Ponderings on My Final Day

Well it's almost over.

My bags are packed and tomorrow morning I board my plane for Sydney (it was going to be an A380...not anymore!!!).

WOW. Eight months and three days of travelling. Finished. WOW again.

My head has been reeling for the past month about heading home, I'm soooooooo busting to see my Man, my kids and all my family and friends, I'm busting to have my kitchen and even to get a bit of a routine going - imagine that!

I'm scared about reality biting - how do you go back to a normal life after all this excitement, learning, fun, connection, new people and places, daily challenges!!!??? Fortunately, I've had a bit of experience at it - having lived in Brazil for a year, twice - and I'm hoping that will help me out as I settle back into normality again.

Of course one never comes back the same person. This is one of the many beauties of travelling - you can't help but learn and change when you're out there in the big exciting world. And I've been thinking about exactly this over the last month, and indeed this evening, as I sit here on my sister's couch in London blogging one of my final posts.

Am I different from when I left Oz 8 months ago? My biggest fear is that I'm not, that I will go back home and just continue as I was. I want to have changed...but have I? Am I still the same, or am I different? And if I'm different, how am I different? (Yep, some people say I think too much)!

This is what I've come up with so far.

Fundamentally, I'm still the same - same old Supergal.

But.

But, there's a little more depth. I feel grown up for the first time ever, which is sorta odd, but that's the feeling I have. I'm not so scared any more, I mean, I've managed on my own travelling around the world for 8 months, with no plan, two weeks accommodation booked, and virtually no travel research - and look at the AMAZING trip I've had. OMG, AMAZING TRIP. If I can do that, well I think I can pretty much do anything. And these are great things to have as you get older...experience and confidence.

I have also gained perspective. I've not spent this much time travelling around so many different places in one trip, it's been an amazing opportunity to observe different countries and cultures on the three continents I've explored, from Easter Island, Chile and Brazil, the Bahamas, Alaska and the Lower 48, through to Europe, the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and a few of the Baltic countries - that's a lot of diversity, a lot of interesting people and places, and a lot of connections. And I've found it fascinating to fit my life in Australia into the big puzzle that is this world - to see where my place is in the big scheme of things. I'm still pondering that one, and suspect I will be for quite some time ahead. But I do realise that I'm not the centre of the universe (as previously thought), I'm just one very small, but important, part of it, as we all are. And I really like that.

Another important finding in this great journey of mine is that the world is a great place. An exciting, thrilling, wonderful, challenging, quirky, funny place. And even better than that, that most human beings are just bloody marvellous. The interest, kindness, warmth, generosity and love I've been shown as I've travelled has just blown me away - and virtually all of it from complete strangers (to start with!). My belief that people are fundamentally good has been absolutely confirmed over and over and over again. This is probably the finding that makes me most happy.

Now I think I'm raving...I'll leave it at that for the time being.

I suspect there will be a few more posts with similar philosophical ravings, just to complete my journey. Feel free to read, or not, as it suits.

If you decide not to read any more, let me just say thank you. Thank you to you if you are reading, or have read any of my posts. I can't believe how much I've enjoyed writing this blog, it's my first ever blog, or even travel journal really - and now I have the most incredible memento forever. So, thank you Sportfans, it's been a pleasure.

I'll leave you with an explanation of the pics above. Of course there's me pondering what lies ahead, then bags packed and ready to go for tomorrow - the big one I bought a couple of days ago to hold pressies to take home, and the smaller grey one is my trusty wheely duffel who has been with me all over the world - what a bloody ripper of a bag. The rest of the pics show how I spent my final day, on Girls Day with my beautiful sis, Chanel, and of course my gorgeous niece Tickly Pickly - shopping and cake. What a perfect ending.

Sweden Again - Farewell Dinner

After Latvia, it was back for a few days with my wonderfully fantastic, amazingly brilliant new Swedish buddies, and fellow foodies, Tuna Man (TM) and Tuna Man's Wife (TMW) (the first pic there was my welcome home dinner...Wild Mushroom Pie - DEAR LORD!).

