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We had 2 nights in each of the 3 Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Baltic comes from the name of the Baltic Sea which means white or fair. Estonia is actually not Baltic but related to Finland as is their language. They are small in population at 1.3, 2 and 3 million respectively. They had varying histories but all became separate states after the First World War and were under Soviet rule until 1991 with a brief interlude under the Nazis. Our guide, Ilze is Latvian and has given us a very good insight into life under the Russians, mostly from her parents. Basically they were bastards who controlled every aspect of life and tortured and killed those considered enemies of the state. Other than soviet era buildings and the attitude of a few Russians, very little of this time is evident and the 3 countries are now modern, part of the EU and NATO and all use the Euro as currency. Relative to the rest of Europe, most things including food are quite cheap.


The first 2 nights were in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. We had a walking tour through the old town with its churches, city walls and other historic buildings. Both Tallinn and Riga (Latvia) had periods under the Swedes, Germans and Tsarist Russia which influenced their architecture. In the afternoon we had an optional tour to the Ethnographic Museum where over 70 original buildings have been collected. Most date from the 1800s and many have thatched roofs. We visited Tallinn last year and recommend a visit for 2-3 nights as it is a beautiful city with lots to see and is easy on the budget.


On the way to Riga, we had 3 stops to see some of the countryside of Latvia. All of the Baltic states are flat with a maximum elevation of 318 metres. After a stop to see a beach, we visited 2 areas where it was a bit hilly. The first was a soviet era bunker, built in response to the Cuban missile crisis but not finished until 1982 when the Cold War was virtually over. We had a guided tour by a guy who was a real comedian and brought it all to life. The bunker is 9 metres underground and has about 60 rooms, power supply, air filtration and a comprehensive communication facility. At the end, we had a treat of vodka, pickles and sardines on dark bread - very Russian!


The other visit was to Turaida castle which is mostly ruins but has a tower which can be climbed and also a modern sculpture exhibition depicting Latvian life and the struggle against the Soviets. It was a beautiful day and made the scenery a delight.


We had 2 nights in Riga with the usual city tour although with a couple of twists. We started with a visit to the opera house and a full behind the scenes tour with a glass of bubbles at the end. Our guide played a couple of tunes on the piano and our tour guide sang a Latvian folk song. She has a very good voice and has sung several folk songs in the bus for us. There are over 1 million documented Latvian folk songs! During the tour, we attended an organ recital in the church, played on the largest pipe organ in the world. The organist was a famous Russian who lives in Latvia and played 2 pieces which showcased the organ's range. It was an enjoyable day.


Last Tuesday we had 2 stops on the way to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The first was Rundale Palace which had elements of the Russian palaces because the designer did them as well. It was occupied by the Duke of Courland and has 136 rooms. It has been very well restored and was only finished recently after over 40 years. We had a personalised tour from 2 ladies dressed in period costumes. After we crossed into Lithuania, we stopped at the hill of crosses which has about 200,000 Christian crosses of all types and sizes dotted all over the hill and surrounds. On arrival in Vilnius, Liz and I walked the long way into the old town and, by accident, found one of the best and cheapest Lithuanian restaurants in town. Most of us had lunch there the next day.


The day tour of Vilnius took us to several points around the city and then a walking tour of the old town. It is a bit larger than Tallinn and Riga but still with some interesting buildings including the university and several unique churches. Lithuania was part of the Polish empire and is a strongly catholic country unlike its Baltic neighbours. Yesterday (Thursday 29th) we had a long drive to Warsaw, the capital of Poland with a new country and currency to deal with.


The Baltic states are well worth a visit, particularly Estonia and Latvia. The currency is the Euro, most people speak some English and there is a wealth of history most of us know little or nothing about. Prices are very reasonable for Aussies.

On Tuesday morning we were up early to catch the train from Moscow to St Petersburg. Just as well because Bunniks had the time wrong and we were aiming for 7.40 when it left at 6.40! The gods were with us and we all got on just as it pulled out. The time had changed as of 7 September. The train travels at 200 kmh and we arrived about 10.45. There was a large bus waiting for us so there was plenty of room for 11 people plus 2 guides. We had a short driving tour with a stop at the Church of the Spilled Blood which is similar to St Basils in Moscow. The highlight of the day was a visit to the Winter Palace/Hermitage museum. We spent 2 hours on a guided tour and only scratched the surface of 120 rooms and 7 million items. We were to have an extra hour but voted that the legs had had enough. We did see a good selection of the best parts but could easily come back several times. A further bus tour of the city got us to our hotel, the Crowne Plaza which is very good. We all ate at a dumpling restaurant next door. It turned out to be very good and cheap. Not just dumplings but many Russian dishes.

Wednesday started with a drive out of the city to Peterhof where were were lucky enough to be the first group in. Peterhof was built by Peter the Great as his summer palace and is reminiscent of Versailles. There are a large number of magnificent rooms and expanses of gardens with fountains fed by natural springs. We had a Russian lunch in the orangerie where Boris managed to have a battle in the Pokémon gym and won it.
On our return to the city, we stopped to look over the Neva river which was a major port. We continued to Peter & Paul fortress which controlled the river entrance for trade through the Baltic Sea to and from Russia. The cathedral there was important and has the tombs of most of the Romanovs including those killed in 1917.


Thursday was a free day but we all wanted to do the same optional tours starting with a cruise on the rivers and canals of St Petersburg. It was interesting to see the city from a new perspective. We then had a short drive out of the city to the Catherine Palace which was the summer palace started by Catherine I and continued by Elizabeth. It was almost destroyed by the Nazis but has been painstakingly restored. The famous amber room has all of its amber panels stolen, never to be found, so they have been recreated and the room looks magnificent. We feel I shed with a walk through the extensive gardens with various pavilions and a lake.


Despite the convoluted process to get visas, Russia is well worth a visit. We enjoyed the food and the sights and found it easy to get around. It would be best to go in the shoulder season as it gets very busy in summer. We found the major sights to be busy but not too much.




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Our trip from Melbourne to Sydney to Tokyo to Moscow was almost uneventful with all flights arriving early. There was a miscommunication about our hotel in Narita and we turned up to the one we have always stayed at only to find out after a long delay the booking was at a new one so we lost a couple of hours. The dinner and breakfast were much better so all was well. We had been apprehensive about the arrival in Moscow but we were out within 40 minutes of landing. The only delay was a very thorough examination of our passports. The drive to the hotel took over 90 minutes due to rain and traffic on Friday afternoon. We are staying at the Holiday Inn for 4 nights and is seems to be good with large rooms and a good breakfast. Last night we dined at a local restaurant on BBQ beef and rabbit burgers with chips and a glass of wine each. The total cost was 2,500 roubles or about A$50.

After breakfast today we braved the Metro system and travelled to about 14 stations. Many of the subway stations have been built with amazing architecture and design so we combined a tour of some of these with a visit to the State Tretyakov Gallery which is highly recommended. After a wait of about 30 minutes we got in and had a good 2 hours there looking at some of the best Russian art. It was excellent and quite different to a lot of western art. After that we walked over to the red square area and saw St Basils and a few other sights before returning via more stations. Our tour with Bunniks starts this evening. The weather is mostly dry but cool - about 10-12 maximum.

That's about it for now. We will try to add some photos soon but here are a few to start with.

We are leaving tomorrow on a trip to Russia and Eastern Europe with Bunnik Tours. We will try to do everything on the iPad and iPhone so here goes. We will try to keep this updated regularly. All the best, Boris and Liz