So I was wrong. Just because I saw Obama and the Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaite, on television together doesn't mean he is here. That meeting happened in DC, as I think he was meeting all the Baltic Presidents there. Why they all went to Washington when everybody is coming here in a day or 2 is anybody's guess. Nobody asked me whether this is an efficient use of resources....
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Day 11 Saint Pete Daytime
Early morning to get to the Hermitage before the rest of the crowds. Even still, there were lore of people there. It's hard to describe the place, as it is so vast. The most impressive rooms were the main staircase, all in figurines of marble, plaster and gold leaf, and the throne room with 6 foot tall vases of lapis and malachite. The art collections were stupendous, rivaling the Louvre ( just not as big). There were Rembrandts, Titians, a few DaVincis, and a whole floor of impressionists and beyond. Obviously the collection stops in 1920, as the Romanoffs were no longer able to do any collecting.
The next stop was the Church of the Spilled Blood. It was built at the site where Alexander II was killed. It may be one of the most photogenic churches in this city.
We then went to lunch with two ladies who live here in St. Petersburg. Odysseys Travel always has some type of home visitation with local families. This is a very nice touch to speak with locals and not just see the museums. We went to the home of a 50 something widow, a "pensioner", who used to be an engineer in Soviet times, but now teaches English in schools. She spoke of her life in the old system with 5 families in a flat sharing 1 bathroom and 1 kitchen. Since 1991, she has done somewhat better, and has been able to renovate her apartment somewhat. She had a 50 inch flat screen TV on the wall, but still lived in 3 rooms with no official "bedroom", as she sleeps in what appeared to be a living room. Sitting there at a long table reminded me of a Seder, and the wine was similar! :) the other half of our group was across the hall with a lady who hadn't fared so well and had not renovated her apartment at all. Clean but obviously very old.
The next stop was St. Isaac's church, the largest in the city with a huge golden dome. Saint Isaac the Dalmatian lived in the 4th century and fought the Romans for Christianity. He went on to become Hegemon of Constantinople. His Saint's day is May 30 which was Peter the Great's birthday, so he was adopted by the Romanovs as their patron saint.
We stopped to look at the log cabin where Peter built the first house here on the Neva. That was a ruse, as it was really a chance to stop to buy souvenirs from a huge schlock shop. I walked to the river to get some pictures. There was a tall ship to take picture of.
Last stop for the day was the synagogue. Since it is Shabbat, we were unable to take pictures or really get a tour. It did bring back warm feelings from the last time we were here 10 years ago.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
The next stop was the Church of the Spilled Blood. It was built at the site where Alexander II was killed. It may be one of the most photogenic churches in this city.
We then went to lunch with two ladies who live here in St. Petersburg. Odysseys Travel always has some type of home visitation with local families. This is a very nice touch to speak with locals and not just see the museums. We went to the home of a 50 something widow, a "pensioner", who used to be an engineer in Soviet times, but now teaches English in schools. She spoke of her life in the old system with 5 families in a flat sharing 1 bathroom and 1 kitchen. Since 1991, she has done somewhat better, and has been able to renovate her apartment somewhat. She had a 50 inch flat screen TV on the wall, but still lived in 3 rooms with no official "bedroom", as she sleeps in what appeared to be a living room. Sitting there at a long table reminded me of a Seder, and the wine was similar! :) the other half of our group was across the hall with a lady who hadn't fared so well and had not renovated her apartment at all. Clean but obviously very old.
The next stop was St. Isaac's church, the largest in the city with a huge golden dome. Saint Isaac the Dalmatian lived in the 4th century and fought the Romans for Christianity. He went on to become Hegemon of Constantinople. His Saint's day is May 30 which was Peter the Great's birthday, so he was adopted by the Romanovs as their patron saint.
We stopped to look at the log cabin where Peter built the first house here on the Neva. That was a ruse, as it was really a chance to stop to buy souvenirs from a huge schlock shop. I walked to the river to get some pictures. There was a tall ship to take picture of.
Last stop for the day was the synagogue. Since it is Shabbat, we were unable to take pictures or really get a tour. It did bring back warm feelings from the last time we were here 10 years ago.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Friday, August 30, 2013
G20 and Us
So, it looks like Obama is here now, as we just had a big fireworks show over the Bolshaya River. If We had known earlier, we would have wandered down for pictures. How dare they not inform us? Hopefully the fireworks does not extend to Syria, but that is not for this blog....
Day 10 Push to St. Petersburg
An early morning, as we wanted to get out before the other tour bus to get to the border earlier. As it turned out, it wasn't a problem. We got to the border at Narva and ate a quick lunch. As we got to the border, there were absolutely no busses in front of us. We got through the EU side without a hitch, and, amazingly, did the same on the Russian side. The guards were not smiling, but they were not gruff, either. Just doing a boring job. There were 3 checks of the paperwork before we were through, but it all went smoothly. Sylvija said she had never seen it that easy. There was a form we filled out in duplicate, and they gave us back 1/2 to hand in as we left. That process had left us with a $50 stupidity tax a few years ago when leaving Uruguay, so we are sure to hold on to the little piece of paper.
