Berlin to Helsinki Day 14: Rīga
We seemed to have just arrived in Lithuania and now we must leave.
We biked possibly the straightest, flattest road we've ever been on. Pretty much 130km straight from Šiauliai to Rīga.
We later saw pictures of people who, in 1989, lined the same road we were on which connects Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius with 2 million people all holding hands along 600 km to signify the unity of the three Baltic countries near the end of the Soviet occupation.
On the way we stopped at two sites. The first was a rather strange hill completely covered in crosses. People offer prayers by placing a cross on the hill, I suppose this would provide some sort of beacon because of the sheer concentration of crosses. But if god didn't hear about it, the pope certainly did and even came to visit (not while we were there).
The hill of crosses, Kryžiu kalnas
To balance out our religions for the day we also went to see some renovated Synagogues in Joniškis. They are currently renovating one of the many complexes of Synagogues in Lithuania - in the region there were about 10 or so with multiple synagogues. This one had a summer and winter Synagogue which are still under each renovation, but the stained glass was restored in the winter one made out of red bricks.
We arrived a little late to Rīga in order to give our host, Agita, who is interning at a law firm some time to get home. Tomorrow we will explore Rīga and give the bikes a break.
On the bridge coming into the town center.
Rīga!
Mylène conquered the highway and has all lanes to herself!
We biked possibly the straightest, flattest road we've ever been on. Pretty much 130km straight from Šiauliai to Rīga.
We later saw pictures of people who, in 1989, lined the same road we were on which connects Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius with 2 million people all holding hands along 600 km to signify the unity of the three Baltic countries near the end of the Soviet occupation.
On the way we stopped at two sites. The first was a rather strange hill completely covered in crosses. People offer prayers by placing a cross on the hill, I suppose this would provide some sort of beacon because of the sheer concentration of crosses. But if god didn't hear about it, the pope certainly did and even came to visit (not while we were there).
The hill of crosses, Kryžiu kalnas
To balance out our religions for the day we also went to see some renovated Synagogues in Joniškis. They are currently renovating one of the many complexes of Synagogues in Lithuania - in the region there were about 10 or so with multiple synagogues. This one had a summer and winter Synagogue which are still under each renovation, but the stained glass was restored in the winter one made out of red bricks.
We arrived a little late to Rīga in order to give our host, Agita, who is interning at a law firm some time to get home. Tomorrow we will explore Rīga and give the bikes a break.
On the bridge coming into the town center.
Rīga!
Mylène conquered the highway and has all lanes to herself!
Position:Bruņinieku iela,Riga,Lettland
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