My last entry for Nicaragua will be of Ocotal and a little town just a bend or three down the road, Mozonte, a pleasant half-day trip. Both towns, in contrast to their recent sad, shared history of warfare against Somoza‘s Contra army, now seem very relaxed and peaceful. By the way, these are only my impressions. No one staying just a few days in a place gets to be an expert. All I have are impressions and experiences.
And photographs. I hope you like these. These photos, as is the case with almost all of my pictures, can be enlarged for better viewing.
Left: One of several statues around the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion. The church is right across the street from the well-shaded plaza. Right: A brickmaker taking advantage of the cool morning hours. Along with being backbreaking work there is the recently discovered occupational hazard among these brickmakers (along with sugar cane workers) of drastic upsurges in CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease). It seems that pesticides in the soil these men come in constant contact with are to blame. CKD affects men much more than women, which fits with the profile for these occupations. it is now so common in Central American countries that it has its own medical term: Mesoamerican nephropathy.American history that did not make it into most American history books, certainly not the ones I taught with: Uncle Sam turning Nicaragua into its own bloody stomping ground. I have taught high school and junior high history for several years and never came across the embarrassing information I learned from my visit of the local history museum here in Ocotal. I knew the general strokes, the “who” and “where“, but never really processed the underlying “why” of it all. From the 1930’s to the Iran-Contra Scandal of the 1980’s our country’s actions were quite at odds with the democratic platitudes we preached. We were not on the side of the angels on this one.
Two good books for further reading (with the appropriate caveat lector ) are: “Lies my teacher Told Me” by James W. Loewen and “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn.Where town and nature meet: The steep valley of the Rio Dipilto.Left: Soursop Tree. Center: Path along the Rio Dipilto. It should rather be called a “rillito“. The current is fast but it is not very far across. Top Right: River Crab. Bottom Right: Metalmark Butterfly, Calephelis lavernaAbove and Below: Views of the center of town.Eat, Sleep, Eat: Simple food, simple accommodations. This is how we like to live. Left: One of our favorite eateries a block or two from the plaza. The glass container has chili peppers of sufficiently potent firepower. Center: Our hotel room was, if I remember correctly, under $20. We get a fan, good and loud to drown out the occasional loudmouths walking by out front. The bed was sufficiently soft (unlike the one we are enduring these last two days here in Thailand!) The tiny TV works but the picture is snowy. By the way, those pieces of of paper on my keyboard are where I had to put the “correct” keys. This was a laptop I suddenly had to buy in Peru (long story!) and somehow the keys pressed did not always match with what you would think. (The “q” was the “z” and vice verse.!) Right: Vegetable broth with parrot on the side. Side of the wall, that is. Do you see him? He was quite tame.Left: Community center. Right: Schoolgirls in front of a mural of historical events that happened way before they were born.Bus TerminalUnlike several other bus terminals this station has excellent timetables clearly posted “that he may run that readeth it”, Habakkuk 2:2. (Yes, I know that is out of context!) Above and Below: Loma Santa, the site of many battles and prayers. The above photo shows a main street, such as it is, and in the distance, on the other side of town, Colina Sin Nombre (“Hill Without a Name“), on the north side of which is the town cemetery. Miguel Angel Ortez Guillen, staring into eternity, presumably died with his boots on at the tender age of 24. Behind the little hilltop chapel of Loma Santa is this approachable, pettable burro. There is a lot of good nature in the background and on the other side of the Mozonte River valley on the left.Another view of Mozonte from the Loma Santa. The prosaically-named Iglesia Catolica de Mozonte and plaza are in the center.Crossing the Rio Mozonte brings us to this pleasant country road, with a few fincas (farms) on one side and, on the other, woods that extend magnificently up the hillsides.Four birds surround an Epiphyte, growing on a telephone wire (Center). They are, Top Row: Clay-colored Thrush, Turdus grayi, and Tropical Kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus. Bottom Row: Gray-breasted Martin, Progne chalybea, and the ever-present Great-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus. A graceful bird. This photo looks like it could have been an Audubon painting, don’t you think?The peaceful Rio MozonteThe day trip to Mozonte being ended, we went back to Ocotal and to the bus terminal. In a short while we left the country to return back north.
