We reluctantly said our goodbyes to the wonderful staff who catered to our every whim at the Camping Wok in Warsaw and hit the road. This beautiful little campground is so popular that during normal times it would be necessary to book up to a year in advance to secure a place. We felt very lucky to have nine glorious days there. We also said bye to our new German friend Barbara and her puppy Oskar, but we would see them soon as they were going to meet up with us in Lithuania.
We had done a bit of research about where to stay for the night on our way to Vilnius and came up with limited options. I turned to my go-to source for great camping options, Our Tour blog, and of course Jay and Julie had been on our exact route and found a great place to stay. We were in the midst of a heatwave, so being close to water and having a bit of shade was paramount and the parking lot at Grūtas Park had it all. It also had a lot more, but we did not care to visit the zoo or the cafe or walk the grounds to see the Soviet era relics, many of which were statues of Stalin. It was a lovely place to spend a night but kind of an odd place to actually visit.
A couple of hours after we got set up, Barbara and Oskar arrived just in time for happy hour. Funny how that happens! Because it was essentially parking lot camping, we figured that “camping behavior” was not allowed, which is typical of these types of locations. However, Barbara decided it would be best to apologize than to ask permission, so soon enough we had our chairs out along with some wine and champagne. We had a good time talking with Barbara and planned to meet again during our travels even as we went on separate routes. As we made our way to Vilnius the next morning, we left her and Oksar at Grūtas Park waiting for a mobile repairman to come and fix her door, as she could not get it to stay shut.
As we mentioned previously, we were headed to Vilnius to visit and also to retrieve a newly issued credit card the company decided we had to have and therefore cancelled the ones we were actually using. Getting mail on the road in Europe is a major challenge because we are always on the move. A friend of a friend had agreed to accept our mail and hold it for us, so we made arrangements to pick it up at his office. As luck would have it, we needed to do a big shop and there was a Lidl’s grocery store just across the street from him, so we parked there while we visited for a while and then returned to shop. Soon after we were on our merry way, right out of Vilnius.
We had planned to stay and enjoy the city, but a few things conspired against us. First, we were in the midst of a heatwave and Vinius is inland, so there was no hope of cooler coastal weather. Second, because Lithuania was still essentially closed due to Covid, there were limited places to stay and none near the city that suited us. Finally, I admit, we were citied out and ready to move on.
There was a location in Lithuania on our list that was one we could not miss, the Hill of Crosses, an important pilgrimage site in Lithuania. For a couple of non-religious people we love a good pilgrimage site so we went out of our way to make sure we visited this one.
The Hill of Crosses is not only a religious site, but also one important to Lithuanian identity. According to National Geographic, “UNESCO recognizes cross-making as an intangible cultural heritage of Lithuania, a ‘symbol of national and religious identity,’ uniting the community in the face of adversity.” That adversity has to do with the Soviet era when religion was banned. The government bulldozed the site, but even though they stationed guards around the hill, the crosses continued to appear. Today there are tens of thousands of crosses made from all types of material.
When we walked through the alleys at sunset, between rows and rows of crosses, I have to admit I felt a tiny bit of a creepy factor. There were a couple of speakers installed that broadcast mass 24/7. When you are the only people there, it’s a bit odd to hear other voices coming from a thicket of wooden crosses. Still, it was an amazing experience for us to be there alone and have complete access to the site. We stayed at the visitor’s center parking lot for the night.
The next morning we found ourselves driving through the Lithuanian farmlands, crossing a non-existent border into Latvia. We made our way to the city of Riga and got set up at the marina. By this time the heatwave had become nearly unbearable. It isn’t really the temperatures that were so awful, it was the humidity and nothing is going to make that tolerable.
We spent one night in Bijou and I said ENOUGH! Within a couple of hours we had checked into the Riga Radisson Hotel and for the next two nights we lolled about in our air conditioned suite, ordering room service and enjoying the huge shower and the little bottles of shampoo and stuff. Well, I enjoyed them. I usually pack them away before Steven even knows they are there. I know it sounds extravagant, but a premium suite with a river view at the Radisson in Riga, Latvia cost $70. And, as a bonus, the guy at the marina only charged us storage rates on the nights we were gone, so we thought it was a steal!
