The Baltic Countries

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania…Tallinn, Estonia

We took a ferry from St. Petersburg back to Helsinki and promptly boarded another ferry to Tallinn, Estonia.

Winter started in St. Petersburg but was firmly in place in the Baltic countries with over 6” of snow and 2’ berms.

The walled medieval town of Tallinn rest on the gulf of Finland. Old Town is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and is surrounded by narrow cobblestone streets, intermixed with stone and pastel buildings with icicles dangerously hanging from the eaves  Pure magic.

Our original plan was to take the train south through Latvia and Lithuania but discovered that train travel in the Baltic’s is limited.  Apparently the Soviets disregarded rail maintenance during their occupation although there are still freight trains with local slow passenger schedules.  Bus service filled in and had become very efficient.

A beautiful 2 hour bus ride through the snow-blanketed country side took us to Riga, Latvia.  Another UNESCO World Heritage site known for its Art Nouveau buildings and 19th century wooden homes. Quaint as can be.

The bus schedule dictated that we only had time to see the town of Penevezys in Lithuania’s not so pretty 5th largest city.  We strolled around the snow packed park and enjoyed watching children playing in the snow.

The bus station was decrepit with old benches and a squatter toilet in a detached cold room. Within 2 minutes of our scheduled departure 6 big yellow busses pulled in where passengers scurried from one bus to another – one coming from Moscow and ours came from Prague.

 

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About Paige Shaw

Hi! I'm Paige - a freelance travel photographer. Let's go on a photo journey across the globe. The aim of my work it to show you the many layers and exquisite textures of a locality; its character, culture, people and beauty. Bitten by the wanderlust bug years ago my husband Bill and I set out to see the world. 2013 gave birth to a travel blog (www.billandpaige.com) chronicling our journeys so that curious family and friends could follow in real time. From that beginning so too a photographer was born. Honing my skills over the years I am now excited to narrate our discoveries with imagery! As you glimpse my art - join as we explore together. Be sure to throw your fashion ego out the door cuz there's no room in the carry-on luggage. Sunrise shots start at 5am. Hiking to the top for a different perspective will definitely get your blood pumping and you might even need to role up your pant legs to capture those closeups on the water…. Most of all - get ready to SMILE - it's the universal language. I’m also a wife, mother, yogi, pilgrim, burner, golfer, skier, scuba diver and expert wanderluster. “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ― Pablo Picasso

12 thoughts on “The Baltic Countries”

  2. Diana Allen

    You’ve saved us thousands of dollars, in travel fees by showing us all these places. Some a still want to go and others ok saw that in Shaws pictures. No chance.!! We’re still exploring the the USA, NOW CANADA. WE’RE TURTLES IN THE PRESTO TO TRAVEL WORLD. RENE TAKES CARE OF US LIKE 1ST GRADERS. LOL

  3. snowtoseas

    Really great post! Your photos are absolutely outstanding too! What camera/lens do you use? I really hope to visit the Eastern Baltic countries within the next year.

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