Thursday 16th January 2020 Although you can get a coach between the Estonian and the Latvian capitals, there is currently no direct train link between Tallinn and Riga: services go via Valga on the border. We had to rise early [we were first down to breakfast in our hotel] to catch a train from Tallinn to Valga for the first leg of the journey. Although the man at the ticket counter had suggested we might struggle to get a seat, once we were on board, we began to wonder whether he was being ironic. The scenery was predominantly trees and woodland. At the end of WWI, Valga was the only place that was disputed between Estonia and Latvia and a British mediator was called in to settle the dispute which he did by dividing the town in two. On the Latvian side, the town is called Valka. We arrived in Valga/Valka with three hours to wait before our onwards connection to Riga so we deposited our luggage in the lockers in the spacious railway station hall and went to stroll round the town. Valga promotes itself with the slogan, “One city, two states” and this is written prominently around the […]
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Thursday 21st March 2019 Although not part of the planning process, as we were in India for this festival of colour, we thought we should enter into the spirit of the celebration. Holi signifies “the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships”. Coloured powder is thrown in the air and smeared over people’s clothes and faces. Dancing and food are also vital. We bought white shirts from the shop in the hotel reception which seemed to be doing a roaring trade with a Chinese tour group. It took a few attempts to find a top which would fit Robert’s broad shoulders and the sizing was a mystery as Matilda’s top said 48 in the back and Robert’s said 38. We asked the hotel receptionist to take a “before” photo and headed out to the Dhulandi Festival. Some colours seem to be more adhesive than others . . . . . . and some are more long-lasting but . . . . . . there comes a point when they all merge together. Robert’s hair proved to be […]
Saturday, 27th October 2018 In the fifteenth century, apparently Duke John II wanted to thank the people of Lier for their support during his struggle against the people of Mechelen. They were allowed to choose their own reward and he offered them two options. The people of Lier were tasked with choosing between a university or a cattle market. The duke coined the phrase ”the sheep heads”: so you know which option the good citizens chose. We did, however, feel it was an apt destination for the Travelling Herd. We had inadvertently stumbled upon another UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Beguinage at Lier. We learnt that a beguinage is an architectural complex created to house beguines – lay religious women who lived in a community without taking vows or retiring from the world. The residents were often widows or unmarried women who supported themselves by crafts such as lace-making or embroidery. The Lier beguinage was established in 1258 and now comprises 11 alleys and 162 houses. Walking through the alleys does seem like stepping back in time and the style and topology of these buildings are reminiscent of alms houses found in England. The town itself is also charming […]
Monday, 20th August 2018 Only a short post today as it has been a very lazy day with just one purpose. We caught the 12th train of the trip, a short ride from the coast at Constanta to Medgidia, from here we changed to a small modern DMU train for a three hour trip on a single track line north to Tulcea. Tulcea is at the beginning of the Danube delta. It is here that we would be joining our CroisiEurope river cruiser the MS L’Europe. We arrived in Tulcea at 12:35 and could see our boat moored up, unfortunately we could not check in until 16:45. Because of our luggage we did not want to walk around the town, so we had a lazy afternoon sitting on the terrace of a local hotel watching the world go by.before boarding the boat, unpacking and settling in for the next twelve days. Miles walked today: 4.0 Route Map: