Baltics - 14 June 2012 (1)

Riga to Bauska

Bauska Castle - New Part

I was up at 05.45 and we were off in our coach at 08.00.  Aija’s husband came to wave her off.

River Mūsa

As we drove through Riga, Aija explained that this was the 71^st anniversary of more than 15,400 deportations of Latvian people, mostly to Siberia, and, therefore, a national day of mourning.  Her father was a journalist and so was deported.  Her parents had been warned that this would be likely to happen and her mother had divorced her father.  If they had not divorced, her mother and the baby Aija would also have been deported, which would have led to Aija’s almost certain death.

Bauska Castle - Old Part

Fortunately, Aija’s father survived as he was a musician.  He founded a brass band, comprising himself and other deportees, which became successful as it was popular with the local residents in Siberia.

Bauska Castle - Old Part

His sister was a lawyer and she was also deported.  She too survived and wrote several books – the first being published when she was 86.  She didn’t survive to complete her seventh book, but the publisher had enough information to get it finished.  Aija circulated a copy round the bus.

We passed a hydro-electric station on the River Daugava.  The road went over the dam and a huge reservoir lay behind.  The reservoir looked very impressive, with very blue water because it was a lovely day again.

River Mēmele

Bauska Castle - Old Part

Aija gave us more information on Latvia as we passed severe Russian apartment blocks in otherwise pretty villages.  She said that houses larger than 100 square metres had been confiscated during occupation.  Since 1991 private houses had been built, with small gardens and vegetable patches.

The countryside was lovely and I saw a couple of storks and some poppy fields.

Bauska Castle - New Part

We made good time and so were able to take a bonus stop in Bauska and visit the castle there.  The castle stands between the Rivers Mūsa and Mēmele, which gave it a very defensible situation.  Noisy crows and jackdaws called from the trees as we approached.  The coach had stopped on the side of the new castle, built in the 17^th century and the ruins of the old castle lay behind.  I got wet feet walking on the dew-covered grass, but it was worth it.

Baltics - 13 June 2012 (3)

Art Nouveau in Riga

Stone & Railway bridges over R Daugava

National Library of Latvia

We popped into the hotel and then headed off to Town Hall Square to go to the Museum of Occupation.

We were in the museum for two hours, looking at all the exhibits.  It traced the story of the first year of Soviet occupation, the Nazi invasion, including the murder of the Jews in Rumala forest, the main Soviet occupation and, finally, how freedom was won.  So many people were murdered or relocated or fled and the suffering must have been huge.  It was all very moving.

Castle from Vansu Bridge

Riga Radio and TV Tower

Then we walked to Dome Square, because May was going to an organ recital in the Dome Cathedral.  We met Ian, who had just got his ticket, and went to Fillings in the square for a coffee.  A screen had just been set up for people to watch the Euro 2012 football.  I went to the Fillings Café itself to use the facilities.  All the seats were red – including the toilet seats.

Congress House Fountain

When Ian and May went to their concert, I walked up to the City Canal to meet them later.  I found myself near Vansu bridge, a cable-stayed bridge over the River Daugava, so I walked onto it to take some photos.

Alberta iela

I had some hot chocolate outside a café which I thought Ian and May would walk past.  It was about to close, so I relocated to Jēkaba laukums, a park across the road.  Two sparrows hopped onto my bench, in case I had some crumbs for them.  One found a green caterpillar, but decided not to eat it.  It was getting late, so I went to look for the others, but I couldn’t see them.  So I walked to the bridge over the City Canal in case I’d missed them.

Alberta iela 4

Alberta iela 8

At long last they appeared, with Sue and Charlie too.  We walked up to Elizabetes iela to do the tour of the art nouveau buildings in the area.  We slowly walked along Elizabetes iela and then Alberta iela, Strēlnieku iela and back into Elizabetes iela, looking at all the buildings.  Despite not being keen at first, the others took their time looking at everything and lots of photos were taken.