Our hotel is in the middle of downtown, on the main island. We killed time and went out to dinner(chicken or fish). After dinner Ann and I broke off from the group to get some pictures as the sun was setting. Beautiful light of the setting sun on St. Isaac's and the Hermitage. It is fun trying to read the Cyrillic. Tomorrow we have a full city tour, but who knows if we'll have the time or light for good photos.
Tomorrow evening also is an opportunity for a "theater" production to show off "traditional dance and costumes". I was outvoted, and I'm going. I'll let Ann describe it tomorrow, as I may have already fallen asleep.
On a surprising note, my ATM card worked! It had worked the first day in Vilnius, and then not again. I tried calling the bank and the lady could not find a reason, but my card still would not work in Tallinn or Helsinki. But here it does. Who knows?
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Our hotel is in the middle of downtown, on the main island. We killed time and went out to dinner(chicken or fish). After dinner Ann and I broke off from the group to get some pictures as the sun was setting. Beautiful light of the setting sun on St. Isaac's and the Hermitage. It is fun trying to read the Cyrillic. Tomorrow we have a full city tour, but who knows if we'll have the time or light for good photos.
Tomorrow evening also is an opportunity for a "theater" production to show off "traditional dance and costumes". I was outvoted, and I'm going. I'll let Ann describe it tomorrow, as I may have already fallen asleep.
On a surprising note, my ATM card worked! It had worked the first day in Vilnius, and then not again. I tried calling the bank and the lady could not find a reason, but my card still would not work in Tallinn or Helsinki. But here it does. Who knows?
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Day 9 Tallinn and Helsinki
So we were up early today to catch the 8:00 boat to Helsinki. Even though it is another EU country, our passports were checked, but not stamped. Noting on the other end, just walk out into town.
We found the City Tour bus where you get some pablum in your earphones, but they drive you around to see the stuff in the city center. There really isn't an "old town" as in the other cities, but this was a City. Lots of cars and hustle bustle. The people were very nice. The most interesting thing we saw was a church. Not just another church, you might say (as did we). This was call the Church of the Rock (not to be confused with the dome of the same name)' and was literally carved into the side of a rock. 3 1/2 walls were solid rock, with a wooden dome over top. OK, there was a dome. Sue me. This was fascinating to see. I'm not sure what they do in the wintertime, since it was already significantly cooler inside than the 58 it was outside.
We hopped on the bus and went to the Contemporary Art museum. This was a total bust. Not only did none of us understand what any of the exhibits were about, we weren't drawn in at all. There was one movie on 3 screens of a girl going schizophrenic which was semi-interesting, but that was all. The building itself was very interesting with all white walls and curving ramps between floors.
Pizza and beer on the street for lunch. Helsinki is much more expensive than any other place we've been.
At this point I was whipped, as my cold is still with me. We made our way to Kokelli's, a swank bistro on the main park, the Esplanade.
5 o'clock boat back to Tallinn, and we made our way back to the old town for dinner. Pasta and salad.
Tomorrow to Russia. We are leaving early, so we can get the jump on another tour group that is here. The border can be anywhere from 1-4 hours, depending on the whims of the guards. Because of the G20 meeting next week just after we leave, security is likely to be tight. If this trip had been a day later, we would have been screwed, since they are closing the airport for 3 days, starting Tuesday.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
We found the City Tour bus where you get some pablum in your earphones, but they drive you around to see the stuff in the city center. There really isn't an "old town" as in the other cities, but this was a City. Lots of cars and hustle bustle. The people were very nice. The most interesting thing we saw was a church. Not just another church, you might say (as did we). This was call the Church of the Rock (not to be confused with the dome of the same name)' and was literally carved into the side of a rock. 3 1/2 walls were solid rock, with a wooden dome over top. OK, there was a dome. Sue me. This was fascinating to see. I'm not sure what they do in the wintertime, since it was already significantly cooler inside than the 58 it was outside.
We hopped on the bus and went to the Contemporary Art museum. This was a total bust. Not only did none of us understand what any of the exhibits were about, we weren't drawn in at all. There was one movie on 3 screens of a girl going schizophrenic which was semi-interesting, but that was all. The building itself was very interesting with all white walls and curving ramps between floors.
Pizza and beer on the street for lunch. Helsinki is much more expensive than any other place we've been.
At this point I was whipped, as my cold is still with me. We made our way to Kokelli's, a swank bistro on the main park, the Esplanade.
5 o'clock boat back to Tallinn, and we made our way back to the old town for dinner. Pasta and salad.
