Tara’s Travels

Cycle the Baltics 2026 - Latvia Inside the dry bus we headed toward the border town of Valga/Valka, a unique town split directly between Estonia and Latvia. We hopped off the bus and casually walked across the border into country #60 — Latvia. Naturally, many of us took the opportunity for highly sophisticated tourist photos straddling the border line while pretending to be in two countries at once. Back on the bus on the Latvian side, we travelled to Ragana for lunch. We attempted traditional Latvian cuisine, although I’m not entirely convinced it will become part of my regular meal rotation back home. I ordered something resembling a hedgehog-shaped chicken creation — essentially seasoned diced chicken and cheese wrapped together and coated in crunchy croutons.  Since the morning ride had been shortened because of rain, we added an extra afternoon ride completely off the official itinerary — which ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. I layered on every piece of windp...

The next morning, we left Rakvere and headed south toward Lake Peipsi,  one of the largest lakes in Europe and the natural border between Estonia and Russia. .  Our cycling day began in Mustvee, a charming fishing town dating back to the 17th century.  We cycled through the quiet lakeside communities along Peipsi Lake, where, following old Russian village traditions, many settlements consist of just a single long street running parallel to the shoreline. As a result, the edge of Lake Peipsi feels like one continuous village dotted with tiny settlements, gardens, fishing sheds, and colourful homes stretched along the water. The scenery was stunning — vibrant yellow canola fields glowing against the countryside and endless rows of green onions, the area’s famous crop. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed onion soup with fresh bread, which felt especially appropriate given our surroundings.  As we continued riding, we passed through several villages inhabited by the “Old Be...

Cycle the Baltics 2026 - Estonia (Lahemaa National Park) After our morning city tour, we headed back to the hotel, changed into our cycling gear, checked out, and loaded onto the bus with our bikes. Our destination was Lahemaa National Park, Estonia’s largest national park and one of Europe’s most important protected forest and coastal areas. Once inside the park, we stopped in the tiny seaside village of Viinistu for a picnic lunch before finally mounting our bikes. After several days of travel, sightseeing, and my questionable digestive survival skills, it felt good to actually start the cycling portion of the trip. Our ride took us toward Palmse Manor — a total of 37.7 km. Along the way we passed remnants of old Soviet military sites, including abandoned Russian army buildings and what had once been a Cold War-era submarine base.  The route wound through peaceful little villages filled with tidy homes, flower gardens, and manicured lawns. The ride itself was lovely, although the...

 Cycle the Baltics 2026 - Estonia (Tallinn) We left Calgary and flew to Frankfurt for a short layover before arriving in Tallinn, Estonia (country #59).  After what felt like approximately 47 hours in airports and airplane seats designed by medieval torture experts, we were very happy to finally reach our hotel. Once settled, we had a quick nap before heading to the market for supper — a chicken shawarma salad bowl. Then it was back to the hotel room for cards, relaxing, and trying unsuccessfully to stay awake past 8:30 p.m. The next morning, we headed out to explore Old Town. We started on foot and climbed up to Upper Town, or Toompea Hill, which has been the centre of political power in Estonia for centuries. From there, we had panoramic views over the red rooftops and church spires of the city below. We explored Toompea Castle - home to Estonia’s parliament, and admired the striking Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - the Russian Orthodox church built during the Russian Empire’s r...

Japan 2026 - Summary 🇯🇵 As I sit in the Narita airport ready to fly home, I can now reflect on my trip. The Highlights ✨ 🇯🇵 Tokyo with its neon lights, Shibuya scramble, awesome views from the Tokyo Skytree, Lake Ashi, and cherry blossoms at the Oshinohakki village.  The Shinkansen bullet train - whether it was a 13-minute hop or a cross-country journey, it was fast, smooth, and consistently on time—making travel feel effortless (and slightly futuristic) 🚄, and a bonus Mount Fuji siting. Kyoto stood out for its history and beauty 🌸. Walking through Kinkaku-ji and the towering paths of Fushimi Inari Taisha felt like stepping into another era. Add in bamboo forests, cherry blossoms, sake, and hands-on experiences like chopsticks, kintsugi, & Teamlabs, and it struck a perfect balance between culture and creativity 🎨. Osaka brought the energy ⚡—street food, quirky attractions, foot onsens, and the sheer fun of places like Universal Studios Japan (weather permitting 🌧️). Kus...