Baltic Trip 2010 (Day 8)

After breakfast for two, we drove to Karosta Prison, the only military prison open to public in Europe.

Originally built as an infirmary in 1900, it was used as a military prison by a long succession of regimes including the Soviets, Nazis and most recently, the Latvians. Indeed, the last prisoner was detained here as recently as 1997.

When we got there we were met by a girl who volunteered as a guide for people who wanted to visit the prison. As we were there in February, we had to first make an appointment by e-mail and telephone. The visit was short and one area of the prison was closed but we did get quite a lot of information about the prison and the area.

Visitors can take a simple tour with a guide or audio guide, participate in a reality show (in English or German), spend the night in a cell or do the ultimate and become a prisoner for the night including regular bed checks, verbal abuse by guards in period uniforms and experience the horrors of using the latrine. 

The area of Karosta was established as a Russian naval base, and reminders of both tsarist and Soviet Russia remain, including a large Orthodox cathedral and forts once a part of the military complex of Karosta.

Karosta Prison, Liepaja, Latvia:

A Russian Ortodhox Cathedral near the prison:

After a visit to the prison and a drive around the area, not because we wanted to but because we were kind of lost, we moved on to the next destination, Kaunas, stopping on the way for something to eat.

A mall on the way to Kaunas:

Time was tight. We had to return the car at the airport but we wanted to drop off our suitcases at the hotel first. But we made it.

Kaunas airport, however, is not well connected to the city. There is a bus connecting the airport and the city but the bus stop is not anywhere near the airport building. The easiest way to go to town is to take a taxi. We were worried that we would get ripped off since we did not know how much a taxi ride to town was. Fortunately, while standing in front of the information desk to ask about the price of a taxi ride, I overheard someone asking about a taxi ride. We ended up sharing a taxi with a couple from England. That was a win-win solution for the four of us.

Once back in town, to get to our hotel from where the taxi ride ended, we had to walk along Laisvės Alėja (Liberty Avenue), the main street of Kaunas. It was a very nice long street, especially at that particular time we walked on that avenue. Stretching for 1.6 km between the St. Michael the Archangel's Byzantine style church to the Central Post Office and Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum, Laisvės Alėja is the longest pedestrian street in Eastern Europe.

The photo below shows how the avenue looked like on a winter's night. This is the original photo, no photoshopping has been made. The only editing I made was making the photo smaller for this blog. This is one of the best photos I have taken in my life and I am still proud of it.

Laisvės Alėja in Kaunas, Lithuania at night:

Baltic Trip 2010 (Day 7)

Another morning with another sufficient breakfast.

The hotel was very well located for a visit to Klaipėda Castle. If it was not for the snow, one could see the outer part of the castle right from the hotel's doorstep. 

What is supposed to Klaipeda Castle was buried under the snow:

After breakfast we walked around the area of the hotel. Was it an interesting area? Maybe. Maybe during a regular warm day it is a busy harbour. I can not say for sure but the weather and the snow we were having at that time sure made it quite interesting. There was nobody else there. Everywhere we saw snow and ice floating on the water. Everything was white. The cranes were covered in snow and it felt like they were abandoned and frozen in time. The sky was white and grey. The cold penetrated through your clothes into your bones.

At 10 am we were on our way to the next destination: Liepaja, Latvia. Another town, a different country. And as expected, the road was quiet and dirty from the snow. We drove past the now-unused border station to our accommodation.

From the small balcony of my room, I could see the street and the house next door. What I saw on the roof edge of the house next door did not disappoint me. I've seen them before but this was the first time I saw stalactites from real frozen water from close up.  I could not help but think how cold it was that the water dripping down the roof even froze. Some of them were even more than 15 cm long.

Frozen water hanging from the roof edge:

After freshening up, we walked to town and found out that it took about 15 minutes to get to town. Along the way we saw quite a few wooden houses. Turning left into Kuršu iela at the end of Rožu iela, we came across Liepajas Petertirgus Sia or the market. When we got there there was no market though. Instead we saw snow-covered stalls indicating that there had been no market today or for at least a few days.

Liepaja market:

We continued walking to Rožu laukums or Rose Square, passing by two famous sights of Liepaja: Latvia’s first Rock cafe and the Latvian Musician’s Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame consisted of 35 bronzed plaques commemorating musicians, 10 of current and former groups and finally, 5 plaques to commemorate Latvia’s music greats who have departed this world to play music in the beyond. Across from the Rockcafe stood Latvia’s largest guitar side by side with a children's playground.
 

Latvia's first rock cafe:

Why Rose Square? In the 18th century the New Market was located here. When the market was moved to its current location in 1910, in its place the city authorities decided to construct a public rose garden. Hence, in 1911 the square was given the name Rose Square. Mind you, when we got there there was no rose to be seen as everything was covered with snow. If you stand with your back towards the direction of the Rock cafe and you look to your left past the trees, you will see Liepaja University building.

Rose Square covered in snow:

After spending some times in Rose Square we continued on towards the Promenade bearing in mind to check out a famous restaurant serving international dishes, Pastnieka māja (The Postman’s House) if it was any good for dinner.

The Promenade draws your attention to the docks and ships in the area as well as the fountain which resembles the seas waves which wash into Tirdzniecības (Trade) Canal. Another Liepāja's sights, the Amber Clock, is also located here by the waterside, next to the Promenade Hotel.

People fishing on Tirdzniecības canal:

From the waterside we walked back to town. It was already almost 3 pm. We decided we needed to sit and have a drink. What was a better place than the Rock cafe? You get to sit and experience one of the sights of Liepaja at once.

Looking out the window of Latvia's first rock cafe:

Liepaja is not very big. One day would be enough to see Liepaja. We only had half a day and we have seen most of the sights of Liepaja, we have tried the Rock Cafe and we still had plenty of time before dinner time.

Not knowing what else to do nor where else to go, we just walked around some more. And at 4 pm we decided that that was it. We would just have a very early dinner. So we went to Pastnieka māja and by 4.30 pm we were enjoying our meal. I had some kind of chicken and A had a potato dish. We were not disappointed.