Arrived in Tallinn from London late last night. Enjoying the sites today. Viru portal towers.

Orthodox Cathedral.

Town Hall Pharmacy is the oldest in Europe.

Climbed up 258 steps on a narrow circular stairway of St Olav Church to enjoy views of Tallinn.

Cruise ships in the distance.

Dropped by City Bike to pick up our rental bikes to start our ride tomorrow morning.

Setting up our computers on the bikes.

Dinner. Crusted pork shank with sauerkraut (for 2). Yes, it was delicious. Yes, it was a lot!

Ready to start our ride. It is already 26C and will get up to 30C. Sunrise is 4:15 \240am and sunset is 10:30 pm.

Flat. Nice trail.

Our destination. Padise Manor 71 Kms.

Strolled around the complex.

Our room is Katarina. Lots of flowers & birds! No wifi because it was knocked out with a thunderstorm last night.

Fancy restaurant in the hotel was the only place to eat. I had the best Caesar Salad with Smoked Salmon!

Dessert!

Leaving Padise Manor on Day 2 of our ride.

Coffee time (including brownie!)

Arrived at our destination in Linnamäe. 82 Kms. 23C.

Muraka puhkemaja is the name of the house. It was well equipped and could accommodate 8. We rode to the Coop for provisions for dinner, breakfast and lunch tomorrow.

Day 3. The language is challenging but some signs are easy to understand! Lots of people can speak English.

Looking for a coffee shop in Haapsalu.

Yeah! Found a bakery!

Lunch stop beside the road.

Arrived in Lihula. 68kms. Checked in at the hostel. Coop is across the street and we will buy groceries for dinner, breakfast and lunch tomorrow.

I’m saying ‘seedy’ Rich says ‘shabby’. First ones here so will quickly get in the shared shower first. Soon a German cycling couple arrive. I think this is the only accommodation in this little town.

Day 4. Leaving Lihula Hostel after enjoying a visit over breakfast with a German couple cycling to Russia and Finland.

It’s been raining for awhile and find a place for Estonian fast food of Pork Schnitzel, salad & potatoes.

Pass by stunning old stone buildings.

Even though it is pouring rain and roaring thunder we make a stop at Seliste to see the old wooden church.

We are absolutely drenched. Check in to Maria Talu Guesthouse just past Pootsi. 78 Kms.

No restaurants nearby but we are able to eat at the guesthouse. Choice was fish or pork. Delicious meal of pork, roasted potato, sauerkraut & beer.

Dessert & coffee. We were the only dinner guests. Friendly lady preparing and serving the meal was happy that Rich could converse in German.

Day 5. After a wonderful breakfast we are ready to start our ride.

This place is huge and people come here for horseback riding, hiking, and other outdoor activities. No TV or wifi.

All packed up and leaving our cabin. Some of our things didn’t dry from yesterday’s rain.

Nice quiet road.

Crossing the bridge to Parnuu.

Jekaterina Orthodox Church in Parnuu.

Enjoyed the sites in Parnuu.

Tallinn Gate. The only preserved city gate in the Baltics.

Riding out of Parnuu.

Beachfront tourist area.

Massive play area.

Video: Had to ride on a busy highway at least 22 Kms. Not a very wide shoulder.

Reached Kollamaa Holiday House in Haademeeste 76 Kms. Shopped at a grocery store not far away and enjoyed our dinner. Very poor wifi but everything else was fine. No other guests in the house.

Day 6. Leaving Kollamaa Holiday House in Haademeeste after being served a huge breakfast of Omelette, cheese, cold cuts, bread & veggies (enough to pack up for lunch). We were the only ones here in the house that would accommodate 11.

After 25 Kms we reach the border to Latvia.

Nice quiet road. Had to make a decision to take the longer route or a shorter bike route which included 12 Kms of freeway and then 10 Kms of poor gravel. We decided on the longer route.

Very hot, around 30C. Not many facilities along the way so took advantage of this stop for a coke and one of our sandwiches.

Finally a coffee shop after 67 Kms. It is hot and strong headwinds gusting up to 30 km/hr. Altogether headwinds for 65 Kms.

After riding in thunderstorm for the past 5 Kms we reach Lielezers in Limbazi. (A converted school) Pretty basic but only €20. Head to the grocery store and stayed there for lattes until a huge rain deluge subsided.

Back in our humble accommodation we enjoy our salads, pizza & wine! Got enough deli food to satisfy our hunger after our 106 km ride today.

Leaving Limbazi, overcast 19C.

No coffee shops so far so stop beside the road for lunch (big rock for backrest).

Lots of stork’s nests along the way.

Finally a coffee shop after 40 Kms. Estonia was very flat, Latvia is more undulating.

Road surface has been a bit rough but traffic fairly light.

Enjoying a break from the road on a nice bike path.

Top of a km long hill of 11% entering Sigulda. Known as ‘The Switzerland of Latvia’.

