A wet day's pedalling and half a wet day

Tuesday 28th, leaving Nica for Rucava.  The booking included breakfast

Three individual omelettes along with two insipid looking sausages but hot and tasty, then there was the cold selection, cheese, ham a salad assortment and a selection of fruit, pear, banana and apple, coffee and orange juice.  It fair set me up for a wet day's pedalling.

Back on the A11 it was head down and keep pushing; ignore the big trucks, I doubt I'd know much about it if one hit me and there was always the bit of slipstream as they went by!

No pics en route, they would only have been wet road, spray or the backs of lorries.

By Rucava church was a memorial to those who suffered under the Soviet rule.

The place I stayed in Rucava, Saktas Guest House, was a quaint sort of spot, I arrived mid afternoon, propped my bike against the house and knocked on the door, inside there was what sounded like a coffee grinder working at full power, I knocked again, no joy, I walked round the house peering through windows, still no joy and still raining.  As I turned to go back to my bike the grinding noise stopped, I knocked again.  This time there was some shuffling about and the door opened; A guy of indeterminate age sporting an old jacket, trilby and muffler peered out.  "Ah well, here we go" I thought.  "I've got a booking for tonight"  A big smile broke out showing more gold teeth than real ones, "Yes, yes  my wife here in three" and pointed at his watch, "Three hour"  (I think it was decided he meant Three o'clock).

However, he took a key from behind the door and wandered down the garden path to a big shed/workshop, "Bike, come".  So bike went.  I grabbed the one bag I needed, he locked up and led me back to the house.

I'm not sure what I expected but inside everything was virtually new, laminate floors throughout, modern kitchen and bathroom.  Marie, the lady of the house had been visiting friends and was back a few minutes after three,  She came to check that hubby had done the right things and gave me another tour of the house.  She went on to make a pot of tea, brought out the biscuits and a dish of dried cranberries (from her garden and prepared by herself.  Fully tea'd, biscuite'd and cranberrie'd I was left to my own devices, which meant crashing out in a comfy chair.

About six o'clock she rattled on my door, "Soupa?"  "You bicycle in wet you like soupa?"  "Oh yes please"  and down in the kitchen she ladled out a big bowl of chicken and veg soup, very nice indeed.

This morning, 29th, I was up and away at 0730, the day looked like a repeat of the day before, back on to the A11 and head down.  3.5km was the longest straight piece of road I measured this morning,  I find it soul destroying to see headlights appear in the far distance and it's ages before the vehicle goes by, I have to sing, swear or play counting games but not keep looking ahead.

Brake lights?  All the vehicles are slowing and seem to be steering around something.  Getting closer, it's a big traffic island.  Ah it's the frontier, Lithuania here I come.

A few more kilometres of what is now the A13 and I take a turning for Sventoji.  Definitely time for breakfast

Ham and cheese omelette and a pot of green tea, I needed the liquid!

Time to check up on the Baltic again

Yep, still there.

That's some serious church and there's a cross on top as well.

Next task, find three young ladies!!

The Fisherman's Daughters, watching for Dad's boat.  They took some finding as well.

Absolutely magic.

The bike trail from Sventloji to Palanga was equally magic, for bikes and walkers

One or two posh properties along the way as well.

Baltic's still there

Marking Naglis Hill, a 15 metre dune, legend has it that when Naglis, an ancient warrior died his grieving widow piled the sand over his body with her bare hands.  In the 15th and 16th centuries Naglis Hill was a sacred place.

Jurate and Kastytis

The Pier

The main street

One for son Philip

Where I'm at tonight and tomorrow night.

Looks posh but £18 for B&B !

An 0930 kick off from Hostel Brize.  I must have another go through all my stuff and see if there is anything I can jettison, my bike seems to get heavier by the day; or is it me?  I did eat all the chocolate (I needed the sugar rush to get me going).

Back through Liepaja, I thought I'd have another look for the last part of the tableau I missed yesterday.

Yes I know I should have zoomed in a lot closer but even so I couldn't make out what I was supposed to be seeing.  Ah well done now and I'm not riding back to take another pic.

