Viljandi to Riga
Trip Start
Aug 31, 2008
1
15
37
Trip End
Oct 05, 2008
Riga,
Latvia
Friday, September 12, 2008
I'll skim the first bit. We were up early & packed & ready to depart after our 8 am breakfast. It was 6 degrees when we set out - quite chilly! By noon it had reached 12. However, we're getting used to those temperatures & actually prefer them to the European tendency to heat rooms etc to 21C.
We were staying in Viljandi, and there is a 13th century castle ruin there that sounded like it would be worth investigating. We got a bit lost & tangled up in the cobbled narrow 1-way streets - not for the last time today - but eventually found ourselves outside yet another 700 year old St John's Church, and in sight of the castle ruins
St John's Church, Vilgandi
.A large number of school kids were doing calisthenics nearby with their teachers. Later we saw them running races around some of the old streets.
St John's wasn't open inside yet, but was pretty nevertheless. After that we made our way towards the castle.
Originally there had been a 13th century convent here, which was taken over by the Knights of the Sword. All brick & 3 levels of defence & moats etc - most impressive, even in ruins. Deep pits between different levels had bridges between, and the whole complex overlooked Lake Viljandi (looked more like a river to me). While we were walking around there a few times the sun came out briefly - and the difference in the the light when there is sun light!
Oh I keep meaning to tell you about the Estonian currency - the Estonian Kroon. Now the Estonians call their country Eesti, so the Estonian Kroon is abbreviated to eek. 9 eeks to an Australian dollar ("eeks" amuses me every time). They come in notes right down to 2 eeks. When we were on the ferry crossing from Finland, David cashed 20 Euro into Eeks (so we'd have money for a taxi)
Looking out over Lake Vilgandi
. He took 1 20 Euro note and came back with a handfull of notes - 296! He gave me about half & I'd have felt wealthy except I knew how little he'd cashed to get them. Eeks subdivide into cents.In Latvia, by contrast, their currency is Lats, and there is 2.5 Australian dollars to the Lat. Petrol is more expensive than in Estonia too.
Anyway back to Viljandi. The castle, as I say, was pretty & romantic. Part was set up to be an open-air theatre - that must be lovely. There has also always been a public swing apparently. Big enough for several people at a time.
One of the bridges over the moats was a suspension bridge, but that didn't worry me as it was not moving too much.
After the castle, we got back into the car & drove to fill up with petrol & also to return a screwdriver to Rene at Car Fix.
Then we drove on to Latvia. We crossed at Valga (Estonia) into Valka (Latvia) - the town was divided in 2
Vilgandi castle ruins
. There was nobody in the border crossing buildings, but as soon as we'd driven through, we were pulled up by 3 police women. One came up to our car & said something to me. "English?" I asked. "Passport Control". We produced our passports (mine was in the carry bag down the front of my jumper - I had to reach down to pull it out & then was most embarrassed that my passport sort of had a bend in it & was also warm).First stop in Latvia was at a bank (of course) to change our remaining eeks to Lats & also get out some more Latvian currency.
Next place we drove was Cesis. (There's a flat line accent on top of the e, but I don't have it on my PDA.) Cesis is famous for beer - apparently. However we went there to see the ruins of the castle, founded in 1209 by the Knights of the Sword.
When we bought our tickets to enter the castle complex, we were given 2 tickets, a map - and 2 lanterns with lit candles! Seemed ominous! Anyway these lanterns turned out to be in lieu of providing lighting & electricity to visitors to the castle.
This began what turned out to be a "day of steps" for me. Lots & lots of steps in the castle, going up & down various towers etc. Mostly spiral, and sometimes rather scary when open at the side. David is tolerant with me - sometimes he goes ahead & tells me if it's worth doing the steps, other times (if I've already decided to do them) he makes sure he is always below me on the stairs, going up or down.
Vilgandi castle, suspension bridge
There was a young Japanese couple also exploring the town, and we kept bumping into them, obviously doing the same route as us. Going up or down some narrow stairs, in the tower that led to the dungeon, in the "new" castle (18th century) that is now an art gallery, in the church later - and even at the same café for lunch!
Listening to them speaking Japanese brought back some of it to me. At one stage when we were feeling our way down a scary set of stairs & they were slightly ahead of us at that stage, the Japanese guy asked the girl something, to which she replied that she was "daijobu" (all right). I answered to David "I'm not daijobu!"
A little later, when David descended the ladder taking him down to the basement dungeon, I declined to go, so stayed behind with the backpack. When the Japanese couple caught up with us, he considered going down, she told him not to, because it is "abunai" (dangerous). "Abunai desu" , I said (it is dangerous). They went out laughing & talking to each other about my "abunai".
Again we were fortunate in that it wasn't raining, and there were even some brief times when the sun came out
Cesis castle
.I felt I'd done a lot of stairs just in the castle, but then of course there were lots more in the "new castle". And every time we were considering leaving & skipping something, some helpful Latvian would come & make sure we didn't miss anything - all without words, but meaning clear. They were taking care of their foreign visitors!
Next we visited the church. I went to ask the lady at the desk could I take photos, and she showed me the sign we'd missed coming in, that viewing the church cost 50 san each. I paid for us both. But then she wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything - including the stairs up the tower!