What can I say about this couple? These are the people that introduced me to amazing things like Havrebollar, Langos, Thursday Pea Soup Night, and who could ever forget The Flying Jacob (see Swedish posts for all these wonderful and wacky dishes)!?! These are the crazy crazy critters who started my love of creme fraiche/sour cream with fish roe and diced red onion served with pretty much anything! These are the wackadoodles who took me on my first ever mushroom hunt and taught me to cook Chanterelles on toast (with loads of butter and white pepper)....mmmmmmm.

So, what does this couple do for me on my final night in Stockholm, a Friday night by the way...they make me another special Friday night dinner...Stuffed Sausage. Oh yeah baby. I watched every step of the way, and documented it for you.

TMW started with a big big sausage - it's cheap and sorta like a giant frankfurt without the skin. She makes professional incisions on the top, then fills each cut, alternatively, with a piece of sliced onion, tomato, and apple. Yes apple. Then she delicately pours on mild mustard, spicy mustard, and ketchup, then tops it off with chopped gherkin! After this mess of sauces, she then gently places thin slices of cheese and sprinkles parmesan on the top. WOW. Who could have ever thought up such a dish! This all then gets wacked in the oven for a good roasting. Et voila!

You can see it above in all its glory. What a thing of beauty. And the taste????

UNREAL BANANA PEEL!!!! The best food any aussie gal could want on her farewell Sweden dinner. It was soooooooooooooooo yum...I bloody loved it. I think I went for 3 servings (all with some of that velvety perfect mash)...it really was that good! All those crazy flavours came together in a chorus of intense harmony (too much?????). Sigh. Magnificent.

So, to my very special friends, TMW and TM (and to Tuna Baby, who is baking away there inside TMW) I say the humblest of thank yous. Thank you for your warmth, generosity, laughter, Swedish Idol commentary, and of course the most wonderful food.

I miss you already.

Latvia 2 - The Good Stuff

This one's for you Lilymagnolia - so you can look at something prettier than pigs in trolleys, and to say thank you for being such a big supporter. Thank you.

Now we get to the good stuff!!!

Oh yes, yummmmmm Latvian food.

I was inducted into Latvian culture on my first evening - of course I had to get out and about after my 4 hour busdrive - so after a light dinner of sushi (yes, I'm embarrassed to say I had Japanese in Latvia, but I was just so desperate for something light), I ran into this place called Black Magic.

Black Magic is on the main drag of the Old Town and sells the famous Latvian elixir, Balzam. Balzam is a locally made bitters brew made with 24 herbs and results in an incredibly potent drink of 45% alcohol! Black Magic is a Balzam bar, selling straight shots, cocktails (you can see mine there in pic 1), and even chocolates and patisserie made from this lethal brew. My cocktail was made with espresso, Balzam, Coffee Liqueur and a whole heap of fresh whipped cream on top...I was a little frightened.

I am proud to report I drank two thirds of it, and I kinda liked it. It was kooky. The Balzam actually leaves a woody, earthy, herby after taste which I found I quite liked. Interesting stuff this Balzam, and only made here in Latvia.

Next on the list was, of course, the Central Market. Now, it has been said to me that Riga actually has the largest undercover food market in Europe. I went to check it out. Oh my goodness - it's HUGE. And not only inside, but outside as well. The market centres around 5 ex-Airship (Zeppelin) hangars from the war - they were moved here specifically to house the market - which are HUGE!!!! You can buy fruit, lollies, cheese, pastries, any type of fish or meat product, many of which I'd never seen before - one involving lots and lots of little fish packed tightly together in an a pickled aspic jelly type thing...hmmmmm. Outside at the other stalls you can get everything from more fruit, to fur collars, garden rakes, very thick and ugly nylon pantyhose and a myriad of gloves, beanies, and scarves, and of course the beautiful little flower posies of the flower stalls. It is a must see (just be careful there, I was warned by more than one person of the problem with petty theft here).

And of course during my 5 days in Riga, I ate at a couple of local restaurants to get the lay of the land on the local stuff.

I found a great place in the Old Town called Province. It's tucked away near the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (of course I spent 4 hours at the museum), and is well worth a visit. I had been told to try the traditional Latvian dinner of Latvian Black Peas and Ham (pic above) and Bread Soup for dessert (pic also above).