Next: I plan to finish up on our trip to Botswana, Africa. This will take maybe a post or two. Or three. Who knows?
In many ways Esteli is quite the contrast to Chinandega (see previous article). The city , 3rd or 7th largest in the country, depending on which website you believe, it manages a laid-back atmosphere without the sketchiness of the previous town. Or maybe we were just in the better part of the town. The people did seem a lot friendlier. Taking the city bus to the terminal several high school students were very interested in who we were and where we from and what we should see in their city.
But, like Chinandega, we did not stay long here. We never found a hotel to our liking and in our budget range at that time.
We were impressed with the variety of murals throughout the central part of town, many of them very well done.
Above: Environmentally-aware and whimsical murals. The caption reads, “We were born to be free. I don’t buy wild animals.“ Below: Many of the murals had revolutionary themes. Not surprisingly seeing that this city suffered immensely during the revolution in the 1980’s. The Nicaraguan populace finally won freedom over the Somoza dictatorship but not before serious bombardments from the latter. Esteli, especially, suffered major damage.
Left: Che Guevera Center: Map showing Esteli and Northern Nicaragua. The surrounding dark green areas are the several nature areas. Right: Demonstration or “Manifestacion”.Left: Bullet holes still visible in what is now the “Association of the Mothers of the Heroes and Martyrs of Esteli” Right: “Nuestros derechos hasta cuando?”, loosely translated to “How long before we get our rights?”Demonstrations seen on our hotel TV showing that we did well to avoid Managua. A little too much excitement. Above: A lot of cattle-raising in this area. The ones we saw look sleek and healthy. The horses also. Not like the unfortunate gaunt creatures I saw in Chinandega. Below next three rows: Views of the downtown area.
Somoto, refers to the town and the canyon just a few miles north. We stayed at the aptly-named Hotel Panamericano, two blocks off of the international highway of the same name. Of course, “highway” may be misleading. This is just a main two-lane road cluttered with slow-moving traffic, pedestrians, and donkeys. In fact, Somoto is also called “el Pueblo de los Burros” – “Town of the Donkeys”. The hotel was cheap enough and the owner was very accommodating. The only sad part was seeing those nervous spider monkeys kept in small cages.
The photos are from our two separate trips, November 2018 and May 2019.
Left: Government building with Sandinista flag over the entrance. Top Right: Waiting for a ride at the bus terminal. Lower Right: Our favorite meal in Somoto are the Nacatamales. Much better than the usual tamales we get in Mexico. Ours had mixed into the masa rice, meat, potatoes, olive, and raisins. And I’m sure I am forgetting an ingredient or two.Opposite the well-shaded town square is the Templo Santiago Apostol, built in 1611. One of the very oldest churches in the country. Incendiaries & Ice Cream (in the far right corner). The town, like in other rural parts of Nicaragua, has several Sandinisti and Socialist-themed murals.
We were planning on exploring the area outside of town but found the surrounding hills hard to get to. Also we had heard that robberies have been known to happen in the hills close to town. So we took the local bus to go to a famous, and safer, canyon of the name as the town. It was worth the trip. Somoto Canyon is maybe two kilometers from the Honduran border.
I wanted to do some hiking in these hills bought we heard too many cautionary tales of muggings.Bus rides in Nicaragua are always an adventure, good and bad. The seating – at least for this tall Gringo – is excruciatingly cramped. And the driver often has the music playing really loud. We routinely take earplugs with us.
