Tag Archives: Baltic countries

Rundale Palace – Latvia – Part 3

This extract is from ‘Travel Tales from Exotic Places like Salford’ I returned to the stop at 14:30 and the 14:34 bus was already there, so I ran towards the vehicle and luckily the driver waited for me. This time the fare was lower – a different bus company. It didn’t matter though as the destination was still theContinue reading “Rundale Palace – Latvia – Part 3”

Rundale Palace – Latvia Part 2

This extract is from ‘Travel Tales from Exotic Places like Salford’ The Rundale Palace has been almost totally restored and looks good. You can wander around on your own and there is excellent information available in English in every room. Some rooms were excessively opulent and decorated in just one colour; for example, the Duke’s bedroom was aContinue reading “Rundale Palace – Latvia Part 2”

Rundale Palace, Latvia – Part 1

This extract is from ‘Travel Tales from Exotic Places like Salford’ To reach the wonderful Rundale Palace from Riga, travellers should try going via public transport. The first leg is from Riga to a place called Bauska and then the next leg is from Bauska to Pilsrundale. The bus station (autoosta) in Riga is to the south-eastContinue reading “Rundale Palace, Latvia – Part 1”

Hill of Crosses

Bulldozed three or four times by the Soviet authorities the Hill of Crosses in Northern Lithuania always came back. Today, over 75,000 crosses of all sizes are found at this site which occupies perhaps 2,400 square metres of land, spread over two hillocks, 12km north of the city of Siauliai, Lithuania’s 4th largest city. TheContinue reading “Hill of Crosses”

A glimpse into the future of city halls?

Malmö’s crowd-sourced living room aims to break down walls between communities and power, harking back hundreds of years to a time when squares, piazzas and market places fostered community and nurtured civic debate

Latvia – Rundale Palace

This is a story from my Book Travel Tales in Exotic Places like Salford To reach the wonderful Rundale Palace from Riga, travellers should go via public transport. The first leg is from Riga to a place called Bauska and then the next leg is from Bauska to Pilsrundale. The currency in Latvia is the latsContinue reading “Latvia – Rundale Palace”

The strangest place I have ever been.

As I continued to walk down the path, passed the grey statue of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin on my left hand side, the Soviet marching music was still playing from loudspeakers attached to imitation Gulag watchtowers in the forest by a small stream on my right. Each statue has an English translation of where the statueContinue reading “The strangest place I have ever been.”