The nights we were at the Radisson was a huge holiday in Latvia, the midsummer celebrations. These usually take place in the suburbs, or in the country, rather than in the city so mostly everything was closed and there were very few people milling about. We did find a restaurant open for dinner, but that was about it. After two nights we returned to Bijou, happy that the heatwave had diminished significantly. One night later, we just couldn’t help ourselves and decided we needed more pampering so we returned to the Radisson for two more nights. Yeah, now we were just spoiling ourselves and it was so worth it!
All-in-all we spent eight glorious days in Riga. On the day we returned to the Radisson, Barbara and Oskar arrived at the marina. We just spent a short time with them and then they moved on to Tallinn, Estonia. We followed soon after, once again parking up at the city marina. When we got there Steven went into the office to get us checked in and I stayed behind with Bijou. The next thing I see is Barbara wheeling out of the marina in her camping car, and she came to a rolling stop at my window. “I’m heading to the hospital for an X-ray on my foot,” she said. The day I dog-sat Oksar in Warsaw, Barbara had fallen on some stairs, injuring her foot. She had done well getting around, but thought she should get it checked out as it was still bothering her.
My first thought was where on earth is she going to park that rig at the hospital! I would have Uber’d there, but not Barbara! She takes no prisoners when she drives her motorhome and she is always quite confident when she takes off to go somewhere. I have so much admiration for her. Did I mention she is 74 years old? I think she is amazing and very brave, but she insists she is not. When she went to the hospital she told them she only wanted to know if her foot was broken, yes or no, nothing else. Luckily, it was not. So with that information, she was back in action and parked up again at the marina in time for happy hour!
Tallinn is a beautiful city and a very popular tourist destination. Huge cruise ships pull right into the harbor and off-load thousands of passengers, so the city is well set up to handle big crowds. Lucky for us there are no cruise ships sailing and not many tourists traveling, so like most other places we had no crowds to contend with. Restaurants that require reservations weeks in advance offered immediate seating and great specials.
The marina itself was a few kilometers out of town, but there was a fabulous bike path all the way. We made the trip several times as Old Town was right by the harbor. Barbara had found a beautiful linen dress that I coveted, so we went to the same store to find one (or two) for me. Thing is, now I needed new shoes. We figured a shoe store in Tallinn was probably not in the cards, but lo and behold, a mall right by the harbor had about eight shoe stores. What luck! I am now set in the fashion department, though I still prefer my jammies over all else.
After four days in Tallinn we made our reservations on the Eckero Ferry Line to take us to Helsinki, Finland, our very first foray into Scandinavia. By all accounts the two-hour trip across the Baltic Sea is, in normal times, a rip-roarin’ booze cruise complete with live bands, discos and plenty of liquor for both consumption and purchase. I was looking forward to the spectacle of it all but I was sorely disappointed. As we know, these are not normal times and COVID has put the big kabosh on the party cruises. Oh well, it’s not like I was going to partake, I had to drive Bijou off that ferry.
We made our way through Helsinki to our campground where Barbara and Oskar were waiting for us to join them for happy hour. The next morning we said what would be our final goodbyes before we headed into town and Barbara and Oksar continued on with their adventures. We only spent a few hours in Helsinki, covering select highlights before we headed back to the campground to prepare for departure the following morning.
Since we are on the move once again, I thought I’d give you a general update as to the border situation as it relates to COVID. As we have come to expect, we have had no borders to speak of between Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. While there are rules that are meant to apply to everyone, mostly folks at airports and seaports are the ones given further scrutiny. Those of us crossing land borders are rarely stopped. In fact, the old border facilities, if they even still exist, are usually unmanned. Most businesses may not realize this because we were told more than once that if we were in the country it was assumed we had been checked at the border for COVID vaccinations or tests.