I was amused by a man watering the plants outside one of the buildings.  The building was surrounded by fences as some restoration work was in progress. Undeterred, he aimed his hose through the fencing to reach the plants.

Alberta iela 13 - Detail

Alberta iela 13

When nothing more was left to be seen, we walked off in search of a pub.  My feet were really starting to hurt after all the walking of the day, so I was pleased when Ian decided that we should go for a drink in a “Double Coffee”.  Its logo is similar to that of Starbucks, so we wondered if the two chains were connected.

Strelnieku iela 4a - detail

Watering Plants from Afar

Cooked food was available, so I had a pasta.  The waitress suggested a spicy mango juice, which was interesting but not spicy.  As usual, we had a really good laugh, with Ian and Charlie in top form.

At 23.00, we headed back to the hotel.  It was still light.  David and Dulcie met us at a pedestrian crossing.  They had been to the opera again.

Elizabetes iela 10b

Baltics - 13 June 2012 (2)

More Adventures at the Seaside

Lutheran Church, Dubulti

Then we walked all the way to Dubulti.  It started to get very warm.  I spotted a bird with a chestnut brown tail on the way - sadly, one of the few birds on the trip and I didn't even know what it was.

Dubulti - Typical Wooden Building

Once in Dubulti, we called into the railway station to get the times of trains back to Riga.  Then we looked at the Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church of St Vladimir.  This latter was blue and yellow, but had wooden scaffolding round the tower.  We walked round and went into the adjacent woods to get a side view.

Orthodox Church of St Vladimir, Dubulti

Orthodox Church of St Vladimir, Dubulti

Then we had what seemed a longer walk back to Majori, where we ate lunch in the courtyard of Restorans Majoranhoff.  May got a little bit sunburnt, even though we didn’t feel that warm.  We think that the fountain not far from our table had a cooling effect.

Dubulti Station

Hotel Majori with "Copper" Roof

I had an aubergine, cheese and tomato bake, which was very hot and tasty, plus a mango juice.  It came to LVL6.50 with a tip.  Then I dashed off up the road to get some glass animals, because I had got some more Lats from an ATM outside a Swedbank in Dubulti.

Crossing Track at Majori Stn

Health & Safety at Majori Stn

We returned to the station, but there was no sign of a train.  Given that we hadn’t crossed the track when we got off the train, I guessed that we had to cross this time.  It felt strange to just walk across the rails, although it was very easy with the platforms being so low.  We checked when we were on the other platform and people confirmed that we were in the right place to go to Riga.

Child Care at Majori Stn

St George & Dragon, Majori

A couple crossed the other track and looked at the bushes beside the line.  Were they looking for berries?  A little boy sat on the edge of the platform, with one leg dangling over the track.  His mother didn’t seem concerned.  A train came in from Riga and loomed above us.

The bend in the river meant that we could see Dubulti station and a train lying just beyond it.  We waited for it to move, but then another train came past it and pulled into the station.  It was strange being able to see it coming all the way from Dubulti to Majori.

Dubulti Stn from Majori Stn

River Lielupe

When it arrived, there was the panic of waiting for people to get off the train and then hauling ourselves on board before the doors shut.  I hurt my left arm when the inner door shut on it.

As we weren’t worried about where to get off, we could look out of the window and relax.  There was more forest than I remembered and a footpath and much-used cycle path ran alongside the line for a long way.  I did nod off before we reached Riga.

Our Train back to Riga

Baltics - 13 June 2012 (1)

A Day at the Seaside

On Wide Train to Jūrmala

It was a free day today, so I had a lie in and didn’t stir until 06.40.  Ian and, eventually, Charlie, joined May and me for breakfast, which was a bit cramped.  There weren’t enough tables for everyone, especially when some people made places inaccessible.  The food was a bit disappointing, but I managed two slices of well-cooked toast, fruit and a hard-boiled egg.

