Espoo and the fat cats' flat

Well actually there's two of those purring fury animals in Temmi's place in Espoo. Tuesday was a lazy day of shopping, cooking, reading, chatting - no lego spaceships yet, though. Maybe tonite, we'll see...

Hello and goodbye in Tampere and Helsinki

With my bagpack on my shoulders I left Yoav's flat yesterday morning to go downtown Tampere and have a last trip around the center. First to the station, to buy a ticket and leave bag and jacket in the locker. Johanna whom I had met in Cadiz texted me, and asked me to meet her at the station at 1:30 pm. So no time for the workers' museum. Seeing Johanna again is more important.
I still found time to go to the market hall again, and walk through the Finlayson area to the wooden houses of the museum. And back to the cathedral, voted the most beautiful church in Finland last year.
Johanna took me to a place she was sure I would love: a coffee shop cum cafe. Great! Everything in there was about coffee! :-)
We talked a lot exchanging travel adventures, until Yoav joined us, and then we talked a bit more. It was fun! She had been to South East Asia in May and June, and will send me a few tips for my travels next year.
Way too soon she had to leave again, and Yoav and I went shopping a bit for his new flat. Then it was time for a last hug and good bye for a long time. He invited me to go to Israel with him next summer. Hmmm...
The train at 6 pm took me past Hämeelinna and Riihimäki (oh, those memories) to Helsinki, where I was supposed to meet Temmihoo under the balls. Surprise, surprise: Sami aka Bbwolf was there, too, as well as two german girls, au pair in Helsinki. We lost them on our way to the pub.
And then there was Pulina again, and Sussinn came straight from work, and we had a great evening. They suggested I should stay and hibernate in Finland, Sami even offered his place and free coffee and internet access.
Around midnight it was time to say Goodbye to the three friends, and off to Espoo with Temmi.
Ohhhhh, weird feeling that I won't be here for quite some time...

Am I a Finn inside?

I was in Moominvalley yesterday, the museum on Moomin books and their author Tove Jansson, and found that I had been impressed a lot by these books when I was a kid of four or five. All the characters I met in the exhibition were very familiar to me. Now I saw them again like half a century later, they told me even more than when I was a kid discovering the world thru picture books.
I bought a very small book, sadly enough with the comic Moomins, not the real Tove characters, starring Nuuskamuikkuinen (Snufkin in english), the traveling guy. He's the great adventurer of the Moominvalley with a philosophical attitude to life, a sociable hermit who is friends with everyone. For the winter he wanders down south. (!) Part of his philosophy is: Things get difficult when you want to have things. "Now I just look at them, and when I go away I carry them in my head. Then my hands are always free because I don't have a suitcase."
Listen to Too-Tricky: "All things are so very uncertain, and that's exactly what makes me feel reassured."
And Little My with the red hair (not curly): "You'll never have a face of your own until you learn to fight."
Their world built my world, in a way. So Sami aka bbwolf might be right, and I might be a Finn inside. ;-)
And I definitely like finnish food, karelian pies and pulla and kalakukko. Even mustamakkara. For lunch yesterday I went to the market hall and had some of this blood pudding with jam (for 1, 20 Euro). Delicious!
The day was grey and rainy, more like early autumn than late summer. But it was still quite warm when I strolled through the streets and admired the industrial heritage buildings from early 19th century onwards. Factories had been most important to this city for a long time, and now they closed down there are cultural centres in there. They have a workers' museum as well which I'll visit today.
At 2:30 I'm gonna see my dear host Yoavick for a last few hours in Tampere. He was so nice! Lots of nice chats, and coffee, cooked great pasta and won't allow me to do the dishes and really made me feel at home! I'm happy I got to know him in chat, and now in real life.
But in the afternoon I'll leave and take the train to Helsinki and meet Temmi under the balls. Pub crawl with Pulina and Gru was arranged for last night in chat. And then on to Espoo with Temmi. :-)

Tampere - I made it!

Remember last month I was invited to meet Joannah and more members from Tampere in their beautiful city with Maikel? And I couldn't make it because of this awful cold I caught in Savonlinna? (It was NOT a hangover from Suomenlinna picknick, as Sami kept telling everybody.) Well, I definitely missed a nice picknick and swim at the Tampere lakes.
But now I've finally made it! I'm in Tampere!
Yoavick fom Israel who had moved to Finland last week to study here had invited me, and Tuula took us to his flat yesterday evening. The time we spent at her house close to the lake was so great, I really enjoyed it. She invited me to come and stay a bit longer whenever I feel like it. I will, I will!
Yoavick had been there in winter, and he said it was even better than summer. The lake frozen and you can skate, and you can ski. Plus her tiny house even has a sauna! Sounds lovely!
Well, last night Yoavick told me about his life in the kibbuz and his travels, and we went online to thank Pulina and Iia and Sov who had organized the wonderful weekend. Claudio who had moved from Italy to Finland was online as well, and just about to upload his pics and videos. We loved them! And so will you, when you click here.
And now I'm in Tampere center, online at the Tourist Information - they do have free internet access points in Finland provided by the cities and towns - , Yoavick is at the university for his first day of Environmental Studies, Justme aka Sebastian from Bavaria will come from Tuual's place soon to discover Tampere with me, and I just love all of this! :-))))

They put a spell on me...

