Magnificent Trakai Island Castle in Lithuania

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Situated only 45 minutes bus ride from Vilnius, Lithuania, Trakai Island Castle is a perfect day trip. The morning of June 29th, I escorted my tour participants to the Central bus stop in Vilnius, a 15 minute walk from our Airbnb for the short ride to Trakai. The buses run every 10-20 minutes per day to Trakai and cost about 2 Euro each way.

The bus lets you off about 2 km away from Trakai Castle, so I was glad we arrived early enough to walk to the Castle before it opened at 10:00am. Having seen photos of the Castle, I was so excited when it finally came into view. It’s like a fairy book castle!

The first phase of the Castle was built-in the 14th Century and had great military strategic importance.

Beyond the gate is a spacious courtyard. Once inside, we agreed to meet back in an hour and went off exploring on our own.

The drawbridge is massive! Those are people standing beyond the door…

It’s set up like a museum now, with lots of artifacts and exhibits from the Castle’s history.

As you can see, the weather gods were shining on us yet again!

I just had to pose in the guillotine type structure. It was heavy! That’s my purse hanging down on the right.

Uzutrakis Palace is off to the left of Trakai Palace…

Here are my tour participants, Paul and Jing…

After our explorations, we had lunch at one of the outdoor cafes bordering the lake with a view of the castle!

Views from Gediminas Tower in Vilnius, Lithuania

Posted on July 16, 2016 by Travel Spirit

If you’re looking for some wonderful views in Vilnius, Lithuania, head to Gediminas Tower!

We arrived just as they were opening at 10:00am and began climbing to the top…

Paul and Jing — bringing up the rear…

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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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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.

Kampii Chapel of Silence is also definitely an interesting piece of architecture…

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Fortress of Suomenlinna

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Travel Spirit

According to the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Fortress of Suomenlinna was built in the second half of the 18th century by Sweden on a group of islands located at the entrance of Helsinki’s harbour and consists of 200 buildings, 6 km of defensive walls, and stretches over six separate islands.

The purpose of the fortress was originally to defend the Kingdom of Sweden against the Russian Empire and to serve as a fortified army base. Sandbanks, barracks and various other buildings were added during the 19th-century Russian period.

After Finland gained independence in 1917, the fortress was renamed Suomenlinna (or Fortress of Finland) and served as a garrison and a harbour. The military role of the fortress declined after World War II, and in 1973 the area was converted for civilian purposes. Since then, buildings have been renovated to serve as apartments as well as workspaces, to house private and public services, and for cultural purposes.

Today, Suomenlinna is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Finland and constitutes a district of Helsinki with 850 inhabitants.

Jing, Paul, and I boarded the 30 minute ferry to the Fortress.

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Exploring Helsinki by Bicycle

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Travel Spirit

On June 14th, my birthday, Jing and I left our Airbnb in Sibiu, Romania at 4:45am to walk 1/3 of a mile to the train station to catch our 5:25am train bound for Bucharest. It was a six hour train ride and we met a nice Romanian man that upon learning it was my birthday, gave me a sealed bag of coffee and helped me with my luggage when we arrived in Bucharest. He also negotiated with the taxi drivers to find the best rate to take us to the airport for our flight to Helsinki. We encountered many rude people in service oriented jobs while in Romania, but like anywhere, there are people like him that make up for it!

Our flight left at 3:00pm (15:00) and arrived at 7:40pm (19:40) in Helsinki. We then took a 40 minute bus into central Helsinki, and walked 15 minutes to our beautiful Airbnb, arriving after 9:00pm (21:00). The apartment is owned by a very special lady named Pirkko, who was there to welcome us. Here is the living room…

The dining room…

and the kitchen where Jing was making us something to eat for dinner later the next day…

This Airbnb was by far the best-stocked place I’ve stayed at and Pirkko is such a sweet and generous person! She knew ahead of time it was my birthday and had prepared a delicious cake for me and had a bottle of champagne. She also let us use her bicycles while we were there and took us to the harbor three days later when we left by overnight ship for St. Petersburg, Russia. Hugs to Pirkko!

Anyway, the following day, Jing and I set off on the bicycles to explore Helsinki…

This statue is hilarious!

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Sibiu, Romania has it’s eyes on you!

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Travel Spirit

One of the first things I noticed while roaming the streets of Sibiu, Romania were the roof vents that appear to be eyes. So cool! If you’ve never heard of Sibiu, you’re not alone. Before planning my Eastern European journey, I hadn’t either. Sibiu was originally part of Germany and dates back to the 12th Century. After World War I, it became part of Romania.

In 2007 it was designated the European Capital of Culture for the year, along with Luxembourg. Forbes has ranked Sibiu as “Europe’s 8th most idyllic place to live.

My last post left off with having stopped in Sighasoara for a few hours on route from Brasov to Sibiu. We boarded the 3:00pm train in Sighasoara, after picking up our luggage from the holding room at the train station, and arrived in Sibiu at 6:05pm. We walked the 1/3 mile to our Airbnb and after settling in, walked to a nearby Supermarket for some breakfast items.

The following morning, with only one full day to explore, we set off to see this delightful City!

We wandered down this cobblestone street…

and decided to climb these steps…

We stopped in the lovely Holy Trinity Cathedral…

It was a perfect day for exploring…blue skies and comfortable temperatures!

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I’m in Love with Sighasoara

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Travel Spirit

We departed on a 2 1/2 hour train at 8:52am ($7.50 per ticket reserved online ahead of time) from Brasov for Sighasoara, one of the most beautiful medieval cities in Europe. We didn’t spend the night, just explored for a few hours, before boarding a train to Sibiu. The train station has a place to store your luggage for a small fee.

The brightly painted houses and cobblestone streets were just so darn cute!

We stopped for lunch at an outdoor cafe and I had a refreshing lemon beer with my pasta…

Fortified with some food in our bellies, we climbed the 160 steps (we’re half way up at this point) of the Scara Acoperita where there’s a church and then we came back down.

A park bench, wooden door, and beautiful flowers provide the perfect setting for a photo…

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A Spooky Visit to Bran Castle aka Dracula’s Castle in Romania

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Bran Castle aka Dracula’s Castle, situated 18 miles from the quaint and historical town of Brasov, is so much fun to explore! Dating back to the 15th Century, there isn’t much evidence that Vlad the Impaler, who the character Count Dracula was devired from, had many ties with Bran Castle. During our visit, there were school children running through the castle and visitors were allowed to freely roam the castle.

Here’s the courtyard…