Tomorrow to Russia. We are leaving early, so we can get the jump on another tour group that is here. The border can be anywhere from 1-4 hours, depending on the whims of the guards. Because of the G20 meeting next week just after we leave, security is likely to be tight. If this trip had been a day later, we would have been screwed, since they are closing the airport for 3 days, starting Tuesday.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Day 9-Sightseeing in Tallinn
Today was our day to get acquainted with Tallinn, Estonia, and since Steve decided that he was not feeling up to joining us for our city, I agreed to write the blog. We began the morning with a sightseeing bus tour of the city and learned a bit of information about Estonia and Tallinn. Estonia is the smallest of the Baltic countries with a total population of 1.3 million, of which 430,000 people live in Tallinn. The Estonian language is Fino-Hungarian. Estonia was founded in the 10th century and its strategic waterfront location has made it very attractive to other nations over the centuries. It was conquered by the Danes and the Swedes, in the 13th and 15th centuries respectively, and was then ruled by the Russians from the 18th century until 1920 when it became an independent nation for 20 years. At that point it was occupied by the Russians in 1939, then the Germans in 1941 and then the Russians occupied it once more at the end of WWII. Estonia did not achieve its independence again until 1991 when the Soviet Union crumbled. We began the morning with a walking tour of the Medieval town of Tallinn which still has some of the original fortified walls, medieval churches and cobblestone streets. Several of the passengers from the major cruise lines that stop in Tallinn were also touring the city this morning so the narrow cobblestone streets and churches were packed with people. But we were told that by afternoon they would be gone so the old town would be much easier navigate, which it was! From there we went by bus to the Estonian Open Air Museum which is an enormous village made up of historical rural buildings that have been transported to the site from around the country. There are a wide variety of structures depicting rural life in different areas of the country in the 18th to early 20th century. Some of the thatched roofed farmhouses looked like they were right out of Fiddler on the Roof. Steve joined me for lunch with our friends Laurie and Art at a roof top restaurant across the street from our hotel. We all had Caesar salads with either grilled shrimp or smoked salmon, all of which were delicious. Laurie and I then went back to the Old Town to visit the outdoor market crafts market which is there on Wednesdays and spent a girls day out shopping. Tonight we are turning in early because we are taking the hydrofoil tomorrow to Helsinki for the day.
Ann
Sent from my iPad
Ann
Sent from my iPad
Day 8 - Journey to Tallinn
A lazy day with not a whole lot to do except get ourselves north to Tallinn. We made some rest stops, then crossed the border into Estonia. Again, the border was nothing. There was a rest stop at the border, so I walked back and took some pictures from the line. 20 years ago, I may have been shot for doing this, but now, it's "who cares?".
We drove north on the Gulf of Riga coast to Parnu, and had lunch at a cute little restaurant in an old converted post office building. Walking into town, I stopped at the ATM to get some Euros. Oops, my card won't work. Who knows why? I'll try to check later. Further north, we arrive in Tallinn, on the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland. This is a VERY wired city. Actually wireless. There are free connections everywhere.
We take a little walk into the old town for dinner at the Garlic Restaurant. It's actually very good except for the garlic beer. The setting sun made for some great pictures. Perhaps I can even upload some, as I have learned to take a few pictures with the iPad camera as well as the SLR. It seems Google doesn't like 8MB files....
Now it is Wednesday, and I'm still at the hotel as I have caught the bug, and am coughing and hacking. Ann will provide the details later for today's tour...
We drove north on the Gulf of Riga coast to Parnu, and had lunch at a cute little restaurant in an old converted post office building. Walking into town, I stopped at the ATM to get some Euros. Oops, my card won't work. Who knows why? I'll try to check later. Further north, we arrive in Tallinn, on the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland. This is a VERY wired city. Actually wireless. There are free connections everywhere.
We take a little walk into the old town for dinner at the Garlic Restaurant. It's actually very good except for the garlic beer. The setting sun made for some great pictures. Perhaps I can even upload some, as I have learned to take a few pictures with the iPad camera as well as the SLR. It seems Google doesn't like 8MB files....
Now it is Wednesday, and I'm still at the hotel as I have caught the bug, and am coughing and hacking. Ann will provide the details later for today's tour...
Monday, August 26, 2013
Day 7 the Castle and the Picnic
We took a drive to the countryside to Turaida Castle overlooking the Gauja river. Originally built for Bishop Albert, it passed into different hands as the wars occurred over the years: the Poles, the Swedes, the Germans, etc. it was destroyed by fire in 1776, and reconstruction was not started until the 20th century. Now there is a large round tower that I climbed, and some other buildings. Nearby is the grave of "Rose of Turaida", a girl who was killed by a jealous lover in 1620. This legend provides a stopping place for newly weds to lay some flowers.
Returning to Riga, we stopped at Sylvija's house for a picnic from the food we bought yesterday at the market. It was a festive lunch, and included a cooking demonstration by Katrina, Sylvija's daughter. She "cooked" cold Borscht from marinated beets, kefir, dill and cucumbers. It was delicious.
Later in the afternoon, we went to the Museum of the Occupation. Light, it wasn't. As we have been learning, the Baltics have been overrun by multiple conquerors over the centuries, but the 20th was the worst. The Russians took over in 1939 when Hitler made a pact with them, only to be double crossed by the Germans later in 1941. The Germans killed 40,000 Jews in November and December 1941. They remained until 1944 when Churchill and Roosevelt acceded to Stalin's demands at Yalta. Russia considered the Baltics to be Soviet Socialist Republics, and wanted them returned. So much for "all people having free determination of their future". After the return of the Russians, all intelligencia, politicians, and moneyed people, whether bankers or farmers were re populated to Siberia. In the void, they brought in Poles, Ukrainians, and other Russian speakers to replace them. There was significant overcrowding, with each person allotted 9 square meters(about 100 square feet). Thus a typical small apartment of 600 square feet might have 6 people. There was surprisingly little about the resistance and the partisans, other than to say they were wiped out by 1955. There was also not much about Glasnost and the march back to independence in 1991.