This finnish HC-weekend in Kalmari close to Bodom Lake was great! Check pics here and don't forget to scroll right down to the videos! We're still enjoying one of the many after-parties at a lake close to Koulo with BBQ and friends from Switzerland, Germany, Israel and Finland, and they're calling me to have some more muikku (fishikins).
So wait until tomorrow in Tampere, I will tell you in due time.
Just one thing: The spell Sami and Lari had put on me has been extended on winter time as well. And not even 24 hrs later I was invited to come to Tilman's birthday party in Mikkeli in September. (!)
The first day at killer lake
It all started smoothly. I had been with Kliment's mother to their english spoken kindergarden, telling the kids about my travels. After some hugs and promises to see each other again soon, I went downtown. We met under the balls (where else), took the train to Espoo, and climbed into the bus which took us to the famous lake after a short trip. At the station we met Sov and Sussinn in their car by accident. We loaded our luggage into the car, and walked the short km to the house we had rented for the weekend.
We were quite early and chose the best beds and matress spaces underneath the roof. Some got the fire working, others the sauna, and until the evening we were a friendly crowd of about 80 people, in and around the house. Yoav came! And Lari! And Sami and so many others of my fff (favourtie finnish friends)! Even Mark from Australia came over from Tallinn - we had met in chat a few days ago.
The night was spent with talks and booze around the fire and in the sauna. Ever so often people went to the lake and back for a swim. I went to bed around 5 am, but a few actually made it until the sunrise and did morning yoga!
The second day of a great weekend
Swimming, hiking, rain - and then we hid underneath the nice roof on the balcony and did some crazy story telling. Me and Ahoora started it, and soon more and more people joined in. And the story got more ridiculous by the second. Paul aka Djdirect (see pic) was great at it! What the stories were about? Hmmm - well: "Once upon a time in an irish sauna..."
The day was relaxed and easy going, everbody always found some friends to do something with - and if you wanted to sit on your own underneath a tree and just enjoy looking around, that was ok as well.
The evening saw most at the sauna and around the fire, again. Rain had stopped and it was just perfect. Temmihoo even made some coffee on the fire - great taste! The story telling continued, but was rather difficult with around 30 people putting in new ideas ever so often. Astonishing thoug, some rather shy and quiet guyz proved to be the best story tellers you can imagibe! All the same, I went to bed rather early, around midnight - next morning we were supposed to get up and go at 7 am! The place had to be clean by 9 :(
Food was great all these days: noodle salad, pancakes the finnish way, done in the oven, lovely breakfast with lots of coffee (!), even punch and jello shots! Sov and Sofia did some great job here! The house was great, enough space for lots of tents, nice and quiet and far away from nosy people, but not too far from the lake. And everything included was only 5 euro per person for the weekend! Duh! Ok, the toilet was a bit hard to find without a flashlight at night ;)
The last day - when shall we all meet again...
It was soooo sad! Lari woke us up with rather heavy hc music and shouting at us to get going. In a nice way, but still. Everybody was getting ready to leave, small groups split, some will meet again in the evening in Helsinki. Not Tuula and Yoav, we're bound to Tampere. But first around 15 of us went to lake Bodom again, for a swim and a beer. A last chat with Paul ("C ya in Kiev! Do come!", with Mark ("Visit me in Sydney!"), with Tin ("In five years I'll be back to Vietnam - you're invited!") and Tilman who wanted me to come to his birthday party in Mikkeli. Oh - and Lari invited me to his birthday party in Vilnius end of september. Sigh! It's hard to say good bye!
Here's what Tomi wrote in HC-forum: "Thank you, kiitos for all the organizers, big THANK to Sofia, Pauliina and Sami. Sauna was hot, food was good, weather was splendid (even the rain), campsite was soft, games were exciting (and I think nobody lost in the forest after all), lakes were wonderful to swim, fire was warming and bringing light every evening, refreshments kept people happy and jolly, nobody got murdered. Overall amazing weekend with great people from all continents on earth." He's so right!

Under the balls

Haaaaaaahhhhhhhh! Finland again! Helsinki again! Under the balls again!
My superduper brand new hot red backpack was 7,8 kg, so hand luggage, I had repacked it in the morning and made it even lighter, german food was in a plastic bag, and so getting off the plane and out the airport was no problem at all.
The bus was already waiting and ready to go, and half an hour later I was sitting under the balls looking our for Kliment and his girlfriend Sofia, whom he had met on his trip to Greece one month ago (Hc-member and traveler, of course).
I munched on karelian pies until then, looking around the familiar site. Nice to come back to places you know and like!
Kliment took me to his parents' in the east of Helsinki. They are so kind and gentle! After a lunch with lots of delicious food and talks and laughter, we went to the beach closeby.
Because of the long hot summer the water was shallow, and we walked to the island, shoes and stockings left on the shore, and trousers up. Standing on the rocks, facing the wind, was so beautiful!
When back home, Kliment and Sofia left for Helsinki center and the night of the arts, and Kliment's mother Gaia and me went to sauna. To relax and chat.
Afterwards I did not feel like going downtown at all, but stayed in the cozy kitchen, chatted a lot more, and then went to bed rather early to fall fast asleep at once. Now I'm sitting in the kitchen, after a great breakfast of coffee and pancakes with jam homemade in Bulgaria.
Today at 3:15 pm I'll meet some friends to go to the weekend in Espoo together, again under the balls. During the next days I might not have internetaccess, but don't worry. I'll tell you all about our fun later.

