Final thoughts after a visit to the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania

I tremendously enjoyed my visit to these countries!

Having completed my visit to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, while I recognize that each of these countries has its own culture, language, and traditions, I was able to summarize the visit in these ways, since these countries are frquently linked together and are known by a common name as a region.

Service with a scowl

The idea of friendly customer service has not caught on in this part of the world. Could it be a Soviet holdover? I am not sure. The older the worker, the less chance there was that I would get a friendly encounter.

Among younger workers in grocery stores and restaurants, however, the demeaner was much more friendly and welcoming.

These are not cultures of friendly people in the streets. They approach others with blank looks; in the event that I smile, nod, or make some sort of gesture, they usually ignore it.

Use of credit cards

I was able to pay for just about everything with credit cards. There were very few places — mostly small restaurants — that didn’t accept them for payment. While the machines are set up for cards with a chip, it is also possible to swipe cards.

Smoking

An extremely high percentage of the population smokes. One cannot avoid inhaling smoke, especially on the streets, where people congregate.

Most restaurants have outdoor areas, and I saw only one of these that had a section designated as non-smoking.

Food

I found plenty of good food, including lots of vegetarian options, in the capital cities of Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia), and Vilnius (Lithuania). For the most part, I was able to locate vegetarian restaurants via my Happy Cow app. In some instances, I simply stumbled upon restaurants with signs advertising that they had the food I was looking for.

Climate control

There is very little, if any, indoor climate control with regard to air conditioning and fans. This can be especially bad on public transport during hot days, considering that the windows don’t open.

The smoking and climate control merge for the worst of all possible worlds in restaurants when the weather is hot. The choices are to sit outdoors amongst the smokers or indoors without a fan or air conditioning. Either way, you may suffer.

Alcohol consumption

Alcohol seems to be extremely well integrated into the culture here. It is available for purchase in all supermarkets and in shops on just about every block. Most cafes serve not only coffee but alcoholic beverages as well.

Apartment floor plans

Among these three countries, I entered only four apartments. But I must say that these have been some of the most bizarre floor plans I have ever seen. Most of all, there seems to be no effort to separate the bathroom area from the kitchen area. In one place, the bathroom had only a curtain, and it opened directly into the kitchen. NO! In another, the stall shower was IN THE KITCHEN! Here it is:

Russian and English

Most places seem to have their local language first, Russian, and then English. If you want to find an English speaker, look for a younger person. Many of the younger folks are multilingual: home country language, Russian, English, and most probably at least one or two others thrown in there.

Crosswalks

The drivers are fabulous about stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks. Be prudent, though. I always find that the safest course of action is NOT to assume that they will yield to you. It always pays to be cautious!

Public transportation

The buses and trams (streetcars) seem to go just about everywhere, as there is a well-developed web of routes, not only within the capital cities, but also in going from an easily accissible downtown location to one of the other principle cities, domestically and internationally.

My guess is that car ownership is not very high. There are magnetic cards loaded with pre-payments, so all you have to do it touch your card to the appropriate device, and you are good to go. There are also cards for short-term visitors, and it was extremely easy to use them.

Bus and tram service within towns has been very frequent.

Long distance buses are dependable. I used them to go from the capital cities to other locations nearby.

Monuments

Oh, the amazing things these folks do with stone monuments! While you may see an occasion standard run-of-the-mill statue on a pedestal, the majority of the public monuments are usually much more creative and unusual than that!

Most of those above are in public parks. There are also lots of monuments that are mounted on the sides of buildings, public and private. My assemblage here is only a fraction of the artistically beautiful and creative monuments I saw.

Special mention: Art Nouveau architecture in Riga, Latvia

I found out only after I arrived in Riga that it has a remarkable Art Nouveau architecture culture. I delighted in seeing the exteriors of these gorgeous buildings from the street, as well as being able to enter several of them that serve as museums. It’s a cultural highlight of the city, along with its UNESCO-listed old town, so you will not be able to avoid maps and brochures that lead you to the Art Nouveau district.

Conclusion

For ease of mobility in getting from one destination to another, for ease of finding affordable lodging, for many beautiful surroundings in both buildings and parks, for excellent value and choice in food and beverage, and for ease of communication, especially with younger people, I highly recommend a visit to the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.