By Linda Thalman & Pierre Nagel |
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Latvia 24-25 June 2009
No border going into Latvia from Lithuania. We had a hotel booked in Jurmala which is a famous beach resort and ever so lively in Latvia. We stayed in a derelict shoestring budget hotel (42 euros for a double with a shower), a holdover from the Soviet era. The manager spoke excellent German and enough English to give us directions to the beach and tips for visiting the town.
We were a 10-minute walk from the action center and it was the week of the International Harley Davidson Jamboree. Oh the cool bikes. We had beer on the main walking street at Villa Joma, a restaurant, cafe and hotel where it would have been nice to stay. Next time. Thursday, 25 June Waking up at 6:30 in the morning with a blue sky and sun - how marvelous! Shower, pack, jump in the car and off we went to Riga, the capital city of Latvia. Tina, as we call our GPS lady, helped us get to the exact parking we wanted in the old town. Riga does not wake up before 9 a.m. and some cafes said breakfast was served from 11:00 onwards. It was another national holiday we thought. Well... we needed some java at 8 a.m. - and a small stand with warm pastries and black coffee did the trick. The milk hadn't arrived. Following the walking tour in the Guide Michelin we did the old town in an hour... no tourists, just folks heading for work on foot along cobblestoned squares and streets.
But before leaving the capital, we drove to Elisabetes Iela [street] to see a few examples of art nouveau buildings just outside the old town. We stopped at the enormous Riga farmers' market around 11:00. Finally something open. We picked up local produce for a picnic and headed north for Estonia. At 12:20, still in Latvia, our noses took us to a pine tree lined beach for a picnic with a smooth sea, sun, and just the right amount of wind to temper the 25 C temperature. Crossing the border at Ainazi into Estonia was simple. No customs, no passports just as it had been between Lithuania and Latvia. All three Baltic states are in Europe and there are no border checks points.
Baltic Trip By Linda Thalman And Pierre Nagel
Email – Linda@wfi.fr
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Don't get me wrong, Jurmala seemed like a lovely place to spend more time... which we didn't have.
There are beautiful homes and hotels and a wonderful atmosphere.
The tourist office didn't open until 9; a museum we'd liked to have visited opened at 11,
the boutiques may have been ready for customers around 10. We abandoned our plans for lunch in Riga.
Paris
