sea.
Boats in the port of Mahébourg.
The beach promenade in Mahébourg.
Memories of the Napoleonic Wars.
View of Mahébourg Pier and Lion Mountain.
Advertisement for a Hindu event.
A dog has found perfect shade.
The monument to those who fell in the naval battle of Vieux Grand-Port in 1810.
The island Mouchoir rouge outside Mahébourg.
Christer at Mahébourg Waterfront.
We will eat lunch at Saveurs de Shin.
Peter fights his way through an extensive lunch.
The last note at Auberge Le Saladier.
The bags are being prepared for the long journey.
Hot coffee with snacks at Paul's.
01.56 The journey continues north through the August night. We are currently 11,583 meters above sea level and we have light in the cabin again. We are flying over the Red Sea and the Sinai Peninsula. It is probably breakfast before arrival.
02.22 The breakfast that was just served consisted of pancakes and other goodies. It feels strange to have breakfast in the middle of the night. 03.47 Soon the longest and most demanding of the two flights will be over. We are in the air over Turkey.TURKEY
04.44 We have landed at the enormous İstanbul Havalimanı (Istanbul Airport). We are at Terminal B and are waiting for further information about the terminal and gate for the upcoming flight to Riga.
05.48 Terminal information came and we set off. On the way we had to go through a security check. I was checked for drugs or something. My small backpack was searched and then we continued to Terminal E. Christer bought two bananas at Starbucks. It is incredibly expensive here. All shops and restaurants probably need to compensate for what it costs to operate at the newly built airport. 06.03 We are at gate 3 at Terminal E. Here are waiting for the flight back to Riga. 09.05 Now we are in the air again. Since takeoff we have had our second breakfast of the day. There are eighty minutes left of the flight. 10.21 The first landing attempt at Rīgas lidosta (Riga airport) had to be stopped for some reason. The pilot changed his mind and now we are taking off again for another try. Don't Latvia and Europe want to receive us?LATVIA
11.03 After hovering over the Gulf of Riga for a while, the second attempt was more successful and we are on the ground again. It is windy today and is possibly the reason for the failed landing attempt. Now we are at the baggage carousel.
11.20 We both got what we wanted. We got back the belongings we left behind in Mauritius. Now I am sitting as luggage guard while Christer changes his perspective, from glasses to contact lenses.
In the middle of the night we arrived at Istanbul airport.
We are transported through İstanbul Havalimanı (Istanbul Airport).
A boy plays football outside the Narvesen kiosk.
Rīgas lidosta (Riga Airport).
Sky High Hotel, the last hotel of the trip.
Peter in room 4 at the Sky High Hotel.
11.25 Not only did the landing have to be interrupted, but so did Christer's change. He still has his glasses. The toilet he went to was a bit too crowded. It's officially two and a half hours until check-in at the nearby hotel we're staying at. What do we do now?
11.58 After buying and consuming sandwiches and drinks from the Narvesen kiosk, we're going to go and see if we can check in at what I hope will be the last hotel on the trip. 12.20 It was okay to check in already now at Sky High Hotel (https://sia-pilots-club-sky-high.worhot.com), a hotel with a pilot and airplane theme. Our last room number will be 4. The room is simple and we share a bathroom with other guests. 13.02 It's time to see what the shared bathroom has to offer. 13.42 Both travelers have showered off the dust of travel and tried to freshen up. Now there are plans to spend a few hours in Riga city. 14.09 We made it to the bus stop outside the airport before the bus left. However, we didn't have time to get on board. We just have to wait for the next one. 14.17 Our wait was short. We paid for the trip on bus 22 to central Riga with a bank card.
Windy by the Daugava River.
Melngalvju nams, House of the Blackheads.
Letters on Rātslaukums Square.
Alus sēta has moved to a new location.
Rīgas Doms, the cathedral of Riga.
The Laima clock from 1924.
14.37 We have got off the bus at a stop by the river and are currently looking out over the Daugava. Soon it's time to take some photos. It's a nice day but still quite windy.
14.59 After taking some river photos, we headed towards our favourite restaurant Alus sēta in the LIDO chain (https://www.lido.lv). We found it earlier than expected. It has moved from its old location and had a lot of guests. We are looking for another favourite in the same chain to have today's late lunch or early dinner. 15.11 On our walk towards the food, we stopped at some classic sights here in Riga, the Milda Freedom Monument and the Laima Clock from 1924. 15.45 Dzirnavas, the Mill, has fortunately not moved. It is more or less the same type of restaurant as Alus sēta but not as many tourists go here. Here we will now eat and enjoy. Everything works like a huge smorgasbord. You pick out what you want and pay at a cash register before eating. 16.27 We ate and drank. Dzirnavas is really a cozy restaurant. It is genuine and rustic when it comes to furniture and food, but not as affordable as it was during our first visits here in the city. Now we take a break on a bench in a park, Vērmanes dārzs. 17.15 We left the park for a short while. At the entrance to the park was the small, nice coffee kiosk Kurts. Now we are sitting on another park bench and drinking our coffee. A search on the internet gave us the information that Kurts Coffee is a small “hole-in-the-wall” cafe in the middle of Riga with a really nice and touching story. Kurts is a 7-year-old boy with functional variation. The café is a family project for Kurts future and rehabilitation. 17.33 The bench was changed to another one. We now look up to the upper floor of a beautiful house, the luxury restaurant Whitehouse Restorāns. A man has spoken in Russian to the well-dressed guests. Now he speaks in English to a few others. Can he be a toastmaster at a wedding?
