Our group dinner last night was near the hotel in Vilnius. We got to try the Lithuania delicacy named the Zeppelin. It is a mashed potato dumpling in the shape one would expect by the name, with a ground meat filling. Bet you can only eat one!
On the road for Riga at 0800. We have a large tour bus all the way to St. Petersburg, with 2 seats per person, so everyone gets a window to look out of or lean against to nap. After a potty stop, we arrived at the Hill of Crosses in northern Lithuania. It is an area where, since the mid-19th C, people have placed all manner of crosses in a rather random fashion. During the Soviet era, they were routinely mowed down and just as routinely replaced immediately. There are allegedly over 100,000 there now, ranging from simple sticks of wood to ornate metalwork. We left a cross in remembrance of our dear departed Lily, in a shady spot that she would have appreciated.
On next to lunch at a country restaurant attached to an equestrian center. The gloomy Vilnius morning had given way to a glorious afternoon by this point. We soon crossed into Latvia, noted by signage, the abandoned border crossing, and a sharp decline in road conditions. A short drive thru the countryside took us to spectacular Rundale Palace, in the background behind the two old people in today's blog photo. We had a local guide to provide a tour. The designer of this 18th C castle also designed the Winter Palace in St. Pete, which I believe now houses some hermit's museum that we will visit.
An hour drive from there took us into Riga. We are right at the edge of the Old City. Another Radisson hotel, this one decidedly more modern and spacious than the one in Vilnius. Unpacked and had a group dinner in the hotel. We have yet another basketball team staying here. Not quite as impressive as those Kaunus boys, however.
Another notable part of today's journey was a number of stork nests with the parents tending the eggs. The nests are thought to bring good luck, so suitable sites are provided. The storks seem quite unconcerned with the humans and their cameras, and are quite an impressive sight.
Guided tour of Riga tomorrow morning, with the afternoon and evening free. A organ and piano concert at the Cathedral in the evening sounds tempting, so we expect to have a full day.