Ready to go

Today or rather yesterday was my last day in Berlin for a few weeks, again. Christel came round in the morning, and will look after the flowers and the mail. I hope she'll like the bottle of lithuanian honeywine I brought all the way from Siauliai.
The plane from Tegel will take me to Helsinki around noon. Three weeks last month was not enough, it seems. There's an HC-meeting this weekend, and Helsinki Festival is on since August 18. Tomorrow will be the Night of the Arts with 140 events all over the town.
I've never been to Tampere and Turku, and Yoavick and Sov invited me to stay a few days. And I'm looking forward to visit Temmihoo and his cats in Espoo.
Theriel asked me to bring some more potatoe dumplings, and Little_Star and I decided to do some german noodle salad on Friday at the meeting. So I bought some german sausage for the salad.
I had offered to sing a german song if they promise not to laugh, and I still haven't decided which one. It should be something easy, so that they can join in. So far more than 60 from all over the world will be coming, Australia, North and South America, and Asia included. I'll sure find a few to talk about countries I might travel to this winter.
The backpack is squeezed full, I had to leave out a few t-shirts and the skirt I wore so often this April and May, but Finnair is rather strict with handluggage lately. Not more than 8 kg. And I made it!
Ok, I don't have to bring my sleepingbag, Kliment will be so nice as to lend me one of his. And no mattress, Pulina took care of that. More information on this late summer / early autumn weekend in the forum - click here.

Proud owner of a brand new hot red backpack

What a boring day, somehow! Nothing much happening around Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz in the rain (see pic). Lots of calls, then I met Gabiberlin from HC, who actually lives just down the road from my place. NOT boring to meet this nice woman after all those months of either me or her or both of us traveling. We should and will more often. She's a teacher and loves traveling (of course) and hosting, and we might go on well together.
Then in the afternoon the long awaited call: my backpack has been delivered, and I can go and fetch it at the "Globetrotter" shop. Which I did after having fetched the more than 400 pics I took during my last two months' trip. Ahhhhh! Those memories!
This time I will be more lucky and take pics with my digi camera. Sami had brought me the recharger I had left in his kitchen in Riihimäki. So it should work, for a change...
And - yup - now I'm the oh-so-proud owner of a superduper brandnew hot red backpack, meant for daytrips or hiking thru the mountains for a week or so. And I'll use it for my two months' trips to Venezuela and on. Hah!
I wonder what to do with my pocketknife, if I only travel with handluggage, though. Hmmm....
Oh, right, something else did happen actually: Edubrazil and Leialel invited me to come over to Brazil. Now these guyz (Leialel is a woman, but still) had been asking me over so often now, and they really seem to mean it. I'll miss out on meeting Leiealel in Europe, she's coming over this month for a trip around the Baltic, and will actually be in Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga, at times when I won't. Sigh. But still: Brazil ain't that far from Venezuela, is it?

Rainy days in Berlin

Autumn has come all of a sudden. The air is chilly, heavy rain pours down ever so often. The finns are complaining as well. Patrick made it to Sarajevo, nice and warm. Lucky him!
Nothing much yesterday. Checked a few dates with my dentist and doctor for vaccination, called the tax offices in Stuttgart and Berlin, tried to be at the Indian embassy in time, and was told by Helge that four weeks in Venezuela would not be enough. So more time there? And not going on to Australia and/or New Zealand? Hmmmm...
Flohfish, a crazy guy from Germany I met at the Vilnius party (last week, was it?), suggested a Winter Camp, like the two last years. Vilnius first in 2004, then Riga in 2005, had been a success. Posted in the morning, already twenty or more answers so far. Everybody is delighted. Great idea!
So now this year where? Finland would be nice with snow and Santa and sauna. But Poland would be easier to get to - no Schengen-visa needed. Ghoti and I volunteered to help organize. Meenzer will try to get some active polish members together to do the main part. Planning a party for around 600 members ain't an easy task. But would be fun! :-)

Sunday in Tiergarten

Was up till the early hours of sunday morning and slept late to make up for it. The sun was shining again after the heavy thunderstorm the night before, so I might as well enjoy the last summer days in Berlin.
The bands at open air weekend concerts in the Tiergarten seemed great, so I took the bus there. And arrived just in time for the next jazz and soul concert. Munching on indian samosa and dhal, I was sitting on the meadows amidst lots of other relaxing people having picknicks, kids running around, friends chatting. I always love the crowd at Englischer Garten and Teehaus in Tiergarten.
One hour later, a fresh wind and huge clouds covering the sun got me anxious. The sky changed by the second, grey in the west, still blue in the east. I left just in time to find shelter at the bus stop before the heavy rain started.
At Zoo station I looked for some more presents for my hosts - no chance to find nice fridge magnets. So I bought a bottle of retsina, and went home. Listening to a great concert on Arte (Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, live from the Alhambra in Granada), I chatted some and tried to find the best way of traveling around the world. Seems that return tickets are cheapest. And would allow me to water the flowers in my flat in between my trips. Hmmm.....

