Beautiful Churches of Vilnius, Lithuania

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Travel Spirit

During the 33 days I toured through Europe, there were many Cathedrals and Churches to visit. Although not as colorful as some others, the simplicity and beautiful cream interior of the St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Vilnius provides a tranquil shelter for those seeking peace.

The spectacular interior has over 2,000 stucco figures and its ceilings soar!

The Church of St. Anne and Church of St. Francis and St. Bernard are also lovely. It is a bit confusing because they are right next to one another. I don’t show a photo of the latter’s exterior. The Church of St. Anne’s gothic architecture reminded me a bit of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

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Living like a local in Vilnius, Lithuania

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Travel Spirit

The Lux Express bus ride equipped with wifi and restroom from Riga, Latvia to Vilnius takes four hours. Upon arrival in Vilnius, we walked 15 minutes to our spacious and bright Airbnb, with three bedrooms, and two bathrooms.

We followed our established routine, going out to a local Supermarket to stock up for the three night stay, and then hit the pavement!

Our four mile walk included a stroll through beautiful Bernardine Park.

I love capturing emotion…a mother’s love for her infant…and color!

We also briefly explored the area called Uzupis, similar to Christiana in Denmark…The self-proclaimed “Republic” of Užupis is Vilnius’ Bohemian and artistic district. It has its own anthem, constitution, president, bishop, two churches, and the Bernadine Cemetery.

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Riga, Latvia’s Architecture

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Riga, Latvia’s architecture is lovely! Much of it is the Art Nouveau style. I love the variety of shapes, colors, and styles…

The view of the Daugava River and Old Town is spectacular from the top of St. Peter’s Church!

I could see the street where our over 100-year-old Airbnb was located…on the left side!

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Three Days in Riga, Latvia

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Travel Spirit

On Midsummer Day, June 24th, we boarded a Lux Express bus at 8:30am from Tallinn, Estonia and arrived 4 1/2 hrs. later in Riga, Latvia. The bus was equipped with wifi and a restroom, and was quite comfy. Upon arrival, we walked 15 minutes to our Airbnb, which was located right in the heart of Old Town. Actually, a little too close for comfort. Music from a nearby restaurant/bar disturbed my sleep at night. When you’re searching for an Airbnb that has everything you’re looking for: location, space, amenities — sometimes it’s difficult to have a clear picture of what you’re getting.

After settling in, off to the Supermarket we went. With only 2 1/2 days to explore Riga, there was much ground to cover.

Riga’s Old Town was filled with restaurants and cafes!

The Pilsetas Kanal is quite lovely…

Wandering through the Central Market we discovered fragrant flowers…

and heaps of fresh fruits and vegetables…

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Views from Tallinn Old Town Wall in Estonia

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Travel Spirit

The view from Tallinn Old Town Wall is wonderful! The wall was originally 2.5 km in length, but isn’t totally intact now. Along a road called Müürivahe, you can enter a wooden door, and for a small fee, climb the stairs and explore the top of the city wall.

Originally, I was going to climb to the top of St. Olaf’s Church to view the City, but because it was a holiday, they were closed. This view was quite spectacular also!

There are other viewing platforms around the City for outstanding and picturesque views of the City! Our Airbnb was located on the outskirts of Old Town on the Western side and the viewing platforms were only a 10 minute walk away…

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Kadriorg Palace & Park

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Kadriorg Palace was built in 1725 by Russia’s Peter the Great for his wife Catherine I. When Estonia gained its independence in 1919, the Palace became Estonia’s Art Museum in 1921. During World War II, Germany occupied the Palace and then the Russians. Finally, in 1991, Estonia became independent once again!

After years of renovation, the Palace was reopened in 2000 displaying foreign art. The Palace, gardens, and park are lovely!

We walked over 2 miles from our Airbnb to the Palace…

There are plenty of park benches to relax on and enjoy being in nature.

The Palace is quite colorful and we had another beautiful day for sight-seeing!

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Tallinn’s Architecture

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Travel Spirit

We arrived to Tallinn, Estonia’s harbor after a 2 hour ferry ride from Helsinki on June 21st and took a taxi to our Airbnb. The taxi ride was quite odd because initially the taxi driver said he knew where the address was (which was only about 1.5 miles from the harbor), but then drove past it and when we spoke up and said we think he passed it, he assured us he was on the right path. A few minutes later, he realized his mistake and took us back to the Airbnb. I told him I wasn’t paying any extra for his mistake and he didn’t try to cheat me.

There was also a mix-up with the Airbnb host, but she eventually arrived and gave us a partial ride to a grocery store located 15 minutes walk from the lodging. The Airbnb was in a great location, within walking distance of Old Town. We were spending three nights here, so after returning from the grocery, we explored Old Town Tallinn and its amazing architecture!

According to Wikipedia: Estonia was founded in 1248 but the earliest human settlements date back to 3000 years BC, making it one of the oldest capital cities of northern Europe. Often dubbed as the Silicon Valley of Europe, it has the highest number of startups per person in Europe and is a birthplace of many international companies including Skype. In 2011, the city was a European Capital of Culture.

Some of these photos were taken the following morning when I went out exploring on my own…

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Sweet St. Petersburg, Russia

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Here are some moments or things I found “sweet” while in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Russia’s version of an Asian “Tuk Tuk”…

Brides, one Groom, and one Mother…

Because I shoot in Manual and not auto or aperture, I have to react quickly in these types of situations…

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Peterhof Palace and Gardens – truly amazing!

