On to Russia

Hey Everyone:
Tomorrow it´s off to Russia for four nights in St. Petersburg and then four nights in Moscow before flying home on the 2nd.
It´s been a great time here in the Baltics and there is much to see, but never enough time. We're glad that we actually saw Tallinn at the end of our Baltic stay since it is the most fantastic of the three capitals. The old city is the best preserved, with myriads of alleyways and small streets to wander down, get lost in, discover unknown sights, and wind back where you started in the first place. From various points you can look down upon the city for wonderful vistas and orientation points. It's really fairy land, old world style, and we loved it.
We came here with Andrea and Martins. They decided at the last minute to come with us and we were happy for the time together, since in Riga their schedules were a jumble and we had not as much time together as we wanted.
We drove their car, actually, I drove it since Martins doesn't have a license to drive cars, he can legally drive trucks, but not cars, and Andrea doesn't have a valid Latvian license. She could legally drive for three months on her Cal. license, but that expired some time ago. So I got to be the designated driver and off we went north.
First of all we went to one of the islands off the West coast of Estonia. A place which until the Soviets left, Estonians could not visit, since the Russians had super secret radar installations there. But it is a lovely quiet area where we passed a pleasant day, visiting the only meteor site in Europe, finding windmills, walking in the country and exploring castles.
We made our way to Tallinn and because it was the weekend, there was no room at the inn. There were rooms at the Radisson for 179 dollars per room per night, but we passed on that. So Martins and Andrea hoofed it in search of the hotel where they had stayed last Sept. They used their best instincts and happily came back and said that they not only found it, but it had rooms available. It was just outside the city walls, so was very convenient.
In the days together we got the whole scoop on Andrea and Martin's whirlwind courtship, 10 days, and their hurried marriage since he was to leave the country. We watched them together and can happily report that they are indeed very happy together and seem very well suited. She is very loving toward him and mothers him with a kindly affection that is really nice to see. He, in turn, is very protective of her and has a tremendous love for her as well. They work very well together, both artistically offering suggestions for their various projects, and personally where they give support to each other as they struggle in these hard times. They are very poor, at last count they had about 22 dollars, not counting the hundred which we brought from Carole. That is pigeonholed for their immigration papers which they are trying to secure. Andrea hopes to go to grad school at Humboldt where Martins can continue his artistic projects. It's difficult here to get established, and in the States they will be able to make it a lot easier than they can at this time. But they will look back on these times with fond affection as we all do now that we're through the hard times. They still have them ahead of them, but I'm confident that they'll make it. They really seem made for each other. Funny how things work out. What seemed like rashness, I'm sure to those who love her, really seems to be something which has made her stronger and more certain about herself. After years of waffling about Steve, her boyfriend, to be able to make a decision and get married in only 10 days is miraculous. She never looks back nor regrets her decision. She misses her family and home but is confident that things will work out for them where they will be able to make the immigration scene work.
They have returned to Latvia. Andrea works now for the Baltic times and has stories to write and is looking forward to payday:-) We remain in the land of Cell phone heaven. Statistics indicate that about every other person in Tallinn owns one, a probable cause being so close to the two biggest makers of cell phones, Erriccson of Sweden, and Nokia of Finland. They have them programmed to ring to their favorite tunes, and you hear Beethoven, Britney Spears, U2, and lots of other tunes going off all the time. Everybody is plugged in all the time. It's a scene that would drive a yank up the wall, with all these things ringing all the time, but the Estonians don't mind. They say they best neighbors are ones that live too far away to see, and this helps them stay connected. The internet is huge here, all schools are plugged in and individual web sites abound. Although the books state that about half the people live below the official poverty line, you don't really feel it here. There are plenty of new cars, consumer goods are plentiful and selling well, and people are smartly dressed, actually quite fashionable in all the Baltics.
The people are a good looking lot in all three countries. It's no wonder that the Lithuanians won the bronze medal in the Olympics and have stars in the NBA. The women are very tall, very tall. Six feet and above seems to be the average. The men are strong and well built, and the women are beautiful. I joked with the rental car guy and said how pretty the women were and he just rolled his eyes, "Yes," he said. "Aren’t they." I said that I thought the Lithuanian women were the prettiest, and he protested that Latvian women were the prettiest in the world. An arguable comment at best, but certainly one that could be presented well.
As in the other two countries, the Russians have a hard time here. Trying to figure out who they are and where they belong. The Soviet government brought in literally hundreds of thousands of people to live here trying to make the Baltics true Soviet States, but now with the crumbling of the empire, the people are lost. Many/most only speak Russian, anyone under 40 was probably born here and this is home. But their Russian culture is frowned on, literally discouraged as the Balts try to reestablish their own culture after decades of the Soviets trying to stamp it out. Difficult times for all, to be sure, but time is on everybody's side if only ancient hostilities, prejudices, and past wrongs can be overlooked.
There is a distance to the Estonians which we didn't feel in the 0ther two countries. Maybe it's because they're so close in proximity and culture to those world noted isolationists, the Finns. I wouldn't call them unfriendly, we've met plenty of warm and friendly people, but there's a sense of not wanting you to get too close.
I had a great time this afternoon. Carol was feeling a little under the weather so >I went shopping for food for our bus ride tomorrow. I found the big supermarket. In Lithuania they're called Maxima, smaller ones are called >Media, and the smallest are called Minima. Here they just have the name of the Store. But when I went to buy fruit and munchies, you don't write down the number of the bin or any such thing. You put the apples on the scale in the produce area, look at the pictures above it, punch the appropriate number, and out pops a sticker with the name and price of the items. I had so much fun, I bought, apples, pears, trail mix, pastries, chocolate covered raisins. I finally had to grab myself by the neck and haul me away. I came back with enough food for the Trans Siberian Railway.
The only negative side of our time here is the constant and very prevalent smoking which takes place. Everybody smokes, and I mean everybody, and they light up everywhere. There's no such thing as non smoking areas in most restaurants and public places. The smell of smoke is very heavy everywhere. It's a real drag, no pun intended.
Crossing the borders each time gave us a sense of the urgency which everybody feels about the foot and mouth crisis here. You have to get out of your car and go stand on a rug like device which is soaked in some kind of disinfectant. Andrea asked what about the other shoes we have which are not on our feet. Isn't that just like her:-) You have to drive your car through a trench which douses the tires with the same stuff. Now we know how the sheep feel when we run them through the foot bath.
It's continued to rain, we haven't had a single day where it didn't, but that doesn't dampen our spirits or our movements. Of course the big snow storm which we experienced still lingers in our minds, just as it does on the ground, even though it was over a week ago. That gives you an idea of how cold it has been. Naturally, I brought pairs of shorts and my swimming trunks, which only take up space and add weight to the bags.
We've enjoyed the food immensely. There are certain staples, pickles for breakfast, lunch and dinner, delicious ones at that. Cabbage salad which has been salted soaked and then drained which puts it on its way to becoming sauerkraut and then with tomatoes and cucumbers added makes another dish which is served or offered at every meal. But lots of delicious barbecued items Shashlik is a regional treasure which everybody has variations on and nobody wants to share their secrets. All are delicious.
Tomorrow upon our arrival in St. Pete we get another adventure, Russian taxi drivers who don't speak English, don't understand western alphabets, and probably won't have a clue of the address we give them in our poor pronouncement of the Cyrillic. Oh well, it will probably make for a fine tale to be told at a later time.
By the way, I got stopped by the cops again, but that's another story.
Love to all, we'll see you soon