Saturday in Schöneberg

How nice to have my usual saturday morning stroll through Schöneberg. From Crellestraße to Akazienstraße and Goltzstraße, towards the market at Winterfeldtplatz. So much has changed in the last two months when I was uproad. New shops, new people. Then again, the old pubs and places and neighbours.
First stop was at "Doubleeye" with the best coffee and pasteis de nata in town. For a cortados and a portuguese pastry, and I payed only 2,27 €. More than in Portugal, but still not much.
Next stop after browsing a few shops, especially 2nd hands, for rainjackets and trekking trousers, and after the obligatory walk through the market (they have churros!), was my favourite pizza take away "Dolcepizza". A huge chunk for 1,50 Euros. And all the tastes you can wish for! My choice of the day was napoletana with zucchini. Lecker!
Lots of people are always around, enjoying their pizze. Or the icecream from the parlour next door. Since it was a hot day (again, heatwave's still on), I had one as well. New favours buttercooky and caramelcandy. Two big swoops for 1,60 €. Delicious!
So for just over 5 € I'd had a feast! Not so expensive, great food in Berlin.
And we got shops and food and stuff from all over the world! Just have a look at Winterfeldt market on a saturday morning, you'll see for yourself!
Don't forget to have a falafel at "Habibi" and a beer or a coffee at "Slumberland", like David Bowie used to, and I do now. Great places, both of them!
I went on downtown searching for sensible clothes for traveling, and looking for some fridge magnets to give to those hosts who already had the berlin bear key chain. Didn't find either. :-(
So around 6 pm I called it a day, and went back home. In chat I met all my friends (of course), said good bye to Sov, who wanted to go to a hardcore band session with Fernando, a guy he had met at the hc-pub meeting on Friday. We'll see each other again next weekend in Espoo.
I had had to cancel the Warsaw meeting, because of too much to be done to check for flights and visa and more preparations for my next travels. Later they told me in chat it had been great. Of course. Sigh.
Very late in the evening I went out for a beer to my second best liked pub on Crellestraße, "Leuchtturm", opened in the 70s and not much changed since then, table soccer included. How nice to sit outside this summer night! But not much more, autumn will come soon. The nights are getting longer fast, and last night it started raining hard, and will continue doing so all through the week. Temperature dropped already. Time to move on...

Then again meeting friends is always nice, too!

After recovering a bit on Thursday, I had regained enough energy to do some more shopping. More of those cute little Berlin bears on a keychain, the much appreciated gift to my hosts. I have bought 45 of those dears altogether now. The shop assistants remembered me, and were wondering what i needed them all for. ;-)
At "C & A" I found some nice rain jackets and trekking clothes, a lot cheaper than at "Globetrotter". But I didn't buy any - I haven't decided on the colour scheme yet. Everything should look nice combined with everything else. This time I won't take much along, so this is even more important than it usually is to me.
From the shops and the big shopping event in Berlin center I passed (which I hate and never go to), I went straight to the first ever Hospitalitypub-meeting in Berlin at cafe "An einem Sonntag im August" in Prenzlauer Berg. Sov was already there, and so were seven more guys. We were 14 altogether later, from eight countries. Not bad for such a short notice in HC-Forum.
Lots of information were exchanged and new hitchhike partners found, and then they all left for the Mauerpark to enjoy some time in the nice summer night, and to go clubbing later.
I took the tram and bus back home, was surprised by the lovely fireworks on Museumsinsel when passing there, and called it a day. Not without chatting and meeting quite a few of my friends online, of course.
Today it's saturday: time to go to the market on Winterfeldplatz. And meet up with Sov to do some shopping in Kreuzberg. I wonder why Gabiberlin didn't come last night. Hmmmmm...

Staying at home can be sooo great!

Yesterday afternoon I felt a bit exhausted from all the traveling. And did not feel like going to any museums. Instead I did lots of washing and cleaning and getting ready for the next trips. But mostly I enjoyed staying at home in Crellestr. (see pic) for a change. :-)
And relaxed....

An evening at Crellestraße - and more

I made it! Inspite of two not very light bags I took the tram to the station, walked to the hostel to leave those nice bags, and had a last stroll through Riga.
Once more to the market with the cookies for just 9 santimas, around 15 cent, and the knitted wool socks and mittens for 5 to 10 Euro, depending on the pattern and the size. A last meal at the bus station cafeteria, plov and veggies and kefir for under 2 Euros. Then on to the Rimi-Supermarket to buy some typical latvian food for home decoration and gifts for my dear friend Christel who had had some job watering my flowers in this superdooper hot summer in Berlin.
I just about made it to the busstation in time to meet Justina from Vilnius, on her way with eight others to Riga airport and on to Georgia. She had been wishing I was here to help her around town, when there I was, right in front of her! So nice!
At 2 pm finally Ieva and I managed to meet at the Laima clock, for a coffee and a coke in the park by the river. She gave me a last small present: the cutest ribbon donned up with pearls in the perfect shade of blue, matching my new sweater and sun hat. So sweet!
And then back to the hostel and bye to Evecooper, hearing the latest news about Manis and Catflower in Helsinki, and about Meenzer, who will arrive in Riga with Auryte from Vilnius. So I miss him - but will meet him most probably next weekend in Warsaw.
To the bus, to the airport, bye to Latvia - back to Berlin and Crellestraße.
Five mínutes after arrival at home I was sitting in my favourite "Cafe Mirell" just across the road from my place, enjoying my first Jever after two months. Sov and Babso didn't come, after all, but never mind! I was looking onto Schöneberg nightlife from underneath the huge umbrellas, keeping the rain off. Yes, it had started raining again after so many weeks of mostly sunshine! Nice!
And this morning Sov came, and we walked through my favourite streets Akazienstraße and Goltzstraße to Winterfeldplatz, had some great indian food (he's vegetarian and wouldn't eat the proposed Currysausage), and then to "Globetrotter" to look for a backpack, just the right size to carry two months' stuff, and to be handluggage all the same. With his help I managed to find a great one (Deuter Futura 32 AC, ordered it in a nice hot red, and will get it on Monday!
Now all I need is the perfect 3-in-1 jacket, protecting against rain and cold. I'll check now, without Sov, whom I'll meet again later for the Thursday night open for free Berlin museums.
Being at home isn't that bad after all, hein?!