The only time we were asked to show proof of our vaccines was when we arrived in Helsinki. We showed our papers and were waved right through. The line at the testing facility was long. While we were in Helsinki we received our European QR Vaccine Codes to use on our phones. This is infinitely more convenient than handing over four pieces of paper written in French. We got those codes because our lovely and generous friend Nina Fussing of Wheeling It called the hospital where we received our vaccines and asked that our codes be mailed to her address. The day before she and her husband Paul took off on their own summer travels, our codes arrived and she was able to scan and Email them to us! Thank you, Nina!
In the meantime, Steven is pursuing his art and honing his skills. Here are two more portraits he worked on while visiting these beautiful places.
Even before Helsinki we had decided we were done with cities, but how can you pass them up? It’s not like we’ll ever be in this part of the world again, I mean, never say never, but it’s unlikely. I was ready to drive north through the forests of Finland but then Steven started doing a bit of research on Stockholm. When he learned that there was an ABBA museum, there was no more discussion. We were headed to Stockholm.
UP NEXT: Fabulous Stockholm!
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Steven’s drawing does not need any more honing. His Juliane Moore portrait is absolutely fabulous.
I love that one, too. He’s really dedicated to learning proper techniques and I am very proud of his achievements. (And he says thanks!) Thanks for commenting!
Steven here, just wanted to say thank you for your comment. I appreciate it.
I’ve enjoyed reading the blog. We are in the north of Sweden heading to Stockholm and then on to the Baltic’s so I have been taking notes. Thanks Lesley
Oh, shoot! If you want to know some of the places we stayed when we left there and headed north in Sweden, shoot me an email! Have a fab time, it’s a beautiful city! Oh, and the Baltics, just fabulous!
You guys find some really beautiful spots to visit. Did you think of a side trip to St Petersburg? The Baltic region looks awesome.
Thanks again for providing bucket list items😎
Safe travels.
St. Petersburg was always in the plans during our Helsinki visit using the 72 hour visa-free program, but Covid changed all that. We are six weeks behind our original schedule and Russia isn’t on our list at the moment. Someday, though, we’d love to go there. Love to you both!
In October, 2019, 11 of us were on a 23-day tour that included all the Baltic States. Those days were some of my favorite parts of the tour. We visited the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania. I’ve never seen anything like it! Because it was in October, it was quite cold that day. 🥶
Wow, I can imagine that October might be a bit chilly. The Baltics really deserved more time than we could give them, but we did our best. Scandinavia was our goal for this summer. I can understand why this area was some of your favorite parts of the tour!
The two of you make quite the pair of tour guides! Your wonderful writing and Steven’s photos make me feel like I’m right there with you. Thanks!
If we weren’t so lazy we could start a tour company. But we are lazy, so nah. 🙂 Love you!
Love your blog and all the pics you include. What a wonderful adventure you are having!!!
Thank you, Nancy! So glad you are following along with us and enjoying the photos and stories we post. We appreciate you taking time to comment!
An interesting blog and photos. And good to see that travel, despite the Covid restrictions, is still do-able.
Thank you! We have been very fortunate to travel during Covid and see Europe as it was perhaps 50 years ago, without busloads of tourists. It’s a time we will never forget!
Oh my, Steven’s portrayal of eyes is more revealing than they are in real life! Amazing.
I spent time in the south of Sweden, in Skåne, but regretted ever since that I didn’t make it up to beautiful Stockholm. I’m excited to read your experiences there!
Kristin in Alaska
Hi Kristin, thanks for taking time to comment! I agree that Stockholm is worth visiting, but maybe you just weren’t ready to go there at the time. I lived in Alaska for a while in the early 80s and I didn’t see much until I made a return visit in 2016! 🙂
Steven here. Kristin, thank you very much for your kind remarks. Even in photography, eyes have always fascinated me in the way they transmit so much power in a picture so it’s good to hear that you picked up on that in my drawing.
Fascinating post. Loved it all.