We left to the museum for some retail therapy. Ann found some amber at a reasonable price, so she was happy. We got to the restaurant early for some beer before the rest of the crowd arrived. For the foodies, it wasn't much. Fried fish or pork with creme brûlée for desert. Eh.
Riga has been a fun city. It is more cosmopolitan than Vilnius, and seems to have more going on. The people seem busier and more westernized. Not sure that is actually good, but it is what it is.
Tomorrow to Tallinn in Estonia.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Returning to Riga, we stopped at Sylvija's house for a picnic from the food we bought yesterday at the market. It was a festive lunch, and included a cooking demonstration by Katrina, Sylvija's daughter. She "cooked" cold Borscht from marinated beets, kefir, dill and cucumbers. It was delicious.
Later in the afternoon, we went to the Museum of the Occupation. Light, it wasn't. As we have been learning, the Baltics have been overrun by multiple conquerors over the centuries, but the 20th was the worst. The Russians took over in 1939 when Hitler made a pact with them, only to be double crossed by the Germans later in 1941. The Germans killed 40,000 Jews in November and December 1941. They remained until 1944 when Churchill and Roosevelt acceded to Stalin's demands at Yalta. Russia considered the Baltics to be Soviet Socialist Republics, and wanted them returned. So much for "all people having free determination of their future". After the return of the Russians, all intelligencia, politicians, and moneyed people, whether bankers or farmers were re populated to Siberia. In the void, they brought in Poles, Ukrainians, and other Russian speakers to replace them. There was significant overcrowding, with each person allotted 9 square meters(about 100 square feet). Thus a typical small apartment of 600 square feet might have 6 people. There was surprisingly little about the resistance and the partisans, other than to say they were wiped out by 1955. There was also not much about Glasnost and the march back to independence in 1991.
We left to the museum for some retail therapy. Ann found some amber at a reasonable price, so she was happy. We got to the restaurant early for some beer before the rest of the crowd arrived. For the foodies, it wasn't much. Fried fish or pork with creme brûlée for desert. Eh.
Riga has been a fun city. It is more cosmopolitan than Vilnius, and seems to have more going on. The people seem busier and more westernized. Not sure that is actually good, but it is what it is.
Tomorrow to Tallinn in Estonia.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, August 25, 2013
MLB.TV
I have to say I really am amazed at the power of the Internet. Here I am in Latvia watching a Nationals game live on my computer. I cheered as Bryce hit a homer to tie it up in the 7th. Too bad they lost...
Picture upload fail
So trying to learn how to do iPad isn't easy. The Blogger rejected some of my picture because they are too big - 6 or 8 MB. Since I don't have a real computer, ie a PC, I am resigned to working with this toy. I will upload what I can when I can. I think the iPad pictures are smaller, but I really don't want to have to use that rather than my Canon. I may have to find an Internet cafe somewhere. Blecch.
Day 5-6 Journey to Riga
So yesterday was a travel day. We got up early to get on the bus to head north. We made one stop at the "Hill of Crosses", where there were a gazillion crosses that people have planted. I'm sorry to say that I wasn't cross-cultural enough to pay attention to why they were there. To paraphrase Caesar, "I came, I saw, I left".
We crossed the border like driving from Maryland into Delaware - there was a sign and we kept going. The European Union is slowly becoming like the United States of Europe as far as border crossings go. The money has not become unified yet, as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have not yet been accepted into the Euro Zone so we have to deal with differing currencies: 2.5 Lithuanian Litas to the dollar. 0.5 Latvian Lats to the dollar (yes, 1 Lat = $2). Some places quote prices in Euros, but few merchants take them. Of course, plastic is suitable almost everywhere.
Once we were across the border into Latvia, we stopped at the Rundale Palace . This was designed by Rastelli, who was the same guy who eventually designed the Hermitage, and the similarity showed. More on the Hermitage later when we get to St. Petersburg. The palace was originally designed and built in the 1730s for Ernst Johan, the Duke of Courland. Shortly after being finished, the Duke was arrested and exiled for 22 years. When he returned, styles had changed, and he had to renovate it from Baroque to Rococo. The rooms were all fascinating, reminiscent of Versailles. There was Latvian "Delft" on the heaters in the corners. The inlaid floors were fascinating. The wall coverings were elegant. Of course, it all had been reconstructed, but some of it was actually original. Much was contemporary to the time period, however.
The rest of the day was on the road to Riga, where we arrived just before dinner at the hotel.
The city tour of Riga today showed us around the old city. We crossed the Daugava River to take in the sight of the spires of the multiple churches. Riga was established as a Christian city in 1201 by a Prussian bishop, Albert. It flourished as the bishop got the Pope to decree that all commerce to the Baltic coast had to pass through Riga. The German influence persisted throughout the centuries, with an interval of Swedish rule in the 1600s. After the first World War, Latvia became independent until the Germans and Russians came back in 1939 and 1941. Much of the current population is still of Russian descent.