Berlin - I'm coming!

Ain't this a great sunset? Like the one I enjoyed yesterday when traveling back to Antra's place. I wasn't feeling like joining Christopher's birthday party, even though I would have met Evecooper and Ievabr. Both friends are called Ieva - a much beloved name in Riga.
Packing today, trying to throw away a few things I don't actually need, so that I can travel lighter. A last visit to Evecooper and the hostel, so called business lunch with Ieva, and then off to the airport.
At 6:55 pm I'll be back in Berlin. And at 8 pm I'll meet Sami aka Sov from Helsinki and Brett aka Babso from Melbourne in my favourite cafe at Crellestrasse. I convinced Brett yesterday evening in chat that he has to come to the Helsinki meeting end of August. And he will!
Btw: He knows Patrick and Evecooper and Auryte... It's a small and crazy HC-world!!!

From Siauliai back to Latvia

After two delightful days in Siauliai (see pic) with Audrone and her family I took the bus back to Riga this morning.
Three hours later I left my luggage at Evecooper's, and meant to go to Jurmala and the beach. The weather will be worse soon, maybe this would be the last chance for some nice sunny hours at the seashore. But then I was too tired after all. Traveling by bus can be so exhausting!
Well, instead I had some great and for a change healthy food at the bus station cafe, and strolled around the now well known streets of Riga old town. I even walked up north to Elisabetes Iela and Alberta Iela to see some more of those great Art Nouveau houses. And to Valdemar Iela and the house where Sergei Eisenstein, the world famous film director, had been born and lived in his youth.
All these days I had meant to visit one of the museums, but had never felt in the right mood to do so. But I would have hated to miss the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia 1940 - 1991. So I went and stayed for two hours in this marvellous exhibition. It was impressive and sad to see the fate of the latvian people under german and sowiet russian occupation.
After this experience I did not feel like enjoying Riga nightlife and Christopher's birthday party (a guy I had met at the painting party end of July), and went home quite early. Tomorrow will be my last day in Riga for quite some time. It felt so strange and different from any town where I had been before, and now I wonder why. I had been living here for almost two weeks - things and people change...

A family meeting near Siauliai

Today I was invited to join to the meeting of Jonas' brothers and sisters and their families. It was an honour and a pleasure to be with these nice Lithuanians and to be allowed to share their family tradition.
About 70 of us met at a small church in a small village, participated in a special sermon for the dead relatives, and went with our 15 cars in a long row to several cemeteries close by to visit the many graves of parents, grandparents and even greatgrandparents. Everybody had brought flowers and candles, and a prayer was said at each of the family graves.
It had been raining all the time, and it still did when we went on to the old family farm for the merrier part of the meeting. So tables and benches were taken from the meadows to a room big enough for family and friends, food and drinks were unpacked and set on the tables, and the feast started. Speeches, toasts, tucking into the mountains of homemade delicacies, cheering with beer, champagne, vodka, brandy (you name it, we had it!), and later singing and dancing!
We feasted on some rather rare specialities you would not find in any restaurant, like blood pudding, intestines stuffed with a spicy potatoe filling, and kugelis, grated potatoe with ham and onions baked in the oven. It was delicious! Of course with all the grease you had to have lots of brandy to wash it down. ;-)
The way to the loo close to the woods was rather far, and I had forgotten to bring my umbrella. So I came back soaking wet and with my curly hair even more curly and dripping - nobody seemed to mind, me either.
We sat rather tight, but enjoyed the food, the drinks and the company. Everybody talked to me, and we all had lots of fun. I didn't understand a word, but so what! ;-)
Thank you, Audrone and Jonas, for your great hospitality!

Crosses in Lithuania

Audrone and her husband Jonas met me at Siauliai station, took me to their nice house closeby where I met their children Lucija and Jonas, and after some coffee (!) and some time to relax, showed me around their town and the countryside.
I was lucky to have been invited by Audrone, a member of HC since only two months, but very active and enthusiastic about the idea of hospitality and traveling since the 70s. She works in the library of one of the many Siauliai museums, and Jonas is a photographer at a newspaper. They told me a lot about lithuanian history, and had been engaged in the freedom movements in the 90s.
The stories were moving, and the sights even more so. They showed me the cemeteries with memorial monuments for the many lithuanians having suffered under the occupation, and many more.
Of course we went to the Hill of the Crosses, as well. It's a holy place since thousands of years, and has been sacred and cherished by the catholics from all over Europe. During so many centuries, the lithuanian catholics had suffered a lot to keep this place as a memorial to their faith and their freedom. Now it still is a place of amazing energy.
Later, we went to see another astonishing place, a lot different, though. An old artist had changed his farm into a museum to liberty, Lithuania and faith with incredible ideas. A colourful boat, a train, and much more in the middle of nowhere... Now his daughter is keeping her horses here. Horses and religion - so important in Lithuania!
After a delicious lithuanian lunch and yet another nap, Audrone showed me Siauliai daily life, the shops with lithuanian specialities, and the center. I learned a lot from this great and enthusiastic woman! And in the evening we chatted merrily and enjoyed our time together. :-)

More than four weddings and a party

Just a short notice to say I'm still alive and going strong. Made it to Siauliai rather early this morning after a party where I left around midnight and slept for a few hours to meet the party gang at the breakfast table around 5 am. I'm gonna miss Justina and Vilnius and sure have to get back some day soon.
In the afternoon she had shown me and Franz around the old town and the artists' corner. Sigh! Beautiful and calm and lovely!
More some other day - I'm too tired after only four hours of sleep...
Oh, the weddings! You couldn't walk through the streets and favourite places of Vilnius without running into a wedding picture being taken. At least ten wedding parties! Seems to be the normal summer Saturday event in Lithuania. Weird.