For those of us who will never visit there, it gives us a real glimpse into another country.
But…..of course I would have loved to see the new linen dresses and shoes !!
Kelly
LOL, Kelly, I didn’t wear a linen dress and new shoes until we got to Stockholm to go to the ABBA Museum, so a photo of that dress is coming! Good to hear from you, hope you guys are doing well.
Wow…I’m amazed at how many miles you’ve traveled, and I know more to come. What an amazing place the Hill of Crosses (I never knew about it). Great shots.
Nina
Yep, this has been a big travel year, much like the year we went to Alaska. We’ll look forward to slowing down in the fall, for sure! So happy you guys managed to get on the road for a mini-vacay! Hope you are enjoying LMB!
There’s just too much to see, isn’t there? I’m not sure we could make it through Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia so quickly, but I know that the Scandinavian countries will take a lot of time too, and there are only so many warm months left.
Glad you enjoyed your hotel vacation!
Yes, you are right, so much to see and not only limited time to see them, but closed borders, too! The Baltics really do deserve much more time and attention than we gave them, but we had hoped to be in Nordkapp on the solstice in June, so we were way behind schedule. We always say it’s nice to leave something to want to come back to in the future. 🙂
This was a great post, thank you! I’m with you about the hotel, good idea 🙂 It made me add these countries to our list (retirement is coming!). And the photos and drawings are beautiful! I’m curious, how far behind are your posts from where you actually are?
Hi Judi, thanks for commenting! We are currently in Tromso, Norway and are about three weeks behind real time. So, not too much off and we’re working on a couple of posts as we speak!
Hill of the Crosses looks incredible! I bet you could wander it for hours and hours. Love Steve’s portraits, he certainly has incredible talent!
The Hill of Crosses was amazing and even more so because we had the place to ourselves both in the daytime and later during a gorgeous sunset! They don’t lock the place up at night, either, so we had free reign! I agree with you about Steven’s talent, he is always full of surprises.
Another entertaining post from the Chouters! Thank you so much. I have been traveling vicariously through Europe with you folks. Actually, while you were in the US also. I love your narrative, Linda. And Steve, your photography is mesmerizing. Thank you, thank you, for sharing your experiences with us!
BTW, I live in Sammamish too. You guys probably would not recognize it now!
And one more thing….Linda, I too am a nut for those tiny bottles in hotels. lol
Wow, a Sammamish girl! I love it! Thank you for taking time to comment, we really appreciate knowing you are following along. I managed to squirrel away TWO sets of baby bottles while we were at the Radisson and they are now crammed into our teeny bathroom cabinet. LOL, I’m going to have to use them or get rid of them fairly soon. I think the last time we were in Sammamish was 2016 or so and it had grown up quite a bit then. We lived on Pine Lake for nearly a decade so we were kind of insulated from all the neighborhood growth. I still love it there, but I don’t think we’ll move back when we stop traveling. Sad!
Thank you for letting me know about your blog. I just love reading about your adventures and seeing all the beautiful pictures. Tell Steve his portraits are beautiful. I dabble a bit, but have done nothing as beautiful as his. Enjoy ❤️
I’m glad you found us, Kerrie! Steven says thanks for your kind words about his art. He loves doing it and so is taking his time with studies and tutorials. He only just started doing this about four months ago!
Wow! One of my favorite posts! The scenery, food, wow! Love the crosses!
Thanks, Deb! The Hill of Crosses is amazing, with just a hint of creepy. 🙂
So much to love in this post!! Like a friend who wears pearls to happy hour – she’s my hero just for that :-)) The hot llamas LOL. The Hill of Crosses photos really capture the unique and the creepy, what an interesting stop. Bully for you getting the hotel room not once but twice! I think I miss water pressure the most while traveling. Night pics in Riga and the marina sunset are fab. Yay for assist from Nina :-)) The soccer and face masks additions may be the best of all – gotta love people who make the effort. I have to stay caught up with all your amazing explorations. BTW you both look amazing!