During the independent period of the early 20th century, the art nouveau style became extremely popular, and many buildings were erected. Hopefully I can upload a few pictures eventually. The Russian architect, Mikhail Eisenstein was instrumental in transforming the city. We went through the Art Nouveau museum, which was a restoration of an apartment of the time.
We went to St. Peter's Church and had a small recital by the children of our guide, Sylvia.
We then went to the big market. Sylvia and the kids passed out slips of paper with our "assignments": items of food we had to search out to buy. Of course, the assignments were in Latvian, and we had no idea what we were supposed to get. With a little sleuthing, we were able to come up with the proper foods. My assignment was Kvass, which turned out to be a type of carbonated drink, similar to root beer. The lady poured it for me out of a tap into a 3 liter bottle and screwed on the top. I asked for a glass, and she said no. The guy behind me realized I wanted an additional glass to drink, not just to pour for myself, and explained it to her. She never cracked a smile.
After lunch (I'll let Ann describe that), we went to the synagogue. It was the only one not destroyed by the Germans, as the Lutheran clergyman of the church next door convinced the it would destroy his church also. It had been in ruins, however, but was recently renovated. They had minimal to go on as there were few surviving descriptions or pictures of the interiors. The result is pretty good, however. They have a Chabad rabbi, and have more than enough for morning and evening services, and are overflowing on the High Holidays.
Dinner later tonight at "The Three Chefs", a fancy new place in town.
So I now get to write about food. On our trip to the market, which did not require sleuthing on my part because each of the words in Latvian kind of sound like their English counterparts, I had to buy tomatoes, cucumbers and dill for our lunch tomorrow. Several of us also bought warm delicious Latvian bread which we also shared with the group. After we finished our City tour, Steve and I had lunch at an outdoor cafe with our friends Laurie and Art. Laurie and I shared a vegetarian antipasto and the guys had the meat antipasto. Ours had marinated peppers crusty bread with mozzarella balls, beets and stuffed pepper, all quite good. The meat version was also delicious.
Tonight we ate at a restaurant called Three Chefs, which was recently opened by three celebrity chefs. The restaurant only had about a dozen or so tables. At one point, our table of six along with the other members of our tour group at the restaurant probably made up more than half of the patrons in the restaurant. One of the highlights was the dips and breads they do at the beginning of the meal. The wait staff squirts directly on to each diner's parchment placemat six different sauces including pesto, chili and chocolate, strawberry and others in a pretty swirling design. You then dip the bread into the sauces, which is a lovely beginning to the meal. We then had imported Italian bufallo mozzarella and tomatoes for appetizers and fresh fish for dinner. I had pike perch and Steve had tuna, all of which were quite good. This was one of the more expensive restaurants in Riga and our bill was considerably less than it would have been for a comparable restaurant at home. -AHS
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
We crossed the border like driving from Maryland into Delaware - there was a sign and we kept going. The European Union is slowly becoming like the United States of Europe as far as border crossings go. The money has not become unified yet, as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have not yet been accepted into the Euro Zone so we have to deal with differing currencies: 2.5 Lithuanian Litas to the dollar. 0.5 Latvian Lats to the dollar (yes, 1 Lat = $2). Some places quote prices in Euros, but few merchants take them. Of course, plastic is suitable almost everywhere.
Once we were across the border into Latvia, we stopped at the Rundale Palace . This was designed by Rastelli, who was the same guy who eventually designed the Hermitage, and the similarity showed. More on the Hermitage later when we get to St. Petersburg. The palace was originally designed and built in the 1730s for Ernst Johan, the Duke of Courland. Shortly after being finished, the Duke was arrested and exiled for 22 years. When he returned, styles had changed, and he had to renovate it from Baroque to Rococo. The rooms were all fascinating, reminiscent of Versailles. There was Latvian "Delft" on the heaters in the corners. The inlaid floors were fascinating. The wall coverings were elegant. Of course, it all had been reconstructed, but some of it was actually original. Much was contemporary to the time period, however.
The rest of the day was on the road to Riga, where we arrived just before dinner at the hotel.
The city tour of Riga today showed us around the old city. We crossed the Daugava River to take in the sight of the spires of the multiple churches. Riga was established as a Christian city in 1201 by a Prussian bishop, Albert. It flourished as the bishop got the Pope to decree that all commerce to the Baltic coast had to pass through Riga. The German influence persisted throughout the centuries, with an interval of Swedish rule in the 1600s. After the first World War, Latvia became independent until the Germans and Russians came back in 1939 and 1941. Much of the current population is still of Russian descent.
During the independent period of the early 20th century, the art nouveau style became extremely popular, and many buildings were erected. Hopefully I can upload a few pictures eventually. The Russian architect, Mikhail Eisenstein was instrumental in transforming the city. We went through the Art Nouveau museum, which was a restoration of an apartment of the time.
We went to St. Peter's Church and had a small recital by the children of our guide, Sylvia.
We then went to the big market. Sylvia and the kids passed out slips of paper with our "assignments": items of food we had to search out to buy. Of course, the assignments were in Latvian, and we had no idea what we were supposed to get. With a little sleuthing, we were able to come up with the proper foods. My assignment was Kvass, which turned out to be a type of carbonated drink, similar to root beer. The lady poured it for me out of a tap into a 3 liter bottle and screwed on the top. I asked for a glass, and she said no. The guy behind me realized I wanted an additional glass to drink, not just to pour for myself, and explained it to her. She never cracked a smile.