54 Kms today. Checked in to Hotel Kakis then walked to the train station to buy a ticket for Riga tomorrow. €4.94 for 2 people and 2 bikes!

Leaving Hotel Kakis in Sigulda for the train station. Were advised to take the train into Riga rather than ride.

Pass by the ladies selling their flowers.

Arrived in Riga after an hour 20 min train ride. Will ride to Hotel Forums to check in.

Starting out on our walking tour with guide Rich. St Peter’s Church.

Lovely old buildings.

City Hall.

House of the Blackheads with Church in background.

House of the Blackheads. Originally the guild hall of a merchant society.

Inside the hall.

Video: Ballroom of the hall.

Cathedral Square.

Typical Latvian latte.

The three brothers’ houses. The oldest surviving houses in Riga, from 15th, 16th & 18th centuries.

The Swedish Gate.

Jacob’s Barracks. Built in 18th century used by various armies. Today shops, cafes and apartments.

Enjoyed dinner at a little restaurant featuring Latvian food. I had herring, potatoes & cottage cheese.

Rich had chicken medallions with penne in a rhubarb wine sauce & salad. Dark beer for Rich, light beer for Dolly.

Freedom Monument is memorial honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918-1920).

Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

Walk thru Art Nouveau district of Riga. This is the Art Nouveau Museum.

Interesting architecture.

Really enjoying our walk and appreciating the architecture.

Designs are so different.

Another Art Nouveau building.

Rich is checking out the parking style here.

Owls over the entry.

Loving the detail.

National Museum of Art.

Canal boats.

Building has crests of all the towns and cities of Latvia.

Entering the Central Market. Buildings were originally German WW1 Zeppelin hangars.

Lunchtime. Cottage cheese filled Vereniki with sour cream.

Borscht. It was delicious!

Fish market.

Lots of veggies. Rich wonders why he has only been served cabbage & potatoes!

Called the ‘Stalin Gothic skyscraper’. Originally a hotel. Now the Academy of Science.

The the ‘Cat House’

Another Art Nouveau building.

Rich was amazed to spot this Model A Ford hot rod.

Inside the Dome Cathedral.

Dome Cathedral.

Organ has 6700 pipes. One of the largest in the world.

Dome Cathedral.

Dinner at a Latvian Italian Restaurant. Prosciutto wrapped veal scallopini.

Grilled chicken with mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes & grilled vegetables. Yummy!

Video:

Tomorrow we continue our ride.

Leaving Hotel Forums after 2 nights in Riga. Enjoyed breakfast and setting out in the rain & 14C.

Rain has been steady with some riding on the road and some on sidewalk or path beside the road. Around 17C.

Riding thru the lovely little town of Jurmala.

Rain stopped for awhile so we take advantage and find a bench for lunch.

Nearing Engure and stop for views of the Baltic Sea.

The clouds cleared and we are enjoying the sun. Around 23C.

Checked in to Guest House Neilunams, Engure and discover that the water isn’t working. Rich is given a bucket of water. Apologetic hosts have purchased water for the well-equipped kitchen in the beautiful house. 77 Kms today.

Ready to leave Guest House Neilunams. We were able to use kitchen facilities to make our breakfast. Pump & Well repair men were arriving. No showers for us here but other than having no running water the place was great (although our room was a way too ‘lilac’ for Rich.)

Cycled on a narrow secondary highway but not too much traffic.

More storks. Actually saw 3 babies in this nest.

Coffee time.

Found a great lunch spot on the beach.

Inside an old Catholic Church.

Outside of the Church.

Arriving at our destination Cape Kolka, Northwestern tip of the Bay of Riga. This is the toilet facility. 87 Kms today.

We get a glimpse of our ‘barrel’.

Here we are! No electricity, wifi or plumbing. Great ocean and sunset views!

Inside our ‘barrel’. Lots of candles provided.

Beer & chips!

Rich said the water was warm.

Cafe on site.

I had herring, potatoes, cottage cheese & salad.

Strolled along the beach to stand at the very tip.

Beautiful, clear day and looking forward to seeing the sunset around 10:30.

Viewed sunset starting just after 10:32 pm from the bed in our ‘barrel’.

Brilliant!

Saw several ships passing by.

Such an awesome experience!

Leaving our ‘barrel’ and ready for 10th day of riding.

Lunch time. 42 Kms so far. It’s getting hot, around 27C. Lots of headwind and road surface is very poor for large sections. Not much traffic.

Pretty boring ride today. No sea views.

About 10 Kms from Ventspils we stop at a lake picnic area for a snack. Bike path starts here.

Arrived in Ventspils and look for L.E.C. Travel Old Town Apartment. 85 Kms today. Nice gentleman met us at the apartment. Offered to drive Rich to show him where grocery store and cash machine were nearby.

Leaving our apartment in the Old Town of Ventspils. Apart from being hot with no fan or air-conditioning the apartment was well-equipped and comfortable. Ventspils is the main shipping port for Russian coal & oil. Lots of Russian spoken here.