Do you see the ladder and bars around the top of the bus? I have seen the helper climbing up from the front on to the top and then see him come back in the bus via the rear door. All while the bus was in transit down the curvy road!On our last day trip to Somora Canyon we rode out on the bus you see here, but came back in a crowded transport truck. We waited over on hour for the bus that never came.The real draw to this area is the canyon, not the town. We came here twice. One of the times we hired a boatsman to take us far into the canyon. The second time we entered from a different road and traversed the canyon where it was more shallow.Left: Coming back from our canoe trip we met a Chinese tour group entering in. 大家好! Center: Plenty of of livestock wandering through parts of the National Park. Right: Along the steep sides of the canyon there were the stately Cardon Cactuses.We chose the muddy Frostian path less traveled. But well-traveled by cattle, making our hike difficult. I think my weight doubled with each muddy footstep!Two beauties of the canyon. Left: Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Myiodynastes luteiventris Right: Turquoise-browed Motmot, Eumomota superciliosa. This second bird is called “Pajaro Reloj” – “Clock Bird” because his tail swings back and forth like an old-fashioned clock.Our second time here the path was impassable without getting the feet – or hooves – wet.Left: The loud rattle of the Ringed Kingfisher, Megaceryle torquata, is almost always heard before seen. Right: Blackbelly Racerunner Lizard, Aspidoscelis deppii.Left: I don’t mind getting wet. At least in areas where there are no crocodiles! Right: At the end of our boat ride, before heading back.
Next: Chinandega, a sketchy little town that kept us on our toes. See the map for the location of both of these towns.
We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with … Molotov Cocktails? A contrast of wars and warriors, sword and shield armored angel (?) and a plucky revolutionary, lighted Molotov in one hand and firearm in the other.
Close to this statue, thankfully not visible, was a scrawny guy who, well, clearly did not know how to work his zipper correctly.1. Our bus that brought us here was quite colorful. 2. Painted statues and pithy political slogans are common throughout Latin America. 3. This Orange-chinned Parakeet, Brotogeris jugularis, doesn’t really fit in this set of four but it was the only bit of wildlife I saw in this town. 4. A common mode of travel here is the pedi-cab taxi.Above and Below: Market area spills over into several side streets.In our hunger we momentarily forgot that ordering pizza anywhere south of the Rio Grande is a risky proposition. We waited almost an hour for this pizza. Yet it was clearly undercooked. Not worth the wait.It was hard to know where the bus terminal starts and the market ends.
I would have taken a few more pictures but after I took my phone out I was warned to put it away because of all the thieves and pickpockets. All in all this town was one of the least favorite places we visited.
Next: Ocotal, Mozonte, and Esteli, colorful and quaint corner of northern Nicaragua. I would have liked to have stayed longer in these next towns.
I tried to think of a grabby title for this entry but, well, nothing came to mind. And, to be honest, by this point much of what we saw in Vilnius was similar to what we have already seen in the other Baltic States. And, this city more touristy than the previous ones (Riga, Tallinn, and certainly Daugavpils) we were getting a bit blasé at this point. Seeing the tour groups clogging the crowded cobblestones lanes, trailing the flag-toting leader, this city began to feel like a European Disneyland. But if you take exception to these comments just chalk it up to my personal opinion. Or, as my Oma would say, “Geschmacksache”, a matter of taste!
But we did see some interesting sites and learned a few things. And we stumbled upon a country within a country (more on that below) And, ah yes! the weather was getting warmer. So there’s that.
This city certainly is photo-worthy. But first I have two views before we even came to Vilnius, approaching from Daugavpils, Latvia.
As is often the case I will upload the photos first and add more comments later. Yesterday here in Thailand we had a four hour power outage because of the monsoons.
Above and Below. Rural Lithuania. Rutted trail leads to gutted houses. Cemetery in background.White Storks are still fairly common in this part of Europe. Many villages, like here, accommodate their needs, setting up wagon wheels or wooden frames as nesting platforms.The modern city center is separated from Old Vilnius by the River Neris.Historical national (armorial) flag of Lithuania. It was the flag of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania right up until the 18th century when it ceased to be grand. Or a duchy. The current Lithuanian flag can be seen in the photo before this one.Russian Orthodox Church. “It contains the relics of the first three Orthodox martyrs in Lithuania.” (from a reviewer).This creepy trio graces stares down from atop the entrance to a store on busy Gedimino Street.Amber-colored chess pieces on what looks like a marble board. Chess coordinates are inlaid on the sidesThis view and the next two photos are of Gediminas Castle. You can walk up or take the funicular for a euro.This photo can be selected to read background history on the castle and on the city’s simplifying the flow of the Vilnia River, the smaller river that feeds into the Neris.Aah. Spring is here.The Vilnia River is pretty much controlled with paths and artificial embankments on both sides.Cathedral Square: Vilnius Cathedral (left) and the National Museum (right).The very imposing Romanesque Vilnius Cathedral.This morning we accidentally walked into another country: Uzupis. Well, a self-proclaimed republic just across the brook from Vilnius proper. They even have their own Constitution assumed self-evident rights are etched on a long series of shiny metal panels, translated into several languages. Rather quirky items here. Number 13 states:
“A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of nee.” (sic)
We can only hope that those times of nee are few and far betwee!A frieze just down the street of the Constitution plaques. Not sure which of the “rights” listed above are assumed here!Confiscated scissors and lighters. I guess you would call this Found Art. Or – from our personal experience (maybe yours too!) – Lost Art.This city oozes street art. And not just in the old town.Walking by the train station on the way to the bus terminal.Children on a field trip to old town. Having taught all ages of students I think most about the young ones. Some of these kids will most likely live to the turn of the next century. I wonder what kind of Europe these students will grow up in. Do you ever have thoughts like this?