After lunch (I'll let Ann describe that), we went to the synagogue. It was the only one not destroyed by the Germans, as the Lutheran clergyman of the church next door convinced the it would destroy his church also. It had been in ruins, however, but was recently renovated. They had minimal to go on as there were few surviving descriptions or pictures of the interiors. The result is pretty good, however. They have a Chabad rabbi, and have more than enough for morning and evening services, and are overflowing on the High Holidays.
Dinner later tonight at "The Three Chefs", a fancy new place in town.
So I now get to write about food. On our trip to the market, which did not require sleuthing on my part because each of the words in Latvian kind of sound like their English counterparts, I had to buy tomatoes, cucumbers and dill for our lunch tomorrow. Several of us also bought warm delicious Latvian bread which we also shared with the group. After we finished our City tour, Steve and I had lunch at an outdoor cafe with our friends Laurie and Art. Laurie and I shared a vegetarian antipasto and the guys had the meat antipasto. Ours had marinated peppers crusty bread with mozzarella balls, beets and stuffed pepper, all quite good. The meat version was also delicious.
Tonight we ate at a restaurant called Three Chefs, which was recently opened by three celebrity chefs. The restaurant only had about a dozen or so tables. At one point, our table of six along with the other members of our tour group at the restaurant probably made up more than half of the patrons in the restaurant. One of the highlights was the dips and breads they do at the beginning of the meal. The wait staff squirts directly on to each diner's parchment placemat six different sauces including pesto, chili and chocolate, strawberry and others in a pretty swirling design. You then dip the bread into the sauces, which is a lovely beginning to the meal. We then had imported Italian bufallo mozzarella and tomatoes for appetizers and fresh fish for dinner. I had pike perch and Steve had tuna, all of which were quite good. This was one of the more expensive restaurants in Riga and our bill was considerably less than it would have been for a comparable restaurant at home. -AHS
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Friday, August 23, 2013
View from top of Tower
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Vilnius day 4 - Trakai, KGB, On Top of the Mountain
We went to the ancient capital of Takai, about 40km away. The castle, built in the 1300s for the Grand Duke Vitautas, sits on an island in the middle of a lake. Crossing the bridge to the outer castle, we went back in time to Medieval times. The canon holes were there, and the inner castle for the Duke was more sumptuous, sort of. There were exhibits of armor, old tapestries, and old coins. The rooms were brick on the floors, walls, and vaulted ceilings. The castle was mostly reconstructed in the 20th century, as people for years had been taking bricks, etc, for their own projects.
The castle had been guarded by the Karaim people, who had been imported from Crimea. I'm not sure why they were such wonderful guards, but Vitautas seemed to think so. Their descendants still live there in a protected status with wooden houses of somewhat different architecture than the rest of Lithuania.
Back to Vilnius to the KGB Museum of Genocide. This was a building that originally housed a court, but was taken over by the Russians, then the Gestapo, then back to the Russians. There was a fierce partisan resistance to the Russians in the 40s and 50s, and many people were held as "enemies of the State". Hundreds were beaten, tortured, and shot there. After the Independence in 1991, the Russians tried to destroy many of the records of that time, but missed many, including a map to the unmarked gravesite of 900 of the victims. With careful cross checking, many of the names of those found were revealed. The names and dates are engraved on the walls of the building.
After lunch of pizza (yesterday French, today pizza - why are we in Lithuania?) we split up. Ann went to nap, and I went to the old castle in the center of town overlooking the Cathedral. This castle was originally built by Gediminas, and later fortified by Vitautas. It has a commanding view of the city and of the Neris River. The site has supposedly (source: Wikipedia) been occupied since Neolithic times, but I couldn't get a guide to confirm that. Also in the castle was an exhibit about Baltic Way, which coincidentally was today, August 23. August 23rd had always been known as Black Ribbon Day, as that was the day in 1939 that the Russians had taken over originally, and Lithuanian independence ceased again. (Like Poland, Lithuania had been overrun over the centuries by Prussia, Russia, and Austria and had been re-created after WW1). Flags had a black ribbon tied to them. On August 23, 1989, 2 million people of the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia formed a human chain, holding hands in solidarity from Vilnius to Riga to Tallinn. This was one of the events leading to the Baltics becoming the first of the Soviet Republics to gain independence.
On my way back to the hotel, I came across a parade of very elderly people marching behind the flag. I can only surmise that they were the survivors of 1939.
Dinner with the group at a nice restaurant Alude' (that's supposed to be an accented e, but I can't figure out how to do that on the iPad). If I can figure out how to get picture up, I will do that also. Tomorrow to Riga.
