Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

Seeing as I am travelling indefinitely on a one way ticket I have the freedom to visit countries that most short term European travellers consider to be mostly unchartered. Following Stockholm I was not quite sure where I should go. Hence, I googled a map of Europe to determine the neighbouring countries. I discovered that Estonia (a country that I really knew little about) was just a short flight away. Before I came to Europe I thought that I was relatively cluey about the world and the general nature of most countries. Now that I am here I have learnt that I really had, and continue to have absolutely no idea. Estonia, as do the other two Baltic countries, borders upon Russia and therefore was once occupied by the USSR. To me, this signified that it still would have somewhat of a bleak and somber nature; I thought that the place would be overrun with little old crippled women, shuffling along with the produce they harvested from the field with headscarves wrapped around their hair, prematurely grey from a life without packet hair-dye. Admittedly, I was slightly mistaken. Estonia is actually quite a well developed country that ranks highly on the human development index, and although Estonia is only a small country (the population is sitting at about 1.3 million) it seems to be quite the contemporary tourist destination. Tallinn, the capital city was actually packed with snap-happy holiday-goers; Old Town in particular being the focus of many Instagram shots.

Some shots of Tallinn's Old Town. 

Though I thought that not many Australians make it to that particular neck of the woods, I did come across a select few at my hostel who have decided to call Estonia home. I stayed at The Red Emperor (http://www.redemperorhostel.com), a hostel that was actually started up by a bloke from Perth who was entranced by a nation so different to the one in which he was born. I did not even expect to stumble across an Aussie in Estonia; let alone a hostel operated by one and full of a rag-tag bunch of fellow folks from our great southern land. 

Though the medieval charm of Old Town was enchanting I do recommend only spending a few days there; especially if you're on a budget that does not really accommodate eating out and drinking heavily every night. Unless you want to drink beer that is, in which case go and plonk yourself down at The Red Emperor Bar (dangerously adjacent to the hostel) during happy hour and Bob will certainly be your uncle. I spent most of my time in Tallinn (I was there for four nights I believe) pottering about Old Town. I did try a 'traditional' meal of 'mini avenque procedente del Mar Baltico accompañado can queso y por nuesto caracteristo Leib (spiced Baltic spat with cottage cheese and black bread)' and 'frijoles ensalada de jamonal (bean and ham salad)' for a bargain (not) price of £13. Basically I was an idiot tourist who made the mistake of walking into the emptiest place in town, thinking this was the case because it was well after 3pm. In reality, anybody worth their weight in Lonely Planets would have avoided that place just like Joan Rivers does ageing gracefully. Alas, that was me done with Estonian cuisine and I proceeded to prepare my two specialties for dinner: eggs or chicken and vegetables. 

My bargain meal... I think the one on the left was just chopped up ham with a bit of mayo stirred in.  

I had coffee here - it was more appropriately priced.

The only other point of significant interest that I visited in Estonia was Patarei Prison, a seaside military barracks turned prison which operated until circa 2002 (some sources date it's closure as late as 2005). The Prison provides an unperturbed insight into an ex-Soviet prison, with crumpled and torn magazine clippings still adorning the walls and prisoner's boots left lying haphazardly over the floor. I was rather shocked that the prison was allowed to be a tourist attraction in the state that it was in; cracked glass and barbed wire scattered the floor and hung at levels dangerously close to head height. Regardless, it was a glimpse into the deplorable human suffering faced by many at the hands of the Soviet Union that I never would have been exposed to in Australia.

Walking into Patarei Prison.

The small passage where prisoners were occasionally permitted to walk.

The place was left literally untouched.

The sink prisoners had to utilise.

I never thought I would find Cathy Freeman here.

The library.

The hospital. 

One cell was full of rickety beds and boots.

Following my time in Tallinn, I jumped on a bus headed to Riga, the capital city of Latvia. For those of you who know me in person you would have heard of the slight debacle that obstructed my journey and for those of you who do not I will insert a screen shot of the inevitable Facebook status that follows every single embarrassing moment in my life. 