Next time I hope to tie up a couple of loose ends. I have one last Nicaragua article to write and a few other on the back burner.
There is something mentally massaging about a train ride. It is not hurried. You are not driving. You are simply watching the scenery scrolling by, a leisurely left-to-right change of view, often very interesting. We left busy, crowded Riga for the much more laid-back Daugavpils. It was a nice change of place. This city is the penultimate one we visited, Vilnius, Lithuania being the last.
Walking through the train station we continued straight down this pedestrian way that traverses the center of the town. On this street were two decent-sized malls with good grocery stores, marketplace, restaurants, an old, apparently no longer used church, and restaurants. It was pretty convenient that our apartment we were to stay at was just a block off this walkway.Another view of the well laid-out pedestrian walkway, with the train station on on end and the shopping district on the other.Also along the pedestrian way (behind the building) is this disused church.Not as picturesque as Riga, but the old town still had some architectural beauties.
Daugavpils Fortress: The (Military) Glory Has Departed. The six photos below were all taken at this fortress.
This sprawling, star-shaped fortress (the last of its kind) was built in nervous anticipation of Napoleon’s sweep eastward. Construction began in 1810 but was only fully completed in 1878. But long before this time it was already obsolete; cannons were soon able to fire from much further away and thus arc easily over the walls causing many casualties and much damage, just like Lieutenant (later General Stonewall) Jackson demonstrated in the 1847 siege of the similarly-walled city of Veracruz, Mexico.
I tried to research what this is a picture is of. There were several of these openings. It would have been helpful if there had been information here or a military museum. But there is only, strangely enough, an art museum!My first impression as we entered the fortress and climbed up the grassy ramparts, was of a ghost town. But there are actually over a thousand residents within these walls. And a hotel and restaurants and stores also. A town within a town. A town ssurrounded by a ghost-fortress greatly in need of careful renovation.
A good part of the fortress walls and some of the buildings within (photo above and below) are dilapidated, giving the impression that the fort had once seen serious battles. But not a single battle happened here. The decay was entirely caused by neglect over the years. Also, the Soviets tore down at least one of the gateways to make room for their tanks. Eroded ramparts, horse stables, and (I think) an armory.The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, sings from the ruined ramparts, “A little bit of butter and no cheese!” At least that is how my bird field guide puts their song.Back in town, these Eurasian Jackdaws, there were two of them, were shamelessly stealing from the dog’s dish.Above and the two photos Below: Wooden houses make sense where wood is plentiful.A side street near our apartment.One of the main attractions of Daugavpils, located on Varsavas Iela (Warsaw Street), is the ShotTower, the oldest one in all of Europe. The shot (lead balls) is made by melting the metal on the top of the tower, passing it through the sieve (usually made of copper). The balls thus formed are dropped down into a water-filled tub. The result is perfectly round lead balls. Once a year the tower makes these balls by this traditional method.Above and Below: Two views of the neighborhood (formerly town) of Griva, which is just across the Daugava River from the main town. Walking over the bridge seemed also like walking a few decades back in time to a more relaxed and bucolic Latvian town.Also in Griva: A colorful Orthodox Church. From what I read, a friendly and “comfortable” place of worship.Back in the city: Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Boris and Gleb. A most inhospitable church, the Pomors Church of Latvian Veterans. My wife and I wanted to see this church. Before entering she was sure to have her scarf on and we were both modestly dressed. But we couldn’t even get close to the door. This old woman with fierce-looking eyes shooed us away like we were dogs! How bizarrre! The congregation is part of that staunch Russian sect called the “Old Believers”. Reading the reviews of this church on different sites I find that our experience was not unique.Our apartment was quite comfortable. We wished to stay longer but were told that the apartment would not be available in the next days. I wonder sometimes if they maybe were balking at letting us have the booking at our “genius rate” that Booking.com gave us. So we gathered our belongings and walked the three blocks to the bus station.… and, for a while, puzzled over our options. We knew we wanted to go to Vilnius but didn’t know when or how. But finally, with my Russian and appropriate gestures we were able to conjure up the needed tickets.But events often do not pan out as planned. The bus was over two hours late. By the way, according to the yellow sign, buses or vans left from here to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Minsk. At least they did at one time.