Labas, Lithuania!

Yesterday morning I walked to Liepaja station, got some nice food and drinks for the way at the small station shop with the friendly waitress, and climbed into the bus to Klaipeda. Two hours later, the very next bus to Vilnius took me to the Lithuanian capital. World heritage, of course.
Things I missed on the way: wild horses in the National park, beautiful shores, merry beach resort Palanga, and the world heritage and amazing Curonian Spit, Neringa. I definitely should have more time!!!!!
But Vilnius and the HC-meeting on Saturday were waiting, and so are Siauliai and the Hill of Crosses. I have to be back in Riga on the 16th, because for the evening I booked my flight back to Berlin.
I was so silly to think more about the paper work I have to do in Berlin in August than all the invitations I got in Lithuania. Kaunas and Druskininkai, to name a few. And it's a beautiful country! I'm glad I have at least a few days here.
Even the first glimpse at the countryside and at Vilnius told me I have to come back for a few weeks. Maybe next summer?
Justina met me at the station, and took me to a farewell party of a volunteer organisation in the park. New volunteers had come, and old will leave today, so they played guitar and sang and had a nice last evening together.
Today some more guests will come to Justina's flat in the middle of the beautiful 18th century old town. Franz and Patrick and Ieva - my friends from HC! Now, that's what I call a verrrry small world!
We're all going to the party this afternoon and will party through the night - not me, the train to Siauliai leaves at 6:45 am. Yeah well. Traveling can't always be fun...

Waterfalls, poets and chaotic travels

Wow, these have been some busy days without any internetaccess, so no blog...
Not much time now either, the bus to Klaipeda leaves soon. Traveling can take up most of your days (and nights), you know.
Wednesday I reached Kuldiga, met my host Janis at the local Rimi, and spent a lovely evening strolling around the famous center of old wooden houses, often seen in movies because of its extraordinary beauty. Well, there was a video taken on the main street, that day. On to the famous waterfalls, one the highest in Latvia, the other the broadest in Europe. Of course I had to join the kids and families crossing the fall, and of course I slipped and got wet. My clothes and myself dried fast at the small bar close to the falls, and I enjoyed the sight in the evening sun, and a beer.
Next day the bus took me across Kurzemes to the seashore and Liepaja. What a nice cosy town! Most latvan musicians come from here, and it's famous for the first latvian rock cafe. The annual Rock Festival will be next weekend, so I miss it. :-(
The wooden houses of Tzarist times are so beautiful, some of course need renovation. The short walk took me through the shady and niceley done up park to the beach, where I spent a few hours enjoying the sun and the sea.
My host Jana met me at the monument of the woman looking towards the sea. She's a poet, and her friends are artists. The poets even have a small house of their own in Karusta. We went there, the place is very extraordinay, almost like a ghost town since the russian military left. But the artists' corner has a charme of its own, and I can well imagine why Jana loves this area so much.
In the evening, when checking e-mails after some days, I found invitations to Shiauliai and Vilnius, none to Klapeda or Nida, alas. Hmm....
So I guess I have to skip the Curonian Spit for now, and move on to Vilnius earlier than planned, to make it to Siauliai and the Hill of Crosses in time. We'll see...

Give me a break!

And I got one. More than one, actually. Lots of breaks and waiting on Tuesday. Waiting for the washing machine, waiting for the tumble dryer, waiting at the bank to change a few more euros into Lats - only to find they can't give me money on my mastercard, and I'd have to use the cashier machine. Pfff...
Waiting for Evecooper to finish working, waiting for our friends to join us at the "Cuba"-Bar, waiting for more friends to join us at "Casablanca"-Bar, waiting for a taxi...
But it wasn't wasted time, cos we had lots of chats and talks with all these friends, and I strolled through the now so well known places and streets of Riga, got some latvian cds, found the trousers I was looking for since London - lots of bags, so rather great when traveling.
Today I tried to squeeze a week's clothes and stuff into one tiny bag, which I am very proud about, because I managed to do it, and even the sleeping bag fits in there. It's handluggage size! Hah, I'm learning.
Right now I'm sitting in "Riga Hostel" with Patrick and Evecooper, Patrick is about to leave for the beach at Jurmala, and my bus to Kuldgia leaves in half an hour. Looking forward to the latvian countryside! :-)

Nice to be back in Riga!