A tribute to the fallen in the Latvian War of Independence 1918–1920.
Soldiers guard the Freedom Monument.
The Dzirnavas restaurant, one of many in the LIDO chain.
Our selection from the food at Dzirnavas.
Inside the Dzirnavas restaurant.
The coffee kiosk Kurts.
17.54 It's a wedding party just as we guessed. We've seen the bride. Now we're thinking about what to do next. We want to do a lot but do we have the time and energy to do it? The flight of the night is starting to be felt in body and mind.
18.38 We've walked through parks, seen a bridge with love padlocks, revisited the statue of Milda and also, as tradition dictates, summarized the summer trip in a video. Now we're going to go shopping before we take the bus to the airport and our hotel. 19.34 The mission is complete. We've visited the Rimi supermarket in Origo, the shopping center that is connected to Riga's railway station. Everything has been purchased, both drinks to take home and drinks for tonight. In a quarter of an hour we will hopefully be sitting or standing on the airport bus with the number 22. 19.58 Bus after bus passed us at the Centrālā stacija stop but finally our bus arrived. We are finally on board. Now we will go out to the hotel for the last night of this summer trip. 20.34 It is time to pack and prepare for the last night and the trip home. The trip and also the Olympics in Paris are coming to an end. 21.53 To celebrate the successful packing, traveling, well, what do I know, we each have a last Latvian evening beer in our room. 22.56 It will be an early morning tomorrow and we need to make up for lost sleep. Good night!
A break in the Vērmanes dārzs park.
Pilsētas Kanāls, Riga.
An ever-increasing number of padlocks on the bridge in Bastejkalna Parks.
The Love bridge and Milda.
Latvijas Nājānščina Opera.
We are saying goodbye to Riga for this time.
Sunday 11th of August
06.06 The big day of our return journey is here. Within walking distance is Riga Airport with its queue for check-in and the plane that will take us home to Sweden.
06.37 Gradually, the last things on this trip are done. We take the last shower, the last breakfast and the last packing. More last things are coming. 07.00 The check-in queue is short this early in the morning. That's good. In July we saw how long it could be when it was at its worst. 07.20 We have checked in on Norwegian's flight from Riga to Stockholm and our backpacks are tagged. They will go as special baggage. 07.48 Everything is going well, so far. Now we head towards the gate.
Peter takes notes at Riga airport.
Christer's arms have different sizes.
We found a café that gave us morning coffee.
07.53 Before the gate we found an unmanned café. Christer ordered himself a cup of coffee in a machine and thought he could pay there, but apparently it could only produce coffee. Suddenly a clerk appeared. Christer went to pay for his cup while I got myself a double espresso and paid for it.
08.48 Norwegian's Boeing 737-800 is boarded. Christer, I and a bunch of passengers I don't know are on board. Soon we will take off for Arlanda airport.CHANGING TIME ZONE
08.25 The next step towards coming home has been taken. We have switched, returned to Swedish time. Everything is going well so far. 08.47 In the seats in front of us are some young adults from Stockholm exchanging experiences from their workplaces, nightlife and dating. We ourselves are just taking it easy and preparing to arrive in our homeland.SWEDEN
09.27 Now we are back in Sweden after many days on the move in Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Mauritius. We are now sitting on a stone bench near baggage claim 2 in Terminal D.
09.44 The luggage we dropped off in Riga has been returned to us here at Arlanda airport. Now we are on the benches at the Sky Bridge. We hope to find something to eat before the train departs. 10.13 At the WH Smith kiosk we have bought edible and drinkable snacks. 10.44 As usual at the end of our journeys, we take the train from Arlanda and head north. 12.33 We are on board the SJ train heading north and everything is going as planned. Here in Söderhamn they are looking for a passenger who is about to get off. Two others seem to be waiting for the person who is getting off. All this has been announced over the loudspeakers. 13.11 We are in Hudiksvall, a little late. Just now we received word that due to signal faults and other things, there will be further delays. Will this train make it to Sundsvall before the train I'm going to travel on has left that station?
Norwegian will take us from Riga to Stockholm.
We have landed at Arlanda airport.
Christer is walking home through Sundsvall.
13.34 We slowly roll out of Hudiksvall. I have little, if any, hope that we will make it to Sundsvall on time. I guess I'll just have to take a later train to Örnsköldsvik.
13.44 Now the news has come. I'll be taking the 15.13 train from Sundsvall. 14.56 Christer is on his way home on foot. I've had a French hot dog Diablo and I'm drinking Coca Cola. I'll be boarding my train soon. 15.05 There are many people who want to take the train today. There are probably some who, just like me, missed the previous train. Of course, there are also those who were already booked on this one. 15.41 At the end of a long journey, it's time for a final reflection. It's been almost seven weeks since it all began. We've happily revisited old favourite places in Europe but also made new acquaintances with new European gems. Some plans had to be cancelled, but they are there for another time. It didn't end there. We also had time to see Africa in a different way than before. Mauritius gave us new experiences in general and Rodrigues above all has shown us what peace, quiet and relaxation are. This may become our summer habit some years from now, some old favourites topped with something completely new.
You can see 45 photos from August 9 in this photoalbum.
You can see 56 photos from August 10 in this photoalbum.
You can see 9 photos from August 11 in this photoalbum.