After paying another £20 and waiting for five hours, hungover and greasy-faced, I finally was en-route to Latvia, travelling with Lux Express (http://www.luxexpress.eu/en). Buses are a cheap and efficient way to get from country to country in Europe and I have been using this means of transport frequently. Though the journey is longer than a plane ride (though not that much so when you consider travelling to and from the airport and the fact that you must be there two hours early) however the benefits to your bank account/alcohol budget far outweigh the disadvantages: it cost me just £17 to get from Latvia to Lithuania for example when previously it has cost me more than that to just check my backpack in on a flight. 

Riga was a beautiful city, absolutely stunning. Though it was small and once again I probably would not advise that anybody spend an extended amount of time there I personally had an excellent experience. Some other travellers had told me that they did not enjoy Riga so much, even suggesting that I skip over it and head straight to Vilnius, my next destination. However, seeing as I am a 'funemployed' free agent and came over to Europe with the intention of going everywhere I still decided to give Latvia a chance. I stayed at a Cinnamon Sally (http://www.cinnamonsally.com - free cinnamon rolls and waffles!) and met some fantastic people there; namely D, one of the employees and Tabby, one of the temporary volunteers. Tabby was just one of those people who I clicked with straight away; her birthday is just a day before mine (though because she is from Canada I joke that the North America/Australia time difference means that we were born on the same day), both of us are slightly kooky and we share a mutual appreciation for the concept of subway for salad. Another cool thing about Tabby is the fact that she is actually a really unique person, studying Chinese medicine in China as her selected career. That really is the beauty of travelling, you meet people from all sorts of eclectic and unimaginable walks of life and then sometimes you become fortunate enough that they like you enough to become a part of your life. 

Riga's colourful Old Town.

Sleeping on the job. 

Every street in Riga is this impressive. 

Whilst in Riga I did spend a lot of time poking about on my own. In all three of the Baltic countries I was given a map from the hostel called 'Made by Locals', which points out all necessary landmarks, cheap places to eat and brilliant places to get boozy. Usually as these cities are so small I tackle them on foot and visit all the must sees this way. I also did take a free walking tour of Latvia of the Art Nouveau district, a lavish, mysterious and seductive style of architecture of which forty percent of Riga's buildings are styled. This was fascinating to me, I had no idea that Latvia was a country of such antique architectural opulence. The extent of my knowledge of the country hitherto had come from an episode of Lizzie McQuire when Lizzie got paired with Kate and had to do an assignment on Latvia. However, as previously stated I once again learnt that the country had plenty more than just Alexander Tort to offer; Riga is actually Europe's 2014 Capital of Culture and I must say I got pretty cultural whilst I was there: trying some local delicacy that involved chicken and cheese (I firmly believe that cheese is a food group), sampling a local glass of red and even attending a Latvian folk dancing night. Naturally I danced like a three legged donkey on Prozac but it does not matter, for I can now tell the story of that time I tried Latvian folk dancing in a local Latvian pub in Latvia... Did I mention that I have been to Latvia? 

I went to take a photo of this little dude without giving him money. He was unimpressed.

Riga's Freedom Monument.

A street stall selling homemade dolls.

The 'Blackhead Building'. 

Mixing with the locals at the market.

The final stop on my Baltic shindig was Lithuania, the southern most Baltic country and the only to not trade in Euro, favouring the Lithuanian Lita until January 1st 2015. 

I stayed in a homely little hostel called Home Made House (http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Home-Made-House/Vilnius/55844) in the capital city, Vilnius. The lovely owner Lena cooked breakfast every day, washed, hung out and folded my washing for me and even took us guests out for drinks in Vilnius on my first night in the city. She was extremely helpful with advising myself and other travellers about our time in Lithuania and also is very well travelled herself, always providing an interesting conversation, usually enjoyed over a glass of Lithuanian red - also provided nightly. 

I spent a lot of my time in Lithuania on foot once again, saving money and hopefully counteracting the amount of things I mindlessly ingest. One thing I did pay for (though it was so cheap, everything in Eastern Europe is) was the Lithuanian Genocide Museum, which displayed the heartbreaking loss of human life experienced under the oppressing regime of the USSR. I think that whilst visiting such countries it is important to dedicate a few hours to paying my respect to the unfathomable and painful history experienced by that nation, but then to also acknowledge and celebrate how the country has since flourished and triumphed over such miserable times. Lithuania is also where I met Robin (my current travel buddy - www.littlebirdinabigworld.com), the only other girl to eventually rock up in my dorm (after my other friends Emily, Brady and Garrett from the US left) which otherwise contained a Javier Bardem lookalike and a plethora of snorers from the world over. We bonded pretty quickly over our love of great television, mild alcoholism and food, sharing an enormous local meal and then going for a walk in attempt to burn the copious amounts of calories we had just consumed. Robin decided to follow me to Poland and now we are sitting on a bus heading to Slovakia together with plans to smash out a few more countries before she heads back to the US. 