Majori - Typical Wooden Building

We left the boys and got ready to catch the 09.02 train to Majori, which is part of the seaside resort of Jūrmala.  A return ticket cost just LVL1.95 and possible trains were already waiting on platforms 3 and 4.  It took a while to determine that we needed the train on platform 4.  This was the 09.02 and the first to leave.

Majori - Typical Wooden Buildings

We had quite a climb to get on the train, because the step from the rail to the platform is very low, but the train was as high as in the UK.  When we got inside, we realised that the train was much wider than in the UK.  Three people could sit comfortably on each side and the aisle was wider.  The seats were fairly basic, being just padded benches.

Majori - Modern Wooden Building

When the train pulled out, we realised there was a slight problem because the stations do not display their name at frequent intervals along the platform.  The guidebook said the journey would take 30-35 minutes, so we decided not to panic – yet.  When the guard came, I asked how many stations it was to Majori and someone translated for us.  She said seven, so May kept count.

After six stations, we asked a young guy in the next seat and he said there were three more.  He got off at Majori too.

Majori - Typical Wooden Building

Majori station lies beside the River Lielupe, which runs along the coast, effectively making Jūrmala into a narrow coastal spit.  The station lies on the tip of a large meander, beyond which are fields and a road and then a large lake – the Babītes ezers.

Dzintaru mežaparks - Street light

As we walked through the park to the main street, we saw Janet and Roberta, who had come by minibus.  Janet came from Australia and Roberta from Canada.  They were also sharing a room.  They pointed out the tourist information office, which was on the main road and not where it was marked in the guide book.  We went in and got some maps of the area.

Pegasa Pils Spa Hotel

Then we walked along Jomas iela, which was the main street of Majori.  Jūrmala is known for its art nouveau wooden buildings, so May was keen to see them, being an architect.  Jomas iela was full of them, some of which were restaurants and cafés and others were shops.  There was a row of what looked like wooden beach huts, which were stalls.  These were just being opened.  A girl was setting out handmade glass animals, which were really nice, but I worried that I didn’t have enough Lats to buy anything.

Sign for Majori Beach

We walked on to Dzintaru mežaparks, a park with some wooden houses around it.  Some had been fully restored and looked wonderful; others were slightly dilapidated or, in some cases, only good for demolition.  May was particularly impressed with the street lights, which were very modern and included a downward reflector to minimise light pollution.

Majori Beach

We walked round and eventually spotted the sea.  It looked very blue as it was a wonderful blue-sky day.  It took a while to reach it as some private areas were closed off, but we got there eventually.  The beach was covered in fine powdery sand, so I took my sandals off.  It felt good.  A few people were sunbathing and others stood right beside the sea.  A few brave souls stood on the sandbank which lay a few feet out to sea.  May was intrigued by the strange circular changing facilities on the beach.  These had a raised platform and walled off areas to hide in when getting changed.  There were a few marquees selling refreshments at the back of the beach, but there were no other structures.  This made the beach feel remote: just sand with trees to the left and sea to the right.

Art studio "Inner Light" - Tricycle

Art studio "Inner Light" - Driveway

We walked along the beach for a while and then walked up an access path to the road.  This was a very residential street, again with wooden houses.  Some were under construction.  We walked further than we realised and found ourselves at the very large Beach Hotel.  We turned left and headed back to Jonas iela.  On the way, we passed an art gallery, which had a penny farthing and lots of straw models of birds in the front.  The drive was made of circles of cut logs, with a narrow strip of grass and wildflowers in the middle.

We emerged into a park at the beginning of Jonas iela and walked along until we found a café with outside seating in the sun on the left-hand side of the road.  We settled on the kafejnīca Sonali, where I had a hot chocolate, which was very nice.

Baltics - 12 June 2012 (4)

Chocolate Heaven in Riga

Although I wasn’t going to the opera, I walked back into town with May, Ian, Charlie, Sue, David, Dulcie and Flo.  It started spitting.  We sat down at the café outside the Opera House and started to order coffee, until Charlie asked how much a glass of champagne would cost.  At LVL2.50, everyone decided that they wanted one.

