Latvia and Estonia: villages and capital

Morning at Rundale Castle

Breakfast with hot sausages and at 8:00 AM we take the A12/A8 highway towards Riga. With a detour of two kilometers, we stop to take a few photos in the Colline delle Croci area when the sky is clearer, and then head towards the Latvian border, from which we turn after about 24 km in an easterly direction to reach the Rundale Castle It will be a real surprise, although partially under renovation, even though one wing is covered with a tarp featuring the designs of the castle itself, creating visual harmony within the complex. The historical events have led to... the manor It has been a sparsely populated area, almost an unintentional gift for modern tourists. We choose to visit the gardens with the rose garden at its peak bloom, with a warm sun that enhances the colors. From here, we continue east for 12 km to the town of Bauska, where, in a magical setting, stands out... the castle at the confluence of two small streams, amidst lush greenery. It's interesting to see the trompe-l'oeil painting created with a design of fake bricks, whose lower part has been literally scratched to create an illusion of depth, as if they were stone blocks, while in reality it is just one single covering. To enter Latvia, you need a digital Covid QR code, which we manage to obtain and download from our smartphone; we make it valid only for a transit of 12 hours since our next destination is Estonia.

Orthodox Church of St.

We head north along the A7 towards Riga, bypassing it on the eastern ring road to join the A1 and reach the Baltic Sea. This road continues monotonously and parallel to the coast towards the north until Pärnu. We will see the sea only from a distance of a few hundred meters, as a dense forest hides its view. It is mainly dominated by very tall but relatively slender birch trees with immaculate trunks or coniferous trees. Along the road, we can see... storks' nests firmly attached to the poles that carry electricity, skillfully and carefully constructed so as to withstand the strong winds that often blow in this area; here, storks and their nests are welcome not only as a symbol of fertility but also as a sign of good luck. A quick stop to buy a couple of pastries which serve as lunch, enjoyed standing in the supermarket parking lot, and then we continue on to Pärnu, which someone exaggerates by calling the "Miami of the Baltic". It will also have beautiful beaches, but the urban center has several buildings that were once beautiful but now require urgent renovation. This is particularly striking when considering that we are already in wealthy Estonia, and this may be the city with the most tourist appeal. The interior of Orthodox Church of St. Catherine It's wonderful, just like all the churches of this branch of Christianity. A walk through the city center streets leads us to see the interior of the Lutheran Church of St. Elizabeth, which is not particularly ornate but has a large "gallery" that almost doubles the seating capacity inside. We move on, passing by the pleasant but weathered main street, to see the Tallin Gate, and from there – as if guided by an unconscious intuition – we quickly return to the car. Just enough time to get in, and then a sudden downpour hits the city center. A quick look at the beautiful beach nearby, which hasn't seen a drop of rain thanks to the luck of its swimmers, and we get back on the A4 heading north. The location of the town is lovely, and theoretically its architecture is also beautiful, but it seems like only a few years have passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The urban face of Rundale Castle

Along the road, we encountered a continuous flow of residents from the capital heading towards the seaside resorts, as well as strong storms that slowed down our progress. We eventually arrived in Tallinn late in the afternoon to find the accommodation we had booked at Myapartments, a small and very conveniently located apartment in the city center with an attached parking space, so that within just a few hundred meters we were on Liberty Square, from where we began our visit with a worried look at the sky, which was covered with large patches of dark gray. We could see from the outside... Lutheran Church of St. John, the impressive monument dedicated to Solidarity, the huge cross to symbolize the independence achieved in 1918, which we see as we climb towards the ramparts, the Kiek in de Kök tower, a first view of the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Basil and of Parliament/ Toompea Castle, which is right across the street. The weather suggests taking advantage of a passage in the ramparts to access the historic center where we will definitely find a restaurant that suits us, namely one serving Estonian cuisine. Recommendations point to Rataskaevu 16, and we will be very satisfied enjoying a venison dish (we won't dare to try the bear, which is apparently the main course at another restaurant), preceded by local salmon accompanied by excellent Estonian beer. In the meantime, the sky has released its water and the weather is clearing; it's time to continue our walk through the streets of the center along the section of ramparts we haven't yet visited, including the Lutheran Cathedral of St. Mary, the Gamba Corta Gate Tower, the Gamba Lunga Gate Tower, and the Church of St. Olaf. Grand Gate of the Coast, the former headquarters of the KGB (whose lower levels had been walled up to prevent anyone from seeing or communicating with whatever horrific things were happening inside) and the main streets of Pikk and Vene, along which you can find Confraternity of the Black Heads, Gilda Olaf Palace, Gilda Canuto Palace, The Great Gilda and Katariina walk. Tallinn offers various scenic viewpoints from which you can enjoy excellent views of the city and the spires of its churches, particularly enjoyable when the sun sets on the horizon (Patkul Belvedere, Kohtuotsa and Piiskoi): this one offers a wonderful view of the sea and harbor, where frequent ferries connect with Scandinavia, particularly Helsinki, which is only 80 km away by excellent ferry.

Traditions and spirituality

While we're here, the sun has already set on the horizon, radiating its warm and fiery light over everything in sight to the west, like the onion-shaped domes of St. Basil's Cathedral. In any case, the heat and humidity are definitely present on this summer day, with the thermometer reaching 33°C and we're still quite uncomfortable. It's now 10:30 PM, and the day seems to want to continue, while our bodies tell us it's time to go back inside for a drink and to comfortably read tomorrow's itinerary on the balcony, with natural light after 11 PM.