I'd never eaten Black Peas before. They smelt fantastic as my waiter put them down in front of me...soooooooo smokey and delicious. And the taste? Well they sorta tasted how they look - very al dente (read: a bit hard), a bit chic pea-like with that wonderful smokey bacon flavour. I felt very wholesome and virtuous as I tucked into my bowl of food...but the stuff is filling, and after about half way through I had eaten my fill of Latvian Black Beans and Ham.

Now it was dessert time...the guy puts down my Bread Soup in front of me...doesn't look that great, right? Well. IT WAS AMAZING. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful wonderful surprise. It's a chilled soup made from ground black bread, but has dried fruit and a fair wack of alcohol added - it tasted like a fine grained soup of mince pies but fresher - there were fresh nuts and whipped cream, and a lovely berry coulis on top...oh my goodness, I could have swum in it. REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD.

I went back to this same restaurant the next day for breakfast. I had seen Curd Fritters on the menu and had to have a go. That's the pic under the Bread Soup, above. These were also something very special. Sort of like a dense ricotta pancake, again with marinated dried fruit in the batter, and served with creme fraiche (or a light sour cream, I couldn't work out which exactly). SOOOOOO delicious.

My last local tip for you has a more modern bent. It's called Lido. I believe there are a few of these around town, but this one was almost right next to my hotel. Every time I passed it was packed. When I asked about local restaurants at Reception, they immediately sent me to Lido. I ate there on my second night, and every night until I left. It was fantastic. It's set up like a cafeteria, but with local food (ok, and a lot of Russian food too), and you pay for every little thing you choose. See the sour cream and dill on my Meat Pancakes? The sour cream costs, and the dill costs...every little thing costs! And still, for me it was a bloody cheap meal. I think I paid about AUS$6 for the whole tray of food - that's the yum soup, called Solyanka (a wonderful salty soup made from veges, tomatoes, and salty bacon), the salad (the most expensive thing on the plate), the Meat Pancake with dill and sour cream, and of course the Cranberry Juice (btw fresh cranberries are everywhere around this neck of the world). And it tasted FANTASTIC.

See those French Fry thingies next to the Meat Pancake in the pic??? OH MY GOD. Readers will know what a fetish I have for hand cut chips...well these are the BEST, yes THE BEST, in the whole wide world. I had them the following night with my Stuffed Cabbage Roll, and the night after that with my divine Beef and Gravy (the chips were smothered in the gravy)...oh my goodness, I even dreamt about them that night (now that's just sick)!!!

So, sportsfans, there you have it. It must be mentioned I found the staff at all these places (except Black Magic) quite surly and unresponsive on the surface, yet the guy at Lido cracked a small smile and said "you were here last night" on my third evening. And I even got a smile from the Province guy on my second visit - YAY!

Five days in Latvia wasn't enough. I need more time to get into the place, eat more of its good food, and try and connect with the people.

I will be back.

Latvia 1 - Riga

I'm not quite sure what to say about Riga.

You can see my pics above, from the bus I took from Tallinn to Latvia's capital, Riga, to the beautiful Art Nouveau architecture of Latvia and the pretty parks, all the way through to the imposing cathedrals and quaintness of the Old Town.

Yet, I didn't connect with the city or the people. I don't know if it was the space I was in (only a couple of weeks before heading back to Oz), or if the freezing cold days were finally getting to me...I'm just not sure.

I don't like to say it, but I found Riga to be grey. The light seemed grey, my pics even seem a bit grey, and the funny thing was that I saw more sun here than I did in Tallinn.

I suppose you can't help compare the two cities. They are both Baltic countries, with almost identical histories, they both have their beautiful Old Towns, and they both are intensely proud of their language and culture. Yet, Riga didn't seem to have the life or joy I found in Tallinn. After some discussions with a few locals, it's a tough life in Latvia at the moment, and I suspect that was some of what I was feeling.

Riga is a pretty place, and the locals helped whenever I asked for it, yet I had that sense of grey with me from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. I'm really glad I went, and honestly, I'd like to visit again in their Summer and see some of their country, which is supposed to be just beautiful. I feel like I need to come back and give it another go.

And that's what I have to say about Riga. Oh, but of course there's a whole other discussion about food....