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I finally left Riga for the “Switzerland of Latvia”, Sigulda. As nice a place as it was I would say that the label is a little generous. The autumn leaves were pretty though, and I had a great guide who I’d met at a couchsurfing meeting in Riga and who happened to be heading up to spend the weekend with her parents. She drove me around to some of the medieval castles in the area and to the Baltic States’ deepest cave (obviously there aren’t many caves around) which has a tragic love story associated with it. Details vary a little but a beautiful young woman, the Rose of Turaida, and a handsome young man were in love and planned to marry. Another evil (probably ugly) man wanted her and planned to rape her in Gutmanis Cave. She decided that death was better than the other option and convinced him that she had a scarf that would protect him from death. To prove its magical properties she put it on and told him to try to kill her. Of course the scarf had no magical properties and she was killed.

People have been visiting the cave for centuries and leaving their mark on the reddish sandstone. A sign outside said that the oldest visible graffiti is from 1667 but the oldest I could identify was 1822. At least back then people took some time with their vandalism, or paid others to take the time. Maybe it’s just the mists of time but the historical carvings seem a whole lot more beautiful than “Frank waz ‘ere, 2008” scratched furtively with a butter knife.

The castles were cool and I realised just how little I know about the history of this part of the world. It’s a convoluted sequence of influences, conquests and occupations by Germans, Poles, Swedes and Russians with overtones of religion which only serve to make it more confusing to someone who doesn’t really understand why these Christians fought against those Christians when the basis of their beliefs seem so similar. Though the Baltic States didn’t seem to be the focus of most of the struggles they had the misfortune of being on the way as larger powers fought for trade rights and souls to convert. I’ve never associated the crusades with this part of the world but apparently a northern crusade came up this way in the 12th century to convert the stubborn pagans.

While I was in Sigulda I stayed with a woman and her son and had my first bad couchsurfing experience with another guy who was also staying with her. He was sexually harassing my host and tried to get rid of me so he could have her to himself. She eventually told him to leave and I really enjoyed my last night there with just us and her dog, who became my best friend once Theodore left. Obviously I left Theodore a negative reference, I don’t want any other women to have to put up with his harassment, and he replied by accusing me of sexual harassment. Ridiculous! Even if I wasn’t married to the love of my life there is no way I would be interested in a greasy mole of a man who’s twice my age and half my height (I was a little more diplomatic in my reference).

From Sigulda I headed up to Tallinn, Estonia, for a few days before my ferry to Finland. It was such a hassle free border that I wasn’t sure I’d crossed it. As far as I could tell there wasn’t even a sign, though I was on the train so maybe we whizzed by it? The bus driver from Valga (border town) to Tallinn seemed to be a lonely man; he talked to himself constantly and waved hopefully at every passing bus. He even waved at minibuses, but shunned trucks. Everyone has to have standards I guess.

My host in Tallinn is a wonderful woman who probably generates more energy in a single day than I can muster in an entire week. Last night we had a sauna party at her house and I got in touch with my inner exhibitionist as I sat naked and sweaty with a group of people I’d just met. I enjoyed it a whole lot more than I was expecting to, though apparently 100 degrees is hotter than usual. When someone poured water on the hot stones you really felt the difference in the air, my skin burned, my pores opened and I lost a few litres of sweat. There was no birch branch beating and no snow/ice water to jump into but a few minutes standing in the open doorway cooled me down pretty quickly as I sipped my, now hot, beer.

The old town of Tallinn is beautiful and I spent yesterday exploring its winding cobbled streets and many churches. It has a different feel to Riga which is difficult to explain. In some way it feels older and I think it’s more medieval than Riga is, though I don’t even really know what that means in the historical sense. It’s certainly smaller though that makes it much more manageable. I wandered for hours, taking advantage of the rare sunshine, before I ate some luscious cake at a place that’s been serving up confectionary since the 17th century.

This afternoon I’m meeting up with another couchsurfer who works in the theatre to have a look at the historical building and then tonight I’ll have tea with Hedi’s parents before another sauna at someone else’s house. Tomorrow I take the ferry to Helsinki.

Tags: Estonia, Latvia, Sigulda, Tallinn