Our Trip to the Baltic States

Before I start the post today, we want to let you all know that my mother and Jordan’s grandmother is 91 today.  She has been instrumental in influencing both of us on cooking, sewing, crafting, and living.  She has made 16 adorable dresses for Little Miss and is still cranking them out.  She and Daddy have had some health set backs lately, but they are living life as large as they can.  So, Happy Birthday to my dear mother.

 

Way back in August and September, Mr. Right and I took a big trip to Russia and then to the Baltic States of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia.  Let me tell you now that it was one of my favorite trips ever.

 

The Baltic States are absolutely beautiful, loaded with history, beautiful architecture, and plenty of things to do, but they don’t have many tourists.  That’s a major plus in our book.

 

We didn’t see one American the whole time we were there.  So, if you have ever even thought a little bit about going there, do it.  Those small countries are like Europe used to be 25 years ago before all of the tourists and craziness.

 

There’s still a purity there that we don’t see a lot of time when traveling.  Yes, they appeal to tourists, but it’s more a European tourist than an American tourist.

 

When we were there the weather was beautiful, and the people were out enjoying it.  Because they are located so far north, their winters are long, cold, and dark, so they really value the summer months and the outdoors.

 

We started out by flying to Vilnius, Lithuania from St. Petersburg, Russia.  We spent a few days there and then took a luxury bus to Riga, Lativa.  After a few days there, we ended up in Talinn, Estonia.  Each city was loaded with historic old buildings, a colorful past, good hotels and restaurants, and museums.

 

We really learned a lot about the days the countries were oppressed by communism.  We visited spy museums which were so educational yet so depressing.  They have just had their freedom about 25 years, and they have embraced it.  The people are not afraid of work, and businesses and restaurants are flourishing.  We stayed in beautiful hotels and ate wonderful food.

 

Our family visited Estonia back in the early 1990’s, and the hotel we stayed in was run by the state.  My husband told little Jordan and Cory that they could buy anything they wanted.  He knew that the stores were pretty much empty, and they wouldn’t find much.  We still laugh about that trip and how there weren’t things for them to buy other than some Russian dolls.

 

Thanks for letting us share this amazing trip with you.  I would go back to the Baltic States in a minute, and I hope you will go there one day, too.

 

Take care.