As the minutes turned to two hours I went back and forth outside and inside, trying to get updates on just what happened to our bus. The interior of the us station was decent enough. Snacks, Soft drinks, tea were available at the far end. As we waited those two hours, I noticed that the usual hubbub in the station was getting louder and louder. A couple of men were being quite boisterous, alternately singing and shouting, obviously drunk.
Eventually the bus came. And, even with the occasional inconveniences here, I mentally added Daugavpils to the list of places that I wouldn’t mind visiting again.
Of the three Baltic States we spent the most time in Latvia. And this was mostly in Riga since we found a cheap hotel right in the city center, close to the old city (pictured above).Above and Below: Two views of the scenery on our way down to Riga from Tallinn.The view from our window. Pretty decent view of the modern downtown. You can see a shopping mall, train station, and a Soviet-era university building locally dubbed “Stalin’s Birthday Cake“. The place here is no-frills. But that’s fine. Only $23 a night. Pretty cheap for Europe.Downtown Riga viewed from the western bank of the Daugava River. Compare this view with the 1518 lithograph below. The artist’s rendering is wider in scope but you can still see some of the same churches. Several of these churches were renovated quite a bit. The lithographer used his artistic license with his rendition of hills that were neither that high nor that close to the town.Left: Statue of the Town Musicians (or Four Musicians). Riga being a Hanseatic City, they were greatly influenced by German culture of fellow Hanseatic Cities like Bremen and Hamburg. The statue is from the famous eponymous story from the Brothers Grimm. Center: The House of the Black Heads, originally built in 1334 and destroyed in WW2, was totally rebuilt in 1999. (You can read more about this colorful organization in my previous article on Tallinn) Right: The Pulvertornis (Powder Tower) an ancient structure that still seems to have the marks of past conflicts – cannonballs lodged in it’s wall, courtesy of the Tsar’s cannoneers in the Second Northern War. Like much of the historical buildings in this war-battered city, the tower was rebuilt a number of times, lastly renovated just prior to World War 2. Pretty neat trick to rework the walls yet leave the cannonballs in situ. Actually, though the cannonballs are real, their placement in the wall was done afterward as a memorial of the Second Northern War.Left: Another view of the House of Black Heads. Center: This cat tells an interesting tale. It was made by a a craftsman who wasn’t allowed to join a certain guild. So he bought the house across from the offending guild and placed this cat statue on top of his roof. The cat (How do I phrase this politely?) faced away from the offending guild house. Well, that guild sued this fellow and I don’t know if he had to pay other damages but he had turn the cat around! Right: Speaking of guilds these three iconic buildings are called the “Three Brothers”, perhaps in connection with the similar “Three Sisters” in Tallinn.Left: One of two water towers, the first ones in Riga, are from 1897. Architectural details have several masonic motifs. The planner’s original intention was to construct three towers but his aspirations did not match the city budget. Center and Right: Walking through almost any part of old or midtown brings you to very interesting buildings.Another view of the University building dubbed “Stalin’s Birthday Cake”. The design is very similar to the university in Moscow. It was built in the 1950’s. The various symbols decorating the upper floor sides (red star, hammer and sickle) are still visible.It is easy to find examples of Art Nouveau architecture in central Riga. I would say maybe a third of the buildings have some of this style. Some streets, like Alberta Iela, are extreme examples. Every building, almost, has whimsical flourishes like the photo on the right. The left photo, by the way, is actually from the Old Town. Center: The Freedom Monument honors those who died in the fight for national independence during the time of World War 1.The Market close to the Train Station. Buckwheat is something that we have learned to enjoy from our months in Ukraine, a basic ingredient in a good soup!Left: The former site of Jewish Synagogue and a memorial to those killed when the Nazis came through the city. The same sad history we encountered in cities in Europe. Center: Nativity of Christ Orthodox Cathedral. A lady here gave me the stink-eye for taking this picture. You can see her just to the left of the blue candle. She’s wearing black and looking right at the heathen American. Right: Russian Orthodox Cemetery.Left: Great Spotted Woodpecker quietly working over the trees of the cemetery. Right: Pigeons.Beautiful store window display.