Back to Riga by bus. Batmannu took me to the station after her nightshift. Then it was six hours busride through the estonian and latvian countryside again.
Patrick aka urg texted me around noon. He was on his way to Riga as well, coming from Vilnius. By bus, since hitchhiking hadn't been that easy lately. We agreed to meet at the freedom monunment. And invited a few other HC-members who are in Riga to join us in the evening at Livu Laukums, which is a big square close to the main street in old town with outdoor tables and supposedly good beer.
It was so nice to see him again after two months! I had hosted him in Berlin, he went on to Poland, his bike broke down a few weeks ago, and now he had been crisscrossing Europe for all these weeks.
After a hearty meal at "Pelmeni" we went to the hostel where Evecooper is working, to meet her, agree on what to do in the evening, and to leave our luggage there. Then I took Patrick for a sightseeing tour around Riga.
Later we met Evecooper, a friend of hers, and James from HC around 10 pm, and James brought Moritz, a german guy he had met at the hostel, an HC-member, too. I was lucky to meet him, especially since they have a washing machine plus tumbler in his hostel. My washing and his are getting done right now, this nice guy is sitting in the internetcafe next to me, and we'll stroll around Riga soon.
Patrick and me enjoyed the calm and warm night and forgot about time and the last trolleybus. Even the last minibus had left when we came to the station. But instead of paying too much for a ride with a taxi, we payed three lat to a guy who stopped by, and took us all the way to my place. At home, I found the internet connection wasn't working. Tough luck! Now it's internetcafes again, to find new hosts in Latvia and Lithuania. I'll leave for Kuldiga tomorrow, but Janis will be hosting me there. So no problem so far.
It might be a day at the beach later, again, cos the sun is shining, and it's nice and warm, but looks as if autumn and rain might be approaching fast. It had been raining all the way from Berlin to Lithuania when he was on the bus, Moritz said.
Seems like this wonderful summer is coming to an end. :-(

Up some more onto the hill

Another nice stroll through the cobbly streets of medieval Tallinn, called Pikk and Vene and Viru. Then I accompanied Lari to the ferry. He's off to his home with latvian friends and then to Sweden, and I will be going back to Riga on Monday. We'll meet at the Helsinki party end of August, with lots of our friends from all over the world.
So for now and for a change, I was on my own again. And I loved it! :-)
I met Batmannu in a small cafe close to her office. We talked a lot on our mutual friends from chat, but also on her life in Estonia. Then she had to do nightshift until the morning, but we will have time to meet in chat. (Which we did!)
In the afternoon and evening I enjoyed discovering beautiful houses and narrow alleyways in the old town, dating from 13th to 16th century. No wonder it's world heritage!
Finally I went up the castle hill to top my weekend with the best view from there onto Tallinn, the harbour and even further. It's a nice little old town, and you can relax and feel comfortable in here. You might even feel at home, if it wasn't for the tourists.
But it's charming in a special way, more so than Riga, which is bigger and busier. All the same I'll take the bus back there today. I would hate to miss out on the ethnographic museum. I already was too late to get into the city museum in Tallinn yesterday!

Up north to Tallinn

The tram took me to the central station through Riga Center along beautiful Art Nouvau streets. I went to the market halls first to get some coffee and cake for breakfast, and some food and water for the six hour trip to Tallinn. Altogether I paid not even 1,50 Euro, including three delicious hotdogs and piroges filled with cabbage and meat resp. - can you imagine!
The bus ride was rather boring and tiresome, even though I enjoyed the views on the sea shore, shrubs, farm lands, wooden houses, the villages, and ever so often storks stalking around.
I texted Lari to know where and when to meet, since Batmanu aka Agnes from HC-chat hosted him already and will host me on Sunday. Saturday we will have to share her small room, since she forgot about having promised both of us we could stay. He texted back that he'll meet me at the bus station. So it will be another day with this nice guy!
Hopping off the bus at Terminal A, he was already waiting for me. Then a shout:"Annetteeeee!" A girl came running towards us: Sussinn from Helsinki! She had been in Tallinn for a few days with her friends and was on her way back home, waiting for the next ferry. What a surprise! It's a small world!
We left my bag at Batmannu's working place, and then Lari showed me around the wonderful medieval center of Tallinn, Reval in times of the Hanse. It felt like a german town, weird. Well, the language was sprinkled with german and is very close to finnish. Of course I didn't understand a word of it, all the same. But Lari did.
He liked the sea shore better, so we enjoyed some time at the city concert hall build in the 80s, now in ruins. The view across the sea was amazing!
Looking for new jeans since the old ones had been paited pink at the paiting party was fun, we couldn't agree on one single pair, but so what?
We then spent the evening waiting for Batmannu to finish work and join us short before midnight, by sitting in the park drinking some very expensive red wine. The shop assistant had cheated on us, and in no way could we prove we had given them 500 eek, not 100. Well, shit happens. The wine was good all the same, and the talks as well.
At 11 am the small old russian guy working in the park warned us that we should stop drinking, that was so nice! It's the law in Estonia: no alcohol in the streets between 11 pm and 7 am, not even in the open air restaurants. So people get drunk inside.
We didn't, but took the taxi to Batmannu's place where we stayed outside some more in the park, buying beer and long drinks from the nearby gambling hall. Open 24/7. So much to keeping people from drinking.
Then home at 2 am, onto chat, and whom would I meet but Patrick, still touring around Europe whilst waiting for his bike to be repaired so he can continue his travel from London to Singapore. He's in Vilnius right now, and without a host because he arrived too late. Luckily many internetcafes are open 24/7 as well, so he had a place to stay and chat to spend his time. Tomorrow he'll come to Riga, so we might hook up again. Even do some traveling together, maybe. Who knows?

Status Quo at the beach

After taking Lari to the central bus station, waving him goodbye till tomorrow and buying a ticket for myself, the weather was that great, and the weather report for the next days that lousy, that I decided to make it a day at the beach.
The train to Jurmala left soon enough, and I was in this nice old sea and holiday resort after a short trip of 30 minutes. The small center with the beautiful wooden houses wasn't as crowded yet with tourists as it certainly will be all over the weekend starting tonight with the ever partying youngsters.
Jurmala has seen better days, and maybe will again in a few years. But the beach is great anyway, the water was warm enough to swim in, even though it was no hot day with only 20 C. The sun was shining, and I enjoyed relaxing and strolling along the shore. Accompanied by some well known music: Staus Quo were having their sound check and rehearsing a bit. Great! :-)
I didn't wait for their concert in the evening, but went back home to Riga as soon as it got a bit chilly. I had to look for hosts in Latvia and Lithuania for the next week, and to pack for my weekend trip to Tallinn. World heritage...

