Baltics by Paw: Hills, Beaches and Suspicious Drone
Two weeks. Three countries. One ferry. Countless coffee stops. Several suspicious sculptures. And one extremely comfortable dog riding through the Baltics in her own car seat. That dog was me.
Ferry First, Adventure Second
Our Baltic road trip began with the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn. Mama and Papa handled the tickets, bags and other boring human responsibilities. My job was to look cute and supervise.
Once we returned to the car, I settled into my usual seat. It is soft, comfortable and positioned perfectly for watching Mama drive. I spent most of the journey sleeping, with occasional breaks to stare at her intensely and make sure she was still following the route. She usually was.
Coffee and Culture in Riga
Riga was interesting. They even had a public water fountain for dogs, which sounded thoughtful but was completely wasted on me. I do not enjoy drinking water just because someone thinks I should.
The humans stopped for several coffee tastings while exploring the city. Mama eventually discovered her favourite: iced coffee with orange syrup. I was not offered any, despite being an important member of the expedition.
In Riga Old Town, we came across a joyful group of Indian travellers singing and dancing around a statue. Everyone gathered to watch. It was unexpected, lively and strangely spiritual. Even my humans got goosebumps. I remained composed, as usual.
Jurassic Park
We also visited an enormous dinosaur made from sand. It was impressive, but I was not scared. I have met vacuum cleaners with a more threatening personality.
Lithuania: Hills, Hills, Hills
Lithuania apparently believes that anything important should be placed on a hill. We visited the Hill of Crosses, the Hill of Witches and the Hill of Angels. We saw them all. Or, more accurately, my hoomans did most of the climbing.
At the Hill of Crosses, thousands of crosses covered the landscape, making the whole place feel powerful, spiritual and slightly mysterious. I was not allowed inside, so I waited comfortably in the air-conditioned car at 20°C while Mama and Papa explored under the hot sun. They returned impressed, covered in sweat and convinced that the hill would be rather creepy after dark.
Next came the Hill of Witches on the Curonian Spit. The forest was filled with wooden sculptures inspired by folklore, legends and mystical creatures. Some were funny, some were strange, and several looked suspiciously alive. I was brave while Mama repeatedly positioned me beside them for photographs. My cooperation was limited but adequate.
Finally, there was the Hill of Angels. The atmosphere was calmer, with angels watching quietly over the surrounding landscape. Mama and Papa described it as peaceful and beautiful. I accepted their report, although by this point I had learned that the word “hill” usually meant they would climb while I provided moral support.
Three hills, three completely different moods and two very tired hoomans. Lithuania certainly knows how to commit to a theme.
Zoomies where there is Sand
At the Nagliai Nature Reserve, we walked through huge sand dunes under a very hot sun. Something about all that open sand activated my zoomies.
I ran. I bounced. I investigated everything.
One lovely thing about the Baltic cities is that many beaches allow dogs, usually with separate areas for dogs and humans. It was warm enough for swimming, but I chose not to participate. Swimming is not my thing.
Sand, however, is perfectly acceptable. I do not mind getting it in my long hair because I am not the person responsible for removing it later.
Statues, Sculptures and a Bear
Grūtas Park was unlike anywhere else we visited. It is filled with old Soviet-era statues, propaganda monuments and historical displays. There is also a small zoo.
This was where I encountered my first brown bear.
At first, I was curious. Then the bear made a noise.
I immediately decided that curiosity was overrated.
The bear was enormous, loud and clearly not interested in respecting the confidence of a 5.5-kilogram dog. I was terrified and very happy to continue the visit from a safer distance.
We also explored the Česnulių Sodyba wooden sculpture park. You could tell the artist had spent an incredible amount of time creating and maintaining it. Some sculptures produced sounds or moved when visitors approached.
The humans found this entertaining. I found it suspicious.
Echoes at the Pyramid
Merkinės Piramidė was one of the most unusual stops. Inside the glass dome, every sound seemed to travel around the entire space.
Click. Click. Click.
That was the sound of my paws echoing beneath the dome.
For once, everyone could hear the importance of my arrival. It was surreal, peaceful and slightly dramatic, which suited me perfectly.
Finally, a Sensible Law
In Užupis, we found colourful murals, unusual artworks and a constitution displayed on the wall.
One of its laws says:
A dog has the right to be a dog.
Finally, some legislation I fully support.
Užupis felt creative, playful and wonderfully strange. After walking among all the art, I felt quite artsy myself. I considered creating an installation, but Mama did not appreciate my idea of using nearby grass.
Palaces and Rabbit Disappointment
The French garden at Rundāle Palace was beautiful, elegant and enormous. We wandered among carefully shaped hedges, fountains and flowers and almost got lost inside the maze.
I would like to clarify that I was never lost. I simply disagreed with the humans about which direction counted as the exit.
Rabbit Town was more disappointing. I expected rabbits running freely through open yards, with little hobbit houses where they could rest after a busy day.
Instead, many of my rabbit friends were confined to small houses. It made me a little sad.
I behaved myself and tried not to frighten them. This required impressive self-control because small animals usually activate some very powerful thoughts inside my head.
Home Again
After two weeks of ferries, cities, beaches, dunes, forests, sculptures, palaces and mysterious noises, I had a wonderful time.
I travelled through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in comfort. I inspected new places, supervised Mama’s driving, avoided swimming, survived a bear encounter and discovered that at least one country officially recognises my right to be a dog.
Still, adventures can be tiring. Toward the end of the trip, I started missing home, my familiar bed and, most importantly, my daily humping routine.
Some traditions are simply too important to neglect for long.