Taking the ferry from Helsinki to Talinn, Estonia was, of course, much shorter than the hours-long one from Stockholm to Turku, Finland, so we didn’t even bother with a room. We just sat at a table by one of the windows.
We entered this gate to the old town. Our hotel was fairly close. This was once the main entrance into town but now it is relatively quiet.Our first view of the city from our ferry. The upper town is visible in the center of the photo.
The ferry trip was short and pleasant – except for the music, which was quite loud and grating. A Finnish rock group was making a train wreck of Hotel California. Added to that the vocalist and instrumentalists apparently couldn’t agree on a key.Looking like so many stubby pencils, these towers guard west-facing old Town WalSupposedly the tallest building in the world from 1549 to 1625 the 12th-century St. Olaf’s Church, named after King Olaf II of Norway, is now a Baptist church.Jeweled figurines in a Lower Town shop windowTown Hall Square. Town Hall on the right. Normally there would be a lot more tourists here, but it was still pretty cold this morning.Colorful wooden door to the House of the Brotherhood of the Black Heads, also in the Lower Town. The Brotherhood of Black Heads was originally a military unit that helped in the defense of the city. It was also an association of Hanseatic guilds of various trades and crafts. Later the military aspect faded into the background, especially after the Soviets overran the city. But it is still an important social organization.
The door was painted in the early 1640’s but the building itself is much older.
Who are the Black Heads? They are named after their patron saint, the Egyptian Saint Maurice. You can see his portrait over the door. This is not the only Black Heads building. We later came across an even more impressive building of that name in Riga, Latvia. (More on that in a later article).The imposing Toompea Castle protected the upper town for many centuries. The tower to the right is Pikk Hermann. Danes, Germans, Swedes, and Russians all had the eyes on this important trade crossroad of Talinn. The Estonians (then called Livonians, along with a good part of what is now Latvia) won many defensive battles against the Russians and others. But they were finally overcome in 1721 by the Russians. Livonia then became part of the burgeoning Russian Empire. The castle grounds now includes the Estonian Parliament.Across the road from the Parliament is the Russian Orthodox St. Nevsky Church. It has a beautiful interior of gold paintings and and intricate woodwork. Like in many orthodox churches, they must be admired standing up, seats being scarce.Looking northward at the Lower Town from the Patkuli viewing platform.My impression is that there are three parts to this city: the tourist-friendly Old Town, Upper and Lower. Then there is the modern high-tech business district (pictures below). And lastly, pictured here, is the “normal” city of middle to low income people. Neither touristy nor glistening. In fact, in many places, somewhat run down.
