It has bee quite hard to be in the car for hours driving across Europe and it maybe is not es exciting as first imagined because most of the roads are motorways, and there are not much to see in the landscape of the specific country we were passing, all seamed much the same just noticeably different driving habits people have in different countries. we had planned few stops along the way to break up the journey in manageable sections to have a rest and bit more excitement and also to see bit of country we are passingly.
Fist stop was Hanover which was chosen on purpose to see Kurt Schwitters
Merzbau at the Sprengel museum, as we had so much connection with MerzBarn in Ambelside UK over last few years, this other place created by Kurt Schwitters seamed to be a must see as we were passing by:
We stopped also in Berlin but as it is a massive city and we were unwilling to rush around it as headless chickens to see all the touristy attractions in one day, we just spend most of the time with our friend Dalia and enjoyed her company, chatting and eating, mainly being happy for not being in the car and being able to stretch legs. As I was walking down the streets of Berlin, Dalia taking us to the places where are Middle-eastern markets and eateries,where after resent influx, refugees are settling well, I thought this is the last stop where we gonna see place where multiculturalism is striving because pass Berlin we are in Eastern Europe were quite the opposite countries has been hostile towards foreign.
Next stop Poland:
We spend couple days with our friend Yulita's family in their home village Borakowskie, just enjoying their small farm, walks in the forest, local market and just around the village... and lots of food, many out of Yulita's mum's cold store mushrooms, fruit and vegetable conserves from last Autumn's harvest!
Yulita's mum warned us of these garden pest's who are destructive to root vegetables, digging under garden their caves and feeding what people have planted in. I had not seen them them before so I was hopeful that there won't be such a creature living in Latvia!
We caught Poland in the preparation for Eastern celebration, as a catholic country who provided one of the last Popes for Rome, who is now a saint, I fount his images looking over church goers in local church to where we were staying! Also peculiar sculpture of Marie as if she is standing infront of a EU flag!
Sewing with nails to keep greenhouse together! An idea taken from Yulita's dad.
Lithuania, Vilnius:
Baltic, trees, a lot of trees, but also sadly lots of clear cuts, which will take a long time to grow back into forest.
We mostly enjoyed street art in Vilnius, it looked to be a up and coming hipster town! with lots curious things to look on the streets.
Beautiful book covers at the hostel, all Soviet time design....
Caught a glimpse of Putin... Around these parts of Eastern Europe one can feel big Russia's heavy breathing down their neck... as it so close and not so log ago it thought to own these lands.
We saw an exhibition on Polish posters mainly of safety at work themed. There were many warning about dangerous consequences of drinking at work, those posters stood out as there weren't such in England and made it realize at alcoholism used to be a common problem and unfortunately still is.
And soon after Vilnius we were in Latvia, border-control nonexistent, just a sign:
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