You can see from the map that our route is a bit zigzagging. We are aiming to enter Russia at its western border with Estonia. We have to find a route which is not too busy and has a sealed surface and the potential of a hotel every 90 km or so. Anyway there is no rush; our flat in St Petersburg is booked from 12 July and we are very close. Today for the first time where we are are and St Petersburg are on the same page of the map we are using. This installment is going to be more boring than usual. We have found a hotel every night, not much rain n
o interactions with visa hungry border guards. just cycling along roads like this. This is actually quite an important picture for us. It was at our 2000 km mark. It is at a bus shelter which are our favourite venues for meals and hiding from the rain. Amazingly, just after I took this picture a vision in high heeled ankle strap silver sandals, wearing a very short tight black skirt appeared from nowhere. She ignored my greeting. The nearest "village" was 10 km away.We enjoyed our stop in Vilnius. We stayed in a really nice hotel with a convenient striptease club in the basement. Fortunately one of the best things we have brought with us is a set of wax earplugs that even the most persistent base line does not penetrate. Vilnius was well provided with bicycle shops and even had neoprene booties so we will never have wet feet again - in fact they are already working as it has not rained since.
We did not plan to visit Vilnius but were really glad we went there. As a consequence of our immaculate planning we arrived on the Midsummer holiday and all the museums etc were closed - just as they were in Gdansk - however Ted will not escape museums in St Petersburg
Finding somewhere to stay is part of the fun. Hereš the hotel we stayed at last night. An old country house 4 km down a dirt road that has recently been converted from an orphanage. A beautiful house furnished with local antiques. If you look carefully you can see my yellow shirt hanging up to dry in the top right window.
In complete contrast but just as nice was this place we stayed in Lithuania - the guest house was on the top floor over the DIY shop- they kindly let us bring the bikes inside - although transporting them up 2 flights of stairs was a bit of a hike. We made our own supper rather than go out - there was a good kitchen. The other residents were a bunch of blokes - all of whom must have been provided with a weeks supply of garlic sausages by their wives or girlfriends as the fridge was packed with them.Unless you really, really have to, don't ever ever go to Daugavpils!
We plan to cross into Estonia tomorrow and will make our way to Tartu on Tuesday, where we spend a few days. Sarah has kept her word and hasn't gone on about Latvian drivers. Their special skill is just missing us.