But the people are interesting. I am always interested in the ethnicities of a place. The three largest groups in Talinn are: Estonians 233,518 53.34% Russians 149,878 34.23% Ukrainians 15,449 3.53% (From 2022, Wikipedia)Walking on our way to the bus station on our last morning we went through a very modern section of the city“Tallinn has the highest number of startup companies per person among all capitals and larger cities in Europe and is the birthplace of many international high-technology companies, including Skype, Wise and Bolt.” – from WikipediaSeegi Church, now closed. One Estonian local spoke of this church being in a neighborhood of “cloud climbers” (Google translate from the Estonian. Apparently their word for skyscraper!)On our way down to Riga, Latvia. Once again I get to take a few pictures of the local countryside. Before we leave this article I should mention a favorite candy of ours – Marzipan. We found this in all three of the Baltic countries. This photo is actually from Riga but it should be here since Talinn, along with Lubeck, Germany, has a longstanding connection with this candy. Both Hanseatic cities had their own version of the candy at about the same time. Did I say “candy“? Marzipan (“March Bread“) was first considered a medicine, known as “Panis Martius“. It also appeared in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet“. A servant at work in Capulet’s house says:
“Away with the joint-stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate. Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane;”
Even though Northern Europe was expensive it was a nice change from the places we usually visit. This is the second article of the Northern Europe series. Having left Stockholm via the Viking Ferry, we arrived that same evening in Turku, Finland. And after a few days we took the bus down to Helsinki. Here are some of the highlights.
We saw several homesteads like this that were alone on their own island. Traveling in unaccustomed style.We made a stop at Mariehamn, Aland Islands. On the cliffside path facing the sea there were several residents watching the ferries pass by. Mariehamn and the Alan Islands are an autonomous region of Finland where the residents speak Swedish. Mariehamn (“Marie’s Port”) was named after the 19th century Russian Empress Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse).Stenkrossen, an abandoned quarry by Mariehamn’s Western Harbor.Turku Castle, built in the 1280’s, greets us shortly after we disembarked from the ferry. A fire in 1614 destroyed most of the castle and after it was rebuilt and made into a warehouse.Even though the walk to the apartment was cold and we had several blocks to go I just had to stop and take a photo of this building.Market Square with the Orthodox Church of Saint Alexandra on the right.Läntinen Pitkäkatu. We trudged through snow and more snow on our way to the bus station and back. Left: Läntinen Pitkäkatu. Kauppiaskatu 20. The house was designed by Robert Lyly and was completed in 1926. Right: Detail of the Woman & Girl statue gracing the corner. I’m not sure who did the artwork. It dates to the same time as the building.They really love licorice in these northern countries. I do too …. but a whole tupperware-type container of it? And of course there is also Fudge. Licorice flavored!Left: “Turku Cathedral is a medieval basilica located in Turku, Finland. It was originally built out of wood in the late 13th century and dedicated as the main cathedral of Finland in 1300.” – Wiki The main cathedral was in Turku (earlier called Abo) because it was the capital of the country. Right: I wanted to get a closer photo of the facade and interior but it was just too cold to go over the bridge in my decidedly unwinterly clothes so I had to settle for this shot from the bus as we were leaving town.Finally heading south to Helsinki. We could enjoy the scenery … or decide just who to vote for in the upcoming elections, each candidate conveniently also given a number.Three photos of the landscape as we went in and out of snow flurries.Red seems to be the preferred color of Finnish barns.I can almost hear one of Sibelius’s symphonies to accompany these vistas. We really wanted to spend more time in Helsinki but it was just too cold and budget-breaking.A telephoto of the Helsinki Train Station, taken as we were walking down to our next hotel. I was hoping to get a closer look the next day but getting ferry tickets for Estonia was a higher priority. Can’t see everything.I wasn’t able to find out what this building was. I had seen another one almost identical to this one.The bitter cold walk to the ferry dock still had some pretty interesting sites. Halfway to the ferry we ducked into a nice hotel lobby to warm up.
Our travels in Africa having come to a sudden end, we decided to go someplace totally different. Northern Europe was indeed just that: more expensive (which is why we didn’t stay too long), modern, but much safer than South Africa. And much colder. And we still had our sandals from Africa!
This is the first of several articles of our journey through five countries: Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Most of this article has to do with Stockholm. A very interesting city. Even though we were not dressed for the freezing temperatures we forced ourselves to make the most of it.