When the others went inside, I stayed behind to finish my champagne and write up my journal.  It had rained heavily when we were drinking our champagne but, luckily, Ian and David had managed to get the big umbrella up on our table.  It was a nice place to sit, with a good view of the gardens beside the canal.  The rain didn’t last too long, but the fountain nearby kept making me think it had started again.

Typically, when I emerged from the Opera House, having handed in my empty champagne glass, it was raining again.  I took shelter in Emīla Gustava šokolāde opposite and asked for a hot chocolate.  It cost LVL1.50, so I paid and sat down to wait.

The waiter brought me a glass of water and a tiny Greek coffee-sized cup of hot chocolate.  I tried not to feel disappointed that there was so little hot chocolate and drank half the glass of water to remove the taste of the not-so-wonderful champagne.  Then I put the tiny teaspoon in the chocolate and had a taste.  Ecstasy!  It was little more than melted dark chocolate.  There must have been something to stop it setting, but it was so chocolatey that I was in heaven.  I know I should have drunk it, but I had to make it last as long as possible and used the teaspoon to get tiny mouthfuls and just licked the spoon.  No one knew me, so it didn’t matter.

Unfortunately, happiness always has to end, although I scraped the last bits so much that it was a good thing there was no pattern inside the cup or that would have gone too.

Then I walked past a big queue of people, sheltering under a building overhang while waiting for a tram.  I went through an underpass to get to the shopping centre in search of the railway station.  I needed to negotiate a second underpass and then followed a line of determined people into the shopping centre, where I found the railway station in front of me.  I made notes of the times of the trains to Jūrmala for the next day.

Then I returned to the hotel, which was just across the main road, and went to bed.  I had been reading for a long while before May came back from the opera.  It seems to have been a good evening and an excellent production.

Baltics - 12 June 2012 (3)

Afternoon City Tour of Riga

Virgin of Anguish Catholic Church

Mural near Doma Laukums

After lunch we continued our city tour.  We came across Doma Laukums (Dome Square) with more open air cafés and restaurants and the Dome Cathedral, which was covered in scaffolding as it was being refurbished.

We saw the Swedish Gate and headed down the picturesque Trokšņu iela. This brought us out near the Parliament buildings.  I especially liked the old gas lights outside.

Cat House

Swedish Gate

Some people went inside St. Jacob’s church, while I wandered round and took photos.  I particularly liked the three narrow houses at the end of the street.  When the others emerged, Aija led us towards them.  They are called the Three Brothers.  We went inside one to see the old architecture and a small museum, and were then able to walk right through and look round the courtyard at the back.

Back on the street outside, we continued our walk and passed the Virgin of Anguish Catholic church.

Trokšņu iela

Parliament Building

Soon we found ourselves back in Doma Laukums, where Aija’s husband was sitting outside a café.  She introduced us to him and he showed us a brand new 1 Lat coin with a hedgehog on it.  I think he collects coins.

We said goodbye to Aija's husband and headed on to Town Hall Square, via the castle which contains the President’s Office, and St. Saviour’s Anglican Church.  In Town Hall Square, Aija pointed out the Blackheads’ House and the Town Hall and then said goodbye, before returning to her husband.  She hadn’t seen him for quite a while and now had some free time to see her family and catch up on washing and other household chores.

St Jacob's Church

Yellow & Green Brother

I dashed off to take a photo of the Latvia Riflemen Monument and then rejoined the group.  We headed back to where we had lunch and went for a coffee.  Ian ordered a bottle of water for all of us.  At LVL3.50, it was really expensive!  My iced coffee was LVL2.50, which seemed relatively cheap.  It was very nice.  Then we headed back to the hotel for a well-earned rest before going to the opera.

Rear of Three Brothers

Castle & President's Office

St Saviour's Anglican Church

St Peter's Church

Blackheads House

Latvia Riflemen Monument

Town Hall