Ice-free harbour most important on the Baltic Sea. Half the residents are of Russian origin.

Lunch stop beside the road. Hard to find shade—around 27C. No coffee shops so far. Road surface mostly good. Lots of headwinds.

Finally a coffee shop at 52 km. After coffee there was thunder in the distance but we were lucky and stayed dry.

Arrived at Aizeja Guest House, Pavilosta. Greeted by Grandma who spoke no English. Store not far away where we walked to get supplies for Happy Hour, dinner and breakfast. 73 Kms today (50 Kms against the wind!)

Leaving our apartment just after 9 am. 18C.

We had 6 sections of road construction, making for slow progress.

Traffic was light and enjoying the ride after the construction. It is getting warmer.

Video: We have now been on a really rough gravel section that would continue for almost 7 Kms. (Felt Like much more!)

Visited Holocaust Victims’ Memorial. About 3,000 Jews (mostly women & children) were killed on the beach here December, 1941.

Looking for a lunch spot.

A Soviet Memorial in honour of those who fell in WW11.

The Orthodox Cathedral St. Nicholas.

Stopped at the Church on our way into Liepaja.

View from the bridge.

Crossing the bridge into Liepaja.

Checked into Boutique Apartments Roze and then found a Cappuccino and pastry. No coffee shops along the way today. 59 Kms.

Happy to arrive early so we can check out the sites.

Catholic Cathedral.

Market Hall.

Lutheran Basilica.

City Hall.

Traditional dish ‘Liepājas Mencini’. Cold smoked cod with potatoes, onions, dill and cream, baked and served in a ceramic pot.

Ate at Pastnieka Maja (Postman). Rich was happy he ordered this traditional dish.

Oven-roasted duck breast with mashed potatoes and carrots, orange marmalade sauce and picked beets.

I loved this meal—so delicious. Both entrees, a large beer for Rich and glass of Malbec for me, €25.

Enjoyed a fantastic breakfast at Boutique Apartments Roze for €5 per person. Ready to start Day 13 of our ride. 18C.

Pull off the road for a pit stop and break from traffic. No headwinds so far! Some side winds, even some tailwind. Road surface perfect. No bike shoulder and traffic a bit busy, but enjoying the ride.

At 52 Kms we enter Lithuania.

Stop at the border for coffee.

Video: Enjoyed a glass of wine with our lunch!

So happy to have found this picnic table for our lunch at 56 Kms.

Rode thru beach resort area. Holiday long weekend here and extremely busy.

Soon we will arrive at Alberto Apartmentai in Palanga. 76 Kms.

Alberto is seeing us off in the morning. Had a great stay at Alberto Apartmentai!

Good bike path and not busy yet on Sunday morning. Around 16C.

On the ferry crossing to the Curonian Spit. Crazy busy on this holiday weekend.

After crossing on the ferry we follow Bike path Euro Velo 10.

Climb up the dune for a view.

Great views from here.

Found a picnic table for lunch. 42 Kms so far, around 22C, just perfect for riding.

Climb up and over a big hill to get to the bike path along the water.

Video: Beautiful cycling!

Stop for a cappuccino and enjoy the views.

We passed sand sculptures and now stone sculptures.

Sky and water brilliant blue.

After leaving the bike path along the water we ride on the road. Climb another dune for a view.

Several climbs today.

Lookout tower.

Difficult to stop for long because there are so many ants.

Ocean view from the tower.

Riding into Nida, our destination for the day. 81 Kms. Very busy here.

Camino sign caught our eye.

Checked in to Haus Artas. Disappointed when we went to the grocery store and learned that we couldn’t buy beer or wine after 3:00pm on Sundays. A not so happy ‘Happy Hour’!

Leaving Haus Artas. 18C. Ready for Day 15–last day of our Baltic Cycle adventure.

Ride 4 Kms south of Nida to take a look at the Russian border. We would need a visa to enter.

Ride back to Nida and back on Euro Velo 10 heading north along the Curonian Spit.

Yup—lots of ants!

Stop for a power bar and cappuccino.

Hike up for a view.

It’s a holiday and people are enjoying the beach.

The ferry is arriving and we will take it back to Klaipeda.

View across the water.

Arrive at Guest House Pirkliu Namai, an old Merchants House from 1855. Check in, shower, and ready to see the sites. 65 Kms today. 23C.

Views along the Dane River. After 1525 Klaipeda became the Northeastern most corner of Prussia.

Theatre Square.

Statue Little Anne from Tharau. From a song by Friedrich Silcher.

Another view from the bridge.

Celebration dinner for Rich was Pork Belly.

Stuffed chicken breast with grilled vegetables and salad.

Bikes are ready to be picked up by Baltic Bike Travel tomorrow. They served us well for our 15 days of cycling. Total 1,138 Kms.