It was about a 6 hour bus journey from Tallinn
(Estonia) to Riga, capital of Latvia. As
usual on this journey, the bus seemed to leave at the most inconvenient
time. 11.40 pm. Late enough so you have to leave your bag
somewhere all day, driving through the night so you miss any interesting
scenery on the way, and always arriving at the destination far too early to check
into any hostel. This seemed to be the
way with the cheap buses we had taken on our travels. Still the coach was fairly comfortable and
crossing the border hassle free, just one guard making his way up and down the
bus stamping people in. We arrived at
6.30ish, bus station on the edge of town.
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| Riga |
We were staying a little way out of town, in a
suburban area but well connected to the city by trolley bus. This was the most expensive place we had been
on this journey that had started back in Shanghai, China. It also brought about a different feel. An old town listed as a world heritage site
awaited and allowed plenty of opportunity to explore on foot. Impressive facades in different colours
encircled a large square where buskers were playing what seemed like suitable
music on string instruments and cafes and restaurants seemed to invite you to
sit down. We took a short walking tour
taking in the highlights, several places of worship, the Swedish gate, and
alleys lined with craft stalls. A very
restful place, complete with towers and river.
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| Riga Square |
We decided to leave the city and check out some
of the greenery on offer in the form of the national parks. We settled on the Gauja valley, dubbed by
some to be the 'Switzerland' of Latvia.
This wooded valley, was advertised as playing host to a string of medieval
castles and the site of many natural caves.
Sounded like the perfect place for some fresh air and exercise.
The journey from Riga to Sigulda was short only
1 hour 15 mins, which passed quickly as most of the time was spent looking down
the river valley. We got off in the
heart of the national park, feeling ready for a hike. First things first however, my companions had
read about an Olympic size 16 bend metal bobsled run where for a small fee you
can enjoy the thrill of being flung down it.
I waited at the side with the camera.
They assured me it was worth it.
They were the only ones there, and when else would you have the
opportunity to do this?
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| Bobsled Run |
From this surreal adventure, things got even
stranger when we arrived at the place we had booked to stay. Back in Riga we had been recommended the
'Krimulda mansion', weird we were told but worth it. It was advertised as a rehabilitation centre
for kids, but looked more like a sanatorium, our room was in a large semi
circular summer house next to the beautifully manicured front lawn. The summer house was split into rooms, each
with wooden frames and doors and to complete the illusion were hospital beds. For a moment we wondered whether this was a
good idea, but a hot shower, great views and the promise of a good walk meant
we didn't hesitate. We dumped our bags
and headed on out.
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| The 'hostel' |
We spent a good few hours exploring the trails
around next to the river and the woods.
We explored the caves and the remains of Krimulda castle, which also
included some interesting grounds and statues from famous folk tales. We had got this high up the valley by taking
the cable car, this made the views even more spectacular. We continued our walk further along the
valley this time deciding to leave the cable car and walk. We found ourselves approaching Turaida
castle. A magnificant red brick castle
founded in 1214. It was starting to get
dusk when we arrived, but as well as with the sunset, our arrival coincided
with a couple of hundred other people who it seemed had come to see opera at the
castle. We managed to get in, and find a
seat at a restaurant within the walls, with a balcony overlooking the action. We ordered food and beer and settled in.
The music filled the valley, music resonating
from the walls. The atmosphere was light,
people relaxing with their family and friends, enjoying picnics and wine. It was a great evening and a truly unexpected
one. The only downside was that it was
now dark, we had no torch and we had to walk back up a very steep hill to our
'hostel'. We stuck close together as the
darkness closed in around us, and the silence that fell on the valley was a
little scary! We got back and now tired,
this was one hospital bed, we didn't find falling into.
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| Turaida Castle |
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