Things to do on a rainy day

First of all don't take your umbrella, don't buy one either. That way it's more fun!
Then go to the hairdresser first, the sun bleached out all the colour, and the hairstyle might be refreshed as well. Go to the best hairdresser in town, but be careful not to pay too much! Which can be avoided if you have friends who know.
Then make sure you happen to be in or close to a mall. Nice and dry areas with lots of cafes, restaurants and - of course - shops. A suitable one in Riga would be MOLS.
Check every shoeshop for sensible shoes, most probably you won't find any. So it takes longer to look.
Check every dress shop for sensible dresses, trousers and t-shirts. You will find them by the dozens. Remember glittery thingies don't count as sensible.
Then, after having found all the stuff you were in desperate need for, buy a huuuuge bag to put your goodies into.
And then forget to go to the supermarket to get the fruit juice you were supposed to get for the kiddy games party in the evening. Which I did. So I had to go to a second mall! Ain't that a wonderful way of spending your time on a rainy day?!
In the evening, when the sun was out again, and my hair nice and dry (and curly and a copper red), we met at Ieva's place and had fun playing kiddy games from Latvia, Germany and Finland with a few of her friends, every one of them hc-member. We enjoyed it a lot, but all those crawling about games and carrying each other and stuff were a bit hard on me. Age and old bones...
Way after midnight Lari and I left for our place, and now today he's off to Tallinn, and I'll go the beach northeast of Riga. And on to Tallinn tomorrow. Batmannu (whom we know from chat and the Helsinki meeting) will host us, first him, then me. Maybe the two of us on saturday, we'll see. :-))))

On my own? Never-ever! Not in Riga!

Yes, well, nobody can say I didn't try. But there's so many HC-members around. It's more fun to discover this beautiful old Hanse city and all the great architecture together.
No beach today, again, because of too much rain and cloudy spells. It's quite warm all the same.
Yesterday I ziggzagged through Riga center, enjoying getting lost and finding new wonderful sights. I preferred walking instead of taking the bus, even though the fare is only 0,20 lat, 0,30 euro. Did I tell you they have ticket sellers in every bus? Yes, they do. So different from Copenhagen and the ghost train without any body onboard but passengers.
The busses and trolleybusses pass quite frequently along busy Brivibas iela, and Ieva lives just round the corner. It's a half hour walk from here to the old town, and so much more rewarding then driving.
Today I strolled through markets and supermarkets to get food for tonight. I promised to cook my famous carrot-ginger-soup for dinner with Ieva and Rohiman. Well, actually it's my friend Bettina's recipe. It was fun looking for cream without having any clue what the latvian word might be. I took the package with the cows, saying 25 %. Turned out to be the correct choice. Carrots was easy, of course.
When looking for bread I discovered some really nice and tempting smelling bakeries, bekereja in latvian. There's so many german words in this language, due to seven centuries of german upper class in Riga. The latvians were rather thought of as underlings and slaves and were not allowed to own houses, let alone companies in the town. That is all past now, but the remains can still be found.
By the way, they had pumpernikeli in the bakery - not black bread, though, but gingerbreadlike cookies with nuts. And keksi, which is cake.
On my way further downtown, I was unlucky to find the shopping area. This is so unfair! But I had no chance of getting the sandals I need.
And now I'm in my favourite internetbar again, chatting away with my finnish friends, and Vindya from Sri Lanka who joined a funbus for the underpriviledged children on her island, when I met Lari in chat. He's back to Riga! So we arranged to meet at 6 pm under the clock, called laima here, which is more romantic than the freedom monument, called milda. It's the favourite meeting point since 1924, when it was set up. He's 21, and I'm older than his father (why does he have to tell everybody?), but it's always fun to meet him. Age doesn't really count when traveling.
And then off to cook dinner together, and then on to my new host Antra, who will be leaving for Norway tomorrow. Where she and her kids will be staying with HC-hosts, as well. Of course.
And I have a base from where to discover Latvia in daytrips. :-))))

Riga on my own

Last night, after chatting side by side in a very nice and not expensive internetcafe, Theriel and I went to a hostel in the old town, where Evecooper works. We knew her from HC-chat, and I had met her at Berlin Beach Camp. She was surprised I had not left after the painting party with my finnish friends. We agreed to go to the beach today, not to crowded Jurmala, but further up north.
Theriel wanted to meet Meikki, a finnish girl from Savonlinna, at the Pelmeni place. So we went there for a midnight snack, but the small girl never turned up. I said goodbye to Theriel - we will definitely meet again in chat, but whether I'll join the Finns for their summerhouse cum sauna weekend in late August I don't know yet. Evecooper invited me to go to the Calabrian summer camp with her. Hmmmm...
Well, I'm sitting in the same internetcafe like yesterday right now (three hours plus coffee only 1,80 euros) , Evecooper aka Ieva postponed the beach until tomorrow, and I'll discover Riga on my own today. Maybe I find those sandals I'm looking for since Copenhagen in one of the many shoe shops here. Healthy practical sandals you can walk in for hours. Very useful when traveling. And it's the time of summer sales now.
Did I tell you, I actually understand some latvian, because some words are a bit like german? Weird.