Poland and Latvia Highlights

Articles this week at Eastern Europe and Russia Travel run the full range from historical intrigue in Warsaw to some outdoor adventure in rural Latvia.

Looking back over my many adventures in Eastern Europe, I often think about how much my activities can vary from one day to the next. A spy observing me wouldn't have a clue how to classify my interests, that's for sure!

That's how I can justify such differing articles out this week. First, I look at a great day trip from Latvian capital Riga to Sigulda and the Gauja National Park. Although Riga's a perfectly gorgeous city, if you've been doing a Baltic city hop then Sigulda is a really convenient place to head for a day "out of town". But do you know the strangest thing? I still remember that the whole day I spent in Sigulda, I had a line from a song running round in my head - obviously the wrong line, but I kept singing "I lost my wallet in old Sigulda". At least it's one way to avoid forgetting the place I'm visiting.

The second article out this week looks at a completely different aspect of travel in Eastern Europe: history, and especially the impact of the world wars. At the Warsaw Historical Museum in Poland, I still clearly remember being amazed at the destruction the Old Town of Warsaw experienced, and even more amazed at how fast and well the reconstruction was achieved. And I also remember that visiting the museum was a perfect way to spend a cold, rainy day in Warsaw - even though it was late summer.