To the right is the Skinnarviksberget. Cold morning, bracing gusts of wind near the water. But beautiful architecture. Our hotel is just beyond the rocky outcrop.A view of the Ryddarfjarden. One cold morning we decided to do the whole circuit around it. Quite a walk!A Fieldfare, a common thrush, faring pretty well in a frozen field. Unlike money in many other countries, Sweden’s currency has artists, filmmakers, and novelists. The actress Greta Garbo graces this 100 Kronor note.Above and below: glimpses of a more countrified part of the city, the island of Langholmen, the eastern half of which is mostly parkland. Notice the sod and thatched roof. This was more commonly done earlier. And a lot of 19th century Swedish immigrants to the US took this practice with them.Picturesque long building facing the South Malarstrand AvenueWe are back in the land of articulated buses! Behind it is the Riddarhuset (House of Nobility).Ridderholman Church. It started to really snow on the morning that we walked around the harbor.The Sofia Church, sitting like a squat rocket on the hilltop, was more impressive on the outside.Sofia Church interior. There used to be beautiful ornate art on the wall you see there but it was replaced by this modern mural. It “improved the acoustics” is what one brochure claimed. Hmm.Stockholms Tingsrätt (City Courthouse) behind an iconic line of harbor-fronting Hanseatic buildings.A closer view of the City Courthouse.Thanks to Voi, Lime, Bolt, and about six other electric scooter rental services, you are never far from convenient wheels to take you from A to B. Prices vary between 2 or 3 SEK per minute. No wonder they are always speeding!The Guardian of Valhalla getting ready to whack the sacred pinatas. I know my Norse mythology!This morning we left Stockholm for Turku, Finland. On a viking ship! Well, the company is Viking Line.Escorting our ferry through the Stockholm Archipelago is one of Odin’s ravens. Hmm. I’m not sure if this dapper fellow is Huginn or Muninn. Actually this isn’t even a raven, but a Hooded Crow.Slowly snaking our way through the suburbs east of Stockholm.Oskar-Fredriksborg Fort, a defensive redoubt on the island of Rindö. Built 1877. It was still used during WW2. The casemate facing the water was connected to the command structure uphill by hallways well-protected with reinforced concrete. But I don’t think this fort was ever really put to the test.Have sandals, will travel. Relaxing as we ease our way out of the Stockholm archipelago.
And this article, for the most part, focuses on the “wild” part, not so much the nondescript town. I went through my pictures just now and I found very few of the town itself, the buildings and almost invariably sandy streets, that were interesting.
More comments coming soon.
This road parallels the main highway into town, a road only slightly less dusty. The contrast between these two roads is striking. Just out of sight of this photo above is a jumble of brick and corrugated dwellings. We didn’t feel especially safe walking down here after being somewhat aggressively importuned for money by a women with an axe in her hand. I know. Sometimes perceptions are just that. But there is also touristic “spider sense”.We were quite happy staying at the Kololo Guesthouse, a collection of buildings that included a restaurant that made some pretty good pizza! Because our particular place was all metal the wifi reception was not great, but was decent when I sat outside by the table.Smith’s Bush Squirrel, Paraxerus cepapiLeft: Tawny-flanked Prinia, Prinia subflava. Center: Little Bee-Eater, Merops pusillus. Right: Black-collared Barbet, Lybius torquatusPied Crow, Corvus albusThe best time to see this White-browed Coucal, Centropus superciliosus, or perhaps any Coucal or Cuckoo, is after a good rain, when they are often more exposed on treetops, drying off their feathers.I had to venture through a lot of tangly brush to get this photo of the Rufous-bellied Heron, Ardeola rufiventris.A green-feathered beauty on the muddy path. The Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Turtur chalcospilosAfrican Openbill, Anastomus lamelligerus, a stork that posed conveniently atop a tree.Schalow’s Turaco, Tauraco schalowi, a bird that looks like he was designed by Dr. Seuss! Our first Turaco we saw was in George, South Africa, but this species is even more exotic-looking.Top row: Prosmidia conifera and Forest Elfin (I think) Middle: Unknown Beetle and Citrus Swallowtail Bottom: Lucia Widow and Eastern Dotted BorderSelling eggs near the vans and taxis that lead south to Botswana.The future of Katima Mulilo walking slowly to school.
This is the last of my Numibia posts, at least for now. Maybe my next article will be a totally different part of the world. We have been blessed to have been able to travel to many more places than I have time and energy to write about.
From NOwhere 2 nowHERE 