A decent Lithuanian feed.

Vilnius Cathedral (it was huge!).

Vilnius University.

Inside Vilnius University's Cathedral (a different cathedral to previously pictured - the city is full of religious buildings). 

Some art being sold in the street which I really liked.

The Gates of Dawn in Vilnius, one of the most religious sites in the world.

Went swimming in Lake Trakai, it's not quite Warnbro beach but it did alright. 

In summation I am extremely glad that I decided to venture into Eastern Europe/AKA the great unknown. Every destination that I visit has something valuable to show even the most seasoned traveller and therefore I will always encourage everybody to take any travel opportunity that comes their way. 

London Baby!

To all of my beloved, devoted readers - yes I am talking to you mum and whoever else you convince to read my amateur travel blog - I have returned to the blogosphere after an extended temporary laziness hiatus. I have no real excuse for not keeping everybody up to date with my latest adventures, I'm really just a lazy shit. Yes I have been very busy out and about in London (a city for which I cannot express my adoration) but I am certain that Tina Fey is much busier, yet she still finds time to contribute comedically to a variety of projects. Seeing as I am actually unemployed (or 'funemployed' as I much prefer to describe it to those who question my [albeit questionable] life choices), and I actually wish to be a professional writer some day I think it is due time I picked up my game. As I type this post on my trusty iPad I am sitting on a makeshift couch (two dodgy mattresses assembled against each other), sipping a frozen berry daiquiri straight from the bag and waiting for my friend's German housemate to shower so we can watch Vampire Diaries together - clearly living the London high life. The point that I am trying to make here with my lukewarm sense of humour is that my evening hours are not really otherwise occupied. Evidently you can take an anti-social, television devout gal out of the confines of her dimly lit bedroom with its wall-mounted television and endless supply of DVDs but you can't take the anti-social, television devout characteristics out of a gal; even when she is in bloomin' London.

My favourite London Bus so far.

The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Thus far I have actually seen quite a lot of London, partially due to my curiosity and partially due to me getting lost whilst on foot, usually searching for a Starbucks so I can grab my grande skinny coffee frappuccino. I should have been born American. Inevitably, getting lost generally results in one unintentionally stumbling across some pretty rad places. Already I have explored Westminster, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Soho, South Bank and Hackney to name just a few. I have also spotted a number of Monopoly Map locations (which one of my friend's housemates has actually marked out on a map of London, what a genius) including Fleet Street, Pall Mall, Bond Street and Oxford Street. Soho is a favourite of mine; the streets are lined with incredible multi-storey vintage shops, selling actual designer threads at affordable prices. I have seen the likes of Chanel, Moschino, Dolce and Gabbana, Valentino and Jimmy Choo; all spanning various eras and trends in the one shop. Soho is also the health conscious foodie's dream come true. Come lunch hour Soho's eclectic little lanes are jam packed with British yuppies investing in the latest trend in over-priced super-food. Vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, or whatever the hell the self-proclaimed Instagram health and fitness experts are calling themselves these days would truly have a health-hashtag-gasm at the delectable choices on offer. I personally am non of the above, as whilst I am an avid foodie and am concerned about my personal health and fitness I can not lie to you all: I love to destroy a juicy medium rare steak, and I can't think of a greater breakfast than one that involves eggs and cheese. However I am more than willing to sample absolutely anything, having already devoured some vegetarian falafel (divine) and am eyeing of a little restaurant called 'Hummus Bro'. Yet another piece of irrelevant information for you: I have a really strange affinity for chickpeas and therefore anything chickpea related. Just the thought of hummus brings me to my happy place; that happy place being a gourmet buffet where I get to where trackie dacks, watch Friends/Will & Grace/ 30 Rock/Parks and Recreation all day, every day and have perfect hair.