A word from AHS:
Since there isn't too much info in Steve's blog about the food, other than the name of the restaurants, I wanted to chime in with a few more details for our foodie friends. I had actually expected the food to be heavier than it has been and I have been pleasantly surprised at how good it has been. The breakfasts in the hotel have included delicious fresh breads, fruit, cheeses, and salmon, herring and sardines. Lunch yesterday was in a French restaurant and featured a delicious puréed vegetable soup and a beautifully presented and delicious cheese plate with warm French bread. Today we had a caprese salad that was worth photographing, which I did and it was as good as it looked. Pizza to follow was also excellent. Our dinners here have also been very good. Since we are right near the Baltic Sea, both the selection and freshness of the fish has been excellent. Not being a meat eater, I have had fish each night and each dinner has been as good as the last. It will be interesting to see how the food compares as we move on to our next stops.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
The castle had been guarded by the Karaim people, who had been imported from Crimea. I'm not sure why they were such wonderful guards, but Vitautas seemed to think so. Their descendants still live there in a protected status with wooden houses of somewhat different architecture than the rest of Lithuania.
Back to Vilnius to the KGB Museum of Genocide. This was a building that originally housed a court, but was taken over by the Russians, then the Gestapo, then back to the Russians. There was a fierce partisan resistance to the Russians in the 40s and 50s, and many people were held as "enemies of the State". Hundreds were beaten, tortured, and shot there. After the Independence in 1991, the Russians tried to destroy many of the records of that time, but missed many, including a map to the unmarked gravesite of 900 of the victims. With careful cross checking, many of the names of those found were revealed. The names and dates are engraved on the walls of the building.
After lunch of pizza (yesterday French, today pizza - why are we in Lithuania?) we split up. Ann went to nap, and I went to the old castle in the center of town overlooking the Cathedral. This castle was originally built by Gediminas, and later fortified by Vitautas. It has a commanding view of the city and of the Neris River. The site has supposedly (source: Wikipedia) been occupied since Neolithic times, but I couldn't get a guide to confirm that. Also in the castle was an exhibit about Baltic Way, which coincidentally was today, August 23. August 23rd had always been known as Black Ribbon Day, as that was the day in 1939 that the Russians had taken over originally, and Lithuanian independence ceased again. (Like Poland, Lithuania had been overrun over the centuries by Prussia, Russia, and Austria and had been re-created after WW1). Flags had a black ribbon tied to them. On August 23, 1989, 2 million people of the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia formed a human chain, holding hands in solidarity from Vilnius to Riga to Tallinn. This was one of the events leading to the Baltics becoming the first of the Soviet Republics to gain independence.
On my way back to the hotel, I came across a parade of very elderly people marching behind the flag. I can only surmise that they were the survivors of 1939.
Dinner with the group at a nice restaurant Alude' (that's supposed to be an accented e, but I can't figure out how to do that on the iPad). If I can figure out how to get picture up, I will do that also. Tomorrow to Riga.
A word from AHS:
Since there isn't too much info in Steve's blog about the food, other than the name of the restaurants, I wanted to chime in with a few more details for our foodie friends. I had actually expected the food to be heavier than it has been and I have been pleasantly surprised at how good it has been. The breakfasts in the hotel have included delicious fresh breads, fruit, cheeses, and salmon, herring and sardines. Lunch yesterday was in a French restaurant and featured a delicious puréed vegetable soup and a beautifully presented and delicious cheese plate with warm French bread. Today we had a caprese salad that was worth photographing, which I did and it was as good as it looked. Pizza to follow was also excellent. Our dinners here have also been very good. Since we are right near the Baltic Sea, both the selection and freshness of the fish has been excellent. Not being a meat eater, I have had fish each night and each dinner has been as good as the last. It will be interesting to see how the food compares as we move on to our next stops.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Vilnius Day 3: Churches, Churches, and a little Jewish Fix
Vilnius Day 3: Churches, Churches, and a little Jewish Fix
A semi-sleepless night trying to get adjusted to the time zone. Hopefully this will get better soon.
We got on the bus for a city tour. Vilnius was first mentioned in history in a letter by the Grand Duke Gediminas in 1353, inviting Jews from Germany to settle in Lithuania. The town probably dates to much earlier. The pagans were supreme until Christianity took hold, but not until the 12th century. The main church we saw today, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vilnius_(Wilno)_-_cathedral.jpg, sits atop ruins of the old pagan temple. There were multiple churches: catholic, orthodox, and others. The Church of St. Peter and Paul had fascinating frescos and friezes depicting aspects of Lithuanian and Christian history.
After lunch, we walked the the one remaining synagogue in the city. Vilnius was once known as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" as it had about 40% Jews and was a major learning center. The work of the Gaon of Vilna in the late 1700s made Vilna a major center of Jewish thought. We followed up with the State Museum of Tolerance which had art works of Lithuanian Jewish artists and a holocaust memorial of children. Very moving.
Then the skies, which had been threatening, broke open. We sat around the museum waiting with the museum ladies who never broke a smile. After a while we asked them to call a taxi for us. Grudgingly, one did, but yelled at us every time one or two of the group bailed out to walk home instead. It finally came down to 7 of us in the cab, which sort of worked, as it was more of a van than a car.
Dinner after a nap at Zuvine, a fish restaurant across from our hotel. The perch and dorado were nicely done. Gelato from a shop on the street capped off for desert. Hopefully the quantity of beer I am drinking will help my sleeping, assuming I am not up 6 times to pee....