Somehow I found myself starting them. Well it's easier going up than down anyway. At the bottom they weren't too bad. Then higher levels it became more like a not too steep wooden ladder. Then gradually a steeper ladder. There were wooden landings at various levels, and I kept thinking - the next level has to be the top - so I'd press on. Eventually 4 levels up I was really frightened & worried about coming down again. This time there really WAS just one more ladder to go up, but it was a steep ladder. I took 2 steps & then said no, and came back down again. I waited while David went up & took photos & then he "protected" me coming down. I dread what my knees will be like tomorrow!
After the church - would you believe it, yet another St John's Church - I guesss that is all those Teutonic Knights - we went to find something for lunch.
1-Cesis castle
No English menus, but we found a cafeteria, which meant we could point to things. David had a sort of meatball, some cold chips (like French Fries - meant to be hot) & he agreed to an unknown vegetable thing that turned out to be choko, with cheese & mushrooms etc on top. He said that his Mum would be amused because as a child he always grizzled about having to have chokos sometimes.
I opted for the same meatball but with something that turned out to be barley & ?? It was OK, but not as nice as the barley we had recently with hazelnuts in it.
We each chose a small sweet something, without really knowing what it was. Mine turned out to be a sort of coconut & orange biscuit - very nice. David's pastry had some cheese & something else in it. You see how informed we are?!
We had a bit of trouble getting out of Cesis - ended up going around the roundabout a couple of times before we found the route we wanted.
Next place we drove to was Sigulda where we visited the Turaida Castle Reserve. Yet another (1214) castle, founded on the site of a former Livonian stronghold. The Livonians were the race who lived in this area before all the other countries invaded.
We had to wait at the railway crossing for a while as an extremely long freight train went by, carrying what looked like oil or petrol
Cesis
. The various containers had Russian writing &, as David put it, "had seen better days".We didn't look around Sigulda itself, but headed down into the valley & up the other side to the Turaida Castle. Yes another castle & yes a lot more stairs. There were two other medieval castles: Sigulda and something like Krimulda on opposite hills across this valley - and each controlled fairly large separate areas even though they were as castles very close.
The Turaida castle that we visited is quite a precinct, with an old church and lovely parks etc. It was after 4 when we arrived there, and we knew we still had at least another hour's drive to Riga, so we couldn't stay too long. The castle was good, the exhibits mostly OK, but in the old granary there was a historic museum to the Livonian people. I have to say that this was really excellent, but I was getting too tired to care.
One of the reasons they gave for the Reformation was because there were so many priests "cohabiting" with unmarried women, and various people started saying that this was immoral, and had to stop. The Catholic Church said that they couldn't stop it or else there would be hardly any priests left. And then along came Martin Luther, and his comments about the selling of indulgences & ...
As I say, this castle was actually very good but it suffered for me by how much else we'd already done in the day. There were old women in medieval garb guiding & helping in the castle. There was a woman selling tickets to use the toilet (!) for 20 san each
Stairs inside Cesis castle
. There was another old woman in the church ... There were stalls of souvenirs set up around the car park, as well as one young woman selling tickets to park. It was obviously a major employer in the area! And open till 8 pm at night.We left around 5.30, and this time were finally driving to Riga. The road itself wasn't too bad - until we reached Riga. Then we were arriving in a capital city in peak hour. A bigger (& dirtier) city than we've seen, the driving in seemed to go for miles, and some was very difficult - up a cobbled street over the railway for instance (!???)
But worst of all was when we finally reached the Old Town part of Riga, ready to look for our hotel, TomTom had some of the 1-way streets the wrong way. It would say turn right here - and it would be one way the other way. We nearly reached the area we wanted & then there seemed to be gates blocking access to the old town streets. Next street TomTom wrongly directed & the next thing we found ourselves driving over the river away from the old town.
Then there were still lots of 1-way streets so we got further & further away for a while. Eventually made our way back to the right area & found those barricaded gates again. This time I noticed a car park & turned into it - and I sat in the car while David walked to the hotel to find out how we could get there.
The hotel gave him a card that he could insert & raise the barricade to the old town cobbled streets. That wasn't the end of our problems though, because they were very narrow streets & sometimes with cars parked down one side
David descending to dungeon in Cesis
. Being mainly a pedestrian precinct, people just stepped in front of me & it was quite hair raising at times. Then there was the narrow street we needed to take, and the only way I could get down the street was driving with one side of the car up on the pavement on the side, trying to avoid steps & poles, not to mention the cars on the other side. And then some young people thought it funny to duck in front of me, as if playing chicken.It was with great relief when we finally found the car park near the hotel. Even then someone directed me into 1 spot & I was having difficulties, and asked if I could park in another. We made it eventually.
Then we checked into our hotel - which is part of an old convent. It is too. Means that there are corridors & several entrances within the complex. And of course no lifts, and we're on the 2nd floor.
For once I'm a bit cold in the room - usually we've been hot.
We only waited a little & then went out to get some dinner. We ended up in a Russian restaurant called something like "Nostalgia"
discarded statue of Lenin
. Quite ornate & chandeliers & painted ceilings. David had Beef Stroganoff & I had beef cooked in rosemary - it had orange & something else in the sauce & was quite delicious.Then we came back via a supermarket near the hotel, bought a few provisions, and returned to our room. We have a small kitchen - which means we have hot plates. But no saucepans & no plates. However there is a little fridge, so we've bought ham & cheese & apple juice & crispbreads for tomorrow.
And now it is after 11.30 so I am going to bed. I'll leave loading this up until tomorrow.
Love from Kerry & David, now in Riga in Latvia