Some falafel that I ate. I know the picture is not fabulous but I think that in this case the crapper it looks the better it tastes. 

A delectable salad box I had from a place called 'Beatroot' in Soho. Despite the price (healthy people seem to always be rich) I will certainly eat from there again. 

Another place which I found to be rather thrilling was Leicester Square, somewhere I first discovered as it was getting dark one evening. That place really embodies the 'big city/bright lights' perception of London that I had prior to my arrival. Everywhere I turned there was an enormous sign advertising a plethora of performances and musicals which are currently in town, all of which I wish I was able to see. Off the top of my head I know that Matilda is currently showing, as well as 1984, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, Thriller, Billy Elliot and The Lion King. I was also devastated to find out that Chelsea Handler will be in town just days after I jet off to Copenhagen. Aside from the fact that my inner gay teenage boy is filled with exuberance regarding the endless variety of stage shows that London has to offer, my inner fat Monica nearly had an aneurism when she happened to stumble across MnM world, which is exactly as it sounds, only one thousand times better. You may have seen the photos on tumblr (don't lie, we all have all reblogged it at one point in time) of walls covered in MnMs in colours and options beyond your wildest dreams. For some reason though that evening I had decided that I was putting myself on one of my 'health kicks' and hence did not buy one thing from any of the tempting four stories. Mind that this is coming from the girl who is currently eating some Ben and Jerry's 'Half Baked' icecream mixed with salty and sweet popcorn... Can anyone say fitspo? It was on sale at Tesco for £2.24, what was a girl to do? Leave it there? Absurd! Never fear though folks, MnM world and I shall meet again.

"Mama's home."

Being the typical tourist/history aficionado that I am (or claim to be) I have visited several of London's world famous calling cards including: Buckingham Palace (well I stood outside) St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and The Tower of London. Perhaps I am too young (I hate to use my own age against myself) or have not yet had the chance to really realise that I am where I am when visiting such locations because I feel like I should be filled with some kind of enlightening feeling but mostly I just feel hungry. I had to remind myself that Princess Diana (whom I hold in the highest regard, a truly remarkable and virtuous lady who I can only wish to emulate) was married at St Paul's and buried and Westminster Abbey. All reigning members of the British Monarchy are crowned at Westminster Abbey, whilst Will and Kate were recently married there and I have had the privilege of walking such hallowed ground. It sounds so cliche but really the only word to describe such a sensation is 'surreal'; completely and absolutely surreal. 

Due to the holiness of both St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey it is requested of visitors to not take photographs... But I am a rule breaker and did manage to score a few sneaky snaps, even though only one from Westminster Abbey was half decent. I really did have to cease my insistent snapping though when an elderly volunteer came sprinting across the hall, frantically demanding that I put my camera away at once. It is times like these that I wish I was Thomas Foster so that I could pull the 'I don't speak English' card. Alas, everybody will have to endeavour to visit the Abbey for themselves in their lifetime. It really was just exquisite. The architecture of the Abbey (and also Parliament Square, which is it is adjacent to) is just mesmerising, hence the global recognition. Although Westminster Abbey is extremely sacrosanct, I felt an overwhelming sense of the power and pride of the British Monarchy rather than the presence of The Lord. The history of the Abbey spans over one thousand years, with Benedictine monks arriving at the site in the middle of the tenth century. The present church was built in 1245 by Henry III, and still serves it's religious purpose for Londoners today. Westminster Abbey houses some of the world's most impressive paintings, priceless artefacts, pavements, textiles and stained glass, with at least an example of one everywhere that the eye can see. The Abbey also separates into several smaller chapels, each built by and devoted to various members of British royalty, too many to list with far too many grisly tales of tragedy and treachery to comprehend. I certainly would like to spend some time learning more about the history of the building itself and the fascinating people associated.

The inside of Westminster Abbey.

Parliament Square and Big Ben shown when walking across The River Thames. 

