Logbook: Baltic Bound

It's been a good week on The Voyage with highlights from last weekend including the spontaneous gathering of the "Gdansk Gang" on Saturday night that I wrote about earlier and a Sunday afternoon dinner with Captain Adam and his entire family. I was honored to be included in their celebration as the Captain prepares to go back to sea for a few months, and it was a very welcome change of pace to have a delicious home cooked meal with family. On Tuesday evening I got together again with Elke and Gustavo to continue our "world voyagers" conversations which turned out to be a great time of comparing notes and brainstorming some shared issues. Besides those get-togethers, I have spent time enjoying my home here in Gdynia and getting myself caught up, rested and ready to move on.

I had "planned" to head generally south from Gdynia to explore Poland then continue to and through Slovakia on my way to Vienna. In poring over the maps, however, I kept looking at the Baltic States and wondering what they are like. After lengthy consideration and research, I have decided to postpone my "Poland South" plans to take a couple of weeks to make a run up through those former Soviet states. I will be "traveling light" with only my Mac pack and a small hand duffel. I will be leaving my big gear bag here in Gdynia and will pick it up when I come back.

It's certainly not "the season" to visit the Baltics, but I figured that as long as I am this close I might as well take advantage of the opportunity. I really don't know much about those countries, but they look interesting and will certainly be something different to explore. So, I will take a train to Warsaw in the morning on the the first leg and spend the weekend there. I expect to take a train on Monday to Vilnius, Lithuania and spend a few days there and in the area generally, then take another train to Riga, Latvia for the same kind of routine. From there I will move up the Baltic coast to Tallinn, Estonia for a few days with a possible hop across the water to Helsinki. Whenever I've had enough I will make my way back here to Gdynia, probably around the middle of the month.

So, Macgellan is rested, recharged and ready to be "Baltic Bound."