Drove to Croatia to see Plitvice – truly amazing. Lots of videos- turquoise water, sooo many waterfalls. All accessible via wooden walkways. Gets one up close.

From Ljubljana we headed to wine region of Slovenia & Croatia- strigovia Croatia where we stayed in a home exchange for 5 days. Complete with sauna & hot tub – think mini spa!

Nearby is biking, vineyards,farming. And beautiful scenery

Here is where I met Greg (after he receded in Vietnam) & we met Holly & Jeff.

I really liked the city. Friendly citizens. Safe. Good Food. Easy to explore.

After Baltics, took ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki.

Very interesting

Chilly.windy.sunny

Helsinki is easy to navigate & love. Smallish. Charming cafes. Vibrant Sunday market. Definitely a Scandinavian country. Authentic citizens. Fun to visit.

Estonia is the third country of my Baltic Adventure & each country is unique & charming. Love this trip!

Estonia is perhaps the most prosperous with a charming old town center.

Ance, Patrick Bethany painting marzipan

This Baltic trip was a great adventure. New places, new friends, new adventures, new memories. Wonderful insight into countries/ strengths & struggles. Fascinating.

From Riga Enroute to Tallinn we explored Saaremaa z island- largest of 2200 Estonian islands. Charming quaint. Reached via a nice ferry. Dinner was enjoyed at a farm that has been smoking fish for over 50 years. They served our group freshly smoked flounder & perch, potatoes, pickled herring- yum! Fresh tomatoes & currant crumble washed down with freshly brewed beer. Best dinner. Great hosts. Supporting local business

Such a beautiful, diverse & charming city.

On the way to art noveau materpieces

Nope – not art nouveau- rather its own masterpiece of texture.

We went local with Ance our guide. Amazing folk music & dance. So crowded. So fun!

Know videos always load slowly – this captures the fun.

Yesterday, our first day in Riga we experienced a downpour which inhibited our adventures. Today is a new sunny day & exploration is on the schedule! Started the day with an early morning walk – allowing enjoyment of the parks.

No color inhibitions here!

Next is the KGB interrogation center. A place of terror housed in a former flower shop & apartment building. Lovely at one time.

The guide -amazing. Stories & lessons to be learned frightening.

Interesting… this room photographs as benign and it had such a dark feel in person. Citizens were brought in & questioned & tortured here until they ‘surrendered’ /then sent to Siberia or executed. It was just a matter of time. Tough.

Riga is capital of Latvia & vibrant.

Old town has beautiful buildings – old & new. And there are zeppelin hangars – which now house markets. Fish, produce, sweets, bakeries, meats, beer.