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
A semi-sleepless night trying to get adjusted to the time zone. Hopefully this will get better soon.
We got on the bus for a city tour. Vilnius was first mentioned in history in a letter by the Grand Duke Gediminas in 1353, inviting Jews from Germany to settle in Lithuania. The town probably dates to much earlier. The pagans were supreme until Christianity took hold, but not until the 12th century. The main church we saw today, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vilnius_(Wilno)_-_cathedral.jpg, sits atop ruins of the old pagan temple. There were multiple churches: catholic, orthodox, and others. The Church of St. Peter and Paul had fascinating frescos and friezes depicting aspects of Lithuanian and Christian history.
After lunch, we walked the the one remaining synagogue in the city. Vilnius was once known as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" as it had about 40% Jews and was a major learning center. The work of the Gaon of Vilna in the late 1700s made Vilna a major center of Jewish thought. We followed up with the State Museum of Tolerance which had art works of Lithuanian Jewish artists and a holocaust memorial of children. Very moving.
Then the skies, which had been threatening, broke open. We sat around the museum waiting with the museum ladies who never broke a smile. After a while we asked them to call a taxi for us. Grudgingly, one did, but yelled at us every time one or two of the group bailed out to walk home instead. It finally came down to 7 of us in the cab, which sort of worked, as it was more of a van than a car.
Dinner after a nap at Zuvine, a fish restaurant across from our hotel. The perch and dorado were nicely done. Gelato from a shop on the street capped off for desert. Hopefully the quantity of beer I am drinking will help my sleeping, assuming I am not up 6 times to pee....
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Day 1 - Stop in Frankfurt
Getting out of Dodge is never easy. Mom's apartment in Florida, which has been on the market for a few years and experiencing delay after delay, was finally closing. My signature was needed as one of the trustees. I found out about this on Monday at 4pm, and we were leaving Tuesday. Frantic emails later, I got the paperwork and got it notarized (thanks, Susan) and back out for overnight posting to the attorney in Florida. Now we can be out from under that mess.
Then as I got home to pack up the car, I discovered my credit card was missing. Probably left at a restaurant a few days before, but still had to make the phone call to cancel and get a new card. I'll deal with the auto-charges when I get home.
Next annoyance: the charger for the mini-computer we we supposed to take was gone. This was noted on Saturday, and we duly went to Amazon to have one shipped along with a new battery. Extra charge for overnight delivery for Monday. Monday came and went with no delivery. The tracking software told us it was in Beltsville. An hour before we were supposed to leave, I tried again and it was "on the truck" for delivery. I even tracked down the post office and tried to find the carrier's cell number to meet him somewhere, but no luck. It was nicely at home after Jill got back from driving us to the airport. I'll see how much can be done on the iPad...
So now waiting in Frankfurt for the next plane to Vilna.
Then as I got home to pack up the car, I discovered my credit card was missing. Probably left at a restaurant a few days before, but still had to make the phone call to cancel and get a new card. I'll deal with the auto-charges when I get home.
Next annoyance: the charger for the mini-computer we we supposed to take was gone. This was noted on Saturday, and we duly went to Amazon to have one shipped along with a new battery. Extra charge for overnight delivery for Monday. Monday came and went with no delivery. The tracking software told us it was in Beltsville. An hour before we were supposed to leave, I tried again and it was "on the truck" for delivery. I even tracked down the post office and tried to find the carrier's cell number to meet him somewhere, but no luck. It was nicely at home after Jill got back from driving us to the airport. I'll see how much can be done on the iPad...
So now waiting in Frankfurt for the next plane to Vilna.
Vilnius Day 2
So we finally got here. One couple had their luggage remain back in Chicago en route from San Francisco, but otherwise it was an uneventful transfer for the rest of us. Silvia met us at the airport and hustled us onto the bus. We checked in and took a walk before our meeting. This town is quaint, with an old-world charm reminiscent of Prague. No building in the old section of town where we are is more than 5 stories, except the churches(of which there seem to be many!). The city dates to the 12th century, but we will get more history tomorrow in our city tour.
Our room looks out onto a central square and a church which I have previously uploaded(I think). Small but comfy.
The group seems amiable. We look to be the babies, as almost everyone is already retired. I guess this is what we have to look forward to. We had dinner with Art and Laurie, a dentist and his wife, previously from Fairfax, but now in Florida. More walking after dinner to try to get some good pictures, but the light had faded. Tomorrow is predicted for rain, so I'm not so sure about the quality of the pix. Without the little laptop, I'll have some trouble transferring pictures from the camera to the web. Maybe there will be an Apple store (?) to buy an adapter for the data card to the iPod, as this seems to be my only reliable input device. We'll see.... Jut getting this text in is a bit of a chore, typing in Notes. I think I can email it to the blogger, if I get a wifi connection back.
Obviously, it worked... Now I'm trying to get the order right. Not easy.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
_-_cathedral.jpg){kind=link}
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Getting Ready to Go...
So we're in packing phase now. Everything into one bag; gotta travel light (or as light as I can)... Looking forward to seeing different cities of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and back to St. Petersburg, where we did our 30th. As my Wandering Jew would say, Journey On...
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