Sunday, August 25, 2024 After breakfast and checking-out this morning, Jeff and I joined a van that included English and Spanish speaking tourists and guides. We all had selected the optional excursion to Lahemaa National Park before boarding the Tallinn to Helsinki ferry.  Our first stop along the way to […]

Saturday, August 24, 2024 This morning at 9 am, we were transported from the Radisson Blu hotel to Old Town Tallinn. Zane narrated as she led us past many landmarks including: the Eastern Orthodox Alexander Nevskey Cathedral, Toompea Castle, and the Commandant’s Garden with beautiful views overlooking the city and

Friday, August 23, 2024 We boarded the bus this morning at 9 am for our trip to Tallinn which included a stop at the coastal resort of Parnu. We rode for about 1.75 hours before a rest stop just across the Estonian border.  —— Rest Stop —— After another hour

Thursday, August 22, 2024 Today, we boarded the bus at 8:30 am for an hour-long ride northeast of Riga to the Gauja National Park which encompasses the forested Gauja River valley and its cliffs and caves. Our first stop was at the medieval Turaida Castle. From the bus parking lot,

Wednesday, August 21, 2024 After breakfast this morning, Zane led the English-speaking group on a tour of Old Town Riga, departing on foot from the hotel at 9 am. The begininng of the tour retraced the route that Jeff and I had taken last night but this time we had

Tuesday, August 20, 2024 Today, we travelled from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Riga, Lativa, with two enroute sightseeing stops. The bus departed at 9 am and after about an hour on the road, pulled over at a large Circle K station for a rest stop. It felt very familiar because back

Monday, August 19, 2024 Today was the start of the organized BalticVision tour. At breakfast, after gathering my breakfast victuals and coffee in the hotel restaurant, I selected a quiet table in a back room to avoid the noise of the crowd in the bustling main room. I was joined

Sunday, August 18, 2024 After a late breakfast this Sunday morning, Jeff and I set off to see more of Vilnius. Our hotel was located in an enclave of modern high-rise buildings and Jeff suggested that we start off by walking through this area. We did so but after several

Saturday, August 17, 2024 After a leisurely breakfast and checking out of the hotel, I met Jeff in the lobby and we wheeled our luggage across the way to the Copenhagen Airport to catch our flight to Vilnius, Lithuania. After smoothly checking our luggage, we waited in a long queue

Friday, August 16, 2024 Today, after breakfast, we settled our bills at the hotel desk and loaded our packed bags onto the tour bus. The bus departed around 8 am for two stops on the way back to Copenhagen. We rode about an hour and a half and crossed the

Thursday, August 15, 2024 After breakfast this morning, we departed from the Tornøes Hotel on a bus for an all-day field tour. Our first destination was about an hour’s drive west. We arrived at Langesø Fair, an annual event where vendors market Christmas tree supplies and equipment to growers from

Wednesday, August 14, 2020 Today, the conference began after breakfast with a poster session in the meeting room. Posters were mounted along the walls and each presenter was allowed two minutes to summarize their research. Afterwards, the rest of the group was allowed time to read the posters and discuss

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 After breakfast, the group boarded a bus parked behind the hotel and departed at 8 am for a field tour. Following about an hour’s ride, we arrived at the Larsen A/S Christmas Tree Farm operated by Bastian and Carl Johan. At this site, 1) Carl described

Monday, September 12, 2024 I awoke this morning to squawking sea gulls and cool air flowing through the open windows. I enjoyed my first shower and shave after two days and then headed downstairs for coffee and a Euro-style breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The conferene began at 9:00 am

Sunday, August 11, 2024 My travel adventure began yesterday afternoon. NCSU colleague, Jeff, drove from his mountain home and arrived at our house just as the U.S. men’s basketball team won an Olympic gold medal by beating the strong French team. Shortly afterwards, around 6 pm, Jane drove us to