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Travel Spirit

We visited the dazzling Peterhof Palace and Gardens on our last day in St. Petersburg, Russia. Built by Peter by the Great in the 18th Century, Peterhof is spectacular! The Palace was closed because it was a Monday, but we were most interested in the gardens anyway. I had the visit scheduled on the itinerary for the previous day, but it was rainy and we definitely wanted a pretty day for our visit.

We walked 10 minutes from our lodging at Comfort Hotel to the Pier with Lions embankment on the canal where we boarded a 40 minute Hydrofoil boat to Peterhof.

Upon arrival, there is a beautiful 10 minute walk to the centerpiece of the complex, the Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain in front of the Palace.

Even with my wide-angle lens, I wasn’t able to capture the entire complex!

The gardens are also referred to as the “Russian Versailles”.

The creativity is astounding!

You can barely view the sea in the distance…

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St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Built in the mid-1800’s, St. Isaac’s Cathedral is the fourth largest Cathedral in the world and its main dome stands 333 ft. high and is plated in pure gold! An interesting fact: the Cathedral sits on 10,000 tree trunks that were sunk into the ground.

With a church of this size, it’s impossible to convey what the interior feels like, but here are a few photos…

part of the ceiling…

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Church of the Savior on Blood

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Travel Spirit

A visit to St. Petersburg, Russia isn’t complete until you step inside the ornate and gorgeous Church of the Savior on Blood! The multi-colored exterior and medieval Russian architecture of the Church draw millions of visitors per year.

Intricately detailed and colorful mosaics cover the walls and ceilings of the Church…

The Church was finished in 1907 and erected on the site where Alexander II was mortally wounded.

This was my favorite of the four Churches/Cathedrals we visited while in St. Petersburg!

Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg, Russia

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Travel Spirit

While planning my trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, I discovered the St. Petersburg Card, which includes free entrance to over 60 of the best museums in the city, free or discounted tours, and a rechargeable transport e-purse. I purchased three of them, one for myself and the two tour participants I was taking on the trip, and had them delivered to the Comfort Hotel, where we would be staying, to save the time spent having to walk to one of the pick-up locations. Anyway, one of the tours is a free hop-on/hop-off canal cruise, so we took that to see the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Peter and Paul Fortress was the first structure to be built-in St. Petersburg, therefore, its birthplace. There are quite a few buildings, museums, and exhibitions to explore, and the beautiful Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Russia’s oldest church and final resting place for most of Russia’s imperial rulers.

The interior of the Cathedral was sumptuous!

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Dazzling, Massive, Exquisite — The Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Walking into the Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace I was naive thinking I could see most everything in two or three hours. This place is beyond enormous! There are over 1,000 rooms and halls, 1,786 doors, and 1,945 windows! I read that if you were to spend one minute looking at each item, you would be there for 11 years! The Hermitage Museum is one of the largest and most respected art museums in the world.

Having just arrived via ship that morning from Finland, we only had 2 1/2 days to explore St. Petersburg, Russia, through the Visa-free passage, hence the limited time allotted for each site.

While pushing my way through throngs of crowds, I was happy to have my wide angle lens! I was able to get very close to the roped off areas to take my photo…

Some of the smaller details are just exquisite!

The Museum was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great.

According to Wikipedia, “The Hermitage buildings served as a home and workplace for nearly a thousand people, including the Imperial family. In addition to this, they also served as an extravagant showplace for all kinds of Russian relics and displays of wealth prior to the art collections. Many events were held in these buildings including masquerades for the nobility, grand receptions and ceremonies for state and government officials.”

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Visiting St. Petersburg , Russia for 72 hours Visa Free

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Travel Spirit

If you’d like to visit St. Petersburg, Russia without having to go through the hassle and expense of obtaining a Visa, you have the option of taking an overnight ferry from Helsinki. The St. Peter Line Princess Maria ferry leaves at 6:00pm from the West Harbor in Helsinki and arrives the next morning in St. Petersburg at 8:30am, and you have two nights and almost three full days in St. Petersburg before returning!

We arrived to the Helsinki West Harbor ferry on June 17th around 4:15pm and it was a rather quick boarding process. They say no food or drink may be brought aboard, but I had a small bag of food (coffee, crackers, pasta, nuts, chocolate) in my suitcase. When you’re booking the transport/cabins on the St. Peter Line website, you’ll have an option to book meals, and I chose “without meals”. There are a variety of restaurants for dinner and breakfast that you can choose from once on board. The alcoholic drinks are very reasonably priced.

The total round-trip cost for the transport/cabins/fuel/harbor fees/city bus tour (shuttle) for three people was 266 Euros (not including food) – a great deal!

This is what the B-cabin looks like. Small, but adequate with a bathroom. After dropping our luggage in the rooms, we went to the top deck for a drink.

These are some of the restaurants and entertainment areas on-board…

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The Rock Church, Kampii Chapel of Silence and other Helsinki sites

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Completed in 1969, Temppeliaukio Kirkko aka Rock Church in Helsinki, Finland is awe-inspiring! It reminds me of a space ship and the ceiling resembles a fried egg. Built into the surrounding rock (hence it’s name), it’s one of Helsinki’s most popular tourist sites.