The Ice Age Centre is located not far from Tartu, a dozen or so kilometres to the north, in the small village of Äksi on the shore of a beautiful lake. The building itself resembles a large grey block, which inside consists of three floors with a sizeable open space in the middle, housing the centre's main star and logo symbol - a life-size mammoth.
We deliberately chose five days of rest in Palanga before the summer season started, to avoid the large tourist crowds and spend time in a tranquil mood. The pedestrian street - J. Basanavičiaus gatve - was still adorned with large decorative eggs. One of them was entirely covered with small pieces of amber. Bear in mind that the town is fairly small and oriented primarily towards tourism.
Last weekend, in honour of our tin/rose wedding anniversary, we decided to head to the northern coast of Estonia to discover the local nature and enjoy the pleasures of a SPA. The result: we once again confirmed the appealing tranquillity of Estonian life, discovered one little paradise beach, and visited a resort town we hope never to set foot in again.
Like a scene emerging from a colourful postcard, a shore of white houses appears with vivid blue accents and ancient windmills. From the far corners of the world tourists come here to be photographed and to witness one of nature's most beautiful spectacles - a sunset that colours the sea and the white house façades in every shade of the rainbow.
The celebration of life, the enjoyment of nature's bounty, and direct communication between people - that is what draws one to Crete. The beaches are mostly pebbly or covered with fine stones, so walking barefoot is rather difficult. In a few places there are also sandy beaches. The Greek way of life and the philosophy of the living church were equally captivating.
We arrived in Florence, or Firenze as it appears on road signs, on a warm and sunny day. Despite the fact that it was already the last days of October, one could easily manage without a coat. As with any place, Florence has its own traditions and superstitions. One of them is rubbing the snout of the bronze pig.
This time Silvija's photographs come from the Montafon valley in Austria - specifically from the alpine ski resort of Silvretta Montafon. Downhill skiing is simply one of those ways of travelling and holidaying that will never be my choice. Yet the grandeur and timelessness of mountains has always enticed, captivated, and even slightly frightened me.
This week Silvija sent photographs from her trip to the Italian Alps - specifically to Plose, a mountain tourism destination in the South Tyrol region that will certainly be well known to skiers. Although I am neither a fan of winter sports nor of the winter season itself, mountain views are captivating, so I decided to share them further.
Upon hearing the name Pisa, the first association is undoubtedly the tower that leans quite considerably to one side. It has now been reinforced from the inside and counterbalanced with massive counterweights, so that small tourist groups (only a few dozen people per hour) are permitted, for 15 EUR, to climb the 56-metre bell tower. Winding stone steps that allow no pause for breath lead upward until you reach the viewing platform, from which the entire small city of Pisa stretches below.
Today I finally decided to go through the photographs taken last autumn during a trip through Italian cities. This time: the capital Rome, the Vatican - as they revealed themselves to a traveller's eyes. One drawback of group travel is that you see what you are shown, rather than what you might discover simply by wandering the city streets.