Despite me considering myself to be largely agnostic it would be naive of me to wholly dismiss the possibility and legitimacy of the Christian faith after being inside of St Paul's Cathedral. I was raised by very openminded parents and grandparents, and though I was baptised and attended a private Lutheran school I never have been told what to believe in, nor to believe anything without a shadow of a doubt. I have always been encouraged to think freely and consider all possibilities, and whilst I do think I abide by the guidelines of Christianity I do not yet know if I believe in The Lord and his omnipotence. In saying that I am very curious about people and the world in general and am at a point in life where I am striving to learn as much as I possibly can about humankind: past, present and future. Of course it goes without saying that Christianity has shaped human history like no other creed - explaining my keen interest to visit the Cathedral, built entirely in reverence to God. 

There has actually been a church at the site since the 6th century, though the current structure is believed to be the fourth or fifth, others having been destroyed by over-zealous royalty and fire. I was left speechless by the ornate stained glass windows, decadent mosaics, magnificent ceiling paintings, divine marble flooring, twinkling chandeliers, golden tapestry, countless religious inscriptions and formidable statues. Though the whole experience felt very Da Vinci Code-esque, especially when I climbed three sets of stairs (528 in total - 85 metres above ground) - the final set being steep, spiral steps made of corrugated iron, it really made it clear how to many the transcendence of God is unquestionable.

St Paul's Cathedral from the front.

Part of the roof. Sadly my photos from the inside are limited - you're not supposed to take them!

London from above.

The dome structure makes St Paul's instantly recognisable. 

If you have made it this far into the post I am going to reward you with some pictures of me being an awkward turtle at Abbey Road earlier this evening. I decided that because I had some time to kill I may as well jump on the Underground and take a few quick snaps of the World's most recognisable zebra crossing, which is literally just a zebra crossing found in St John's Wood in London's outskirts. It was quite comical to watch tourists darting across the road, most mimicking The Beatle's side on stride, to have their picture taken whilst locals in cars had to stop, shaking their heads in frustration and impatience at these idiot tourists. 

What do I do? Stand here? Smile? Be an awkward turtle?

Action shot.

'I Am One With The World'

Finally today after nearly three weeks of travelling, my 'World Ring' arrived in the mail, having journeyed all the way from sunny Perth. I am enraptured with the concept of this ring. It has been designed to provide a channel to connect people with people and loop each individual together through experiences and sharing. Each ring infuses the perceptive, balancing and healing energies of the ancient fine metal of silver with the powerful master number 11 to remind its wearer to have a conscious awareness of life and their journey through it. It is suggested that each wearer of a ring, who will have been given the next consecutive number, will participate in the initiative of sharing 11 experiences had whilst wearing the ring. 

I purchased the ring only three days before leaving Perth on my one way adventure; however it had to be specially made and then delivered. I had been to breakfast with my wonderful and stunning friend Lynn and we were strolling the streets of North and East Perth, both discussing the mutual constant urge to add to our respective ring collections. Lynn took me into an intriguing store along Perth's Beaufort Street - Behind the Monkey (www.behindthemonkey.com) - and being a quiet Monday we had the opportunity to chat with the owner, a spiritual and stylish woman named Elaine who mentioned the concept of The World Ring to us. The next number happened to be 22, which coincidentally holds a great deal of personal significance to Lynn, a fellow wanderlust global nomad who is also exceptionally good at spending money. We both decided then and there that we must each have a ring, and it would be something the two of us could use to remember both one another and the remarkable world that we live in. The number assigned to me was number 23, and it came with the following written passage describing the importance of the number:

"The number 23 when reduced holds the power of the single number of 5. As such it will take you on an energetic, adventurous and daring journey. This beautifully unpredictable number is always I. Motion and in needs of change. It is a number that can take risks and will adjust to change with versatility, adaptability and tolerance. This is not a conventional number. It is a prime number and the only prime number that consists of two consecutive prime numbers - a true individual! 

With the aligned energies also of the number 2 - sensitive, peacemaking and patient and of the creative, imaginative artistic number 3 the number 23 ring will want to experience everything in life!

There is also a curious and somewhat superstitious enigma to the number 23 - and that "all things happen in fives, or are divisible by or are multiples of five, or are somehow directly or indirectly appropriate to five - as is The Law of Fives." The 23 Enigma is regarded as part of this law - that is most events are directly connected to the number 23. 

This is a number of personal freedom, artistic creativity and one that seeks companionship."