Right behind me (from the last pic) was a walkway to the beach and the Baltic.

I like the imaginative bike park

A most enjoyable trail to follow on my way out of Liepaja; walkers on the grey bits, cycles on the red; there's even an up and a down line, see below

Something fishy?  Or is it just a plaice to sit down??  (sorry)

More reminders of a war torn country.

That's it, nice bike track finished, it's back to wending my way along the edge of the A11.

Hiding in the trees Jurnieka Ligzda, The Captain's Nest.  Home for tonight.

I said it looked posh!  My room is 2nd from left, middle line of windows.

A quick walk to the beach.  Looking back from the dunes it was just like Roseisle.

Looking back the way.

Looking doon the way.

The dining room end

And from inside.

Another fishy seat.

Liepaja, Latvia by a roundabout route

How to avoid a busy road with no cycle track?  The daughter of the owner of last night's accommodation told me that the beach was not possible to ride as it was so soft and that the Eurovelo route followed the coast road and was through forest; only a few places could you see the sea.  Ventspils was the next big town but there was more to see at Liepaja.

Friday became a day of riding, train, change trains, more riding and getting to a hostel at 2300, bushed!! 

The trains are no easy matter, the platforms are about a foot (30cm) higher than the rails leaving a vertical four step climb into the carriage; trying to heave many kilos of bike up was not a joke!!

Hostel Brize was to be my destination; I'd clipped my bike lights on and set off in a SW direction as stated by google maps.  I was searching for a street name to check my bearings when a guy walking past looked and said "Where you going?"  I explained I was looking for Ventspils Iela and was going to Hostel Brize on Oskara Kalpaka.  He scratched his head and said "Where you from?"  "Scotland" I said.  "Ah Scotland England (His words not mine) I work in England for bit, Boston Lincoln, wait here I get my book, five minute".  True to his word he was back with a Liepaja A to Z.

"Ah, Ventspils street, we want other side railway, wait I back", so I waited and a couple of minutes later he's back with his bike.  All this at half past ten at night and for a complete stranger, foreign at that!  "Follow" he says, so I did.  Over the railway tracks and off up the street, at a junction I spotted the street sign, Ventspils.  I said to him that I should be ok now and thank you for all your help.  "Follow, bad people here".  I duly followed.  About a kilometre further and there was Hostel Brize.  I barely had time to shake his hand and thank him and he was off back up the street!  Once again that unexpected help from a complete stranger!

Half of the swing bridge to Karosta open for another half hour!  Ah well, 8km detour.  Karosta translates as war harbour, the huge harbour was man made as there was no natural harbour.  Started in 1890 for the Baltic fleet and significant because of its westerly ice free location.

It's my photography, not a sloping church.  The St Nicholas Orthodox Maritime Church.  The largest Orthodox Cathedral in Latvia.

Around the church were several of these prefabricated apartment blocks in various states of decay, these were in sharp contrast to some of the grand houses used by the senior naval personnel when the base was in use.

I went a further 2km up the road to see the north breakwater and found a small memorial to fishermen drowned in the area and also a small plaque to the crew of a US plane shot down over Liepaja April 8th 1950. 

In the sombre shadows of the  forest close by was another memorial to 2750 Jewish mainly women and children who were forced marched here, made to strip and between 15th to 17th December 1941 all were shot and throw into pre dug graves.

On a lighter note, amber is often found along the shore line, this impressive hour glass is made from amber.

Latvian Mine sweeper in main harbour Liepaja.

This and next two pics depict words and scenes from Liepaja's song.

Fantastic crow!  words are in the branches above

There is supposed to be a fourth tableau about people huddled down against the wind but I couldn't find it, perhaps they've all gone inside to get warm!

These musical notes are set into the pavement marking a trail, or The Latvian Musicians walk of Fame.



A little red wine and some chocolate before bed!

Thursday and trying to catch up with myself

The Dzintari Park Hostel surroundings looked a bit grim, it was half three ish and reception was supposed to be open, I'd tried the door, no joy there, walked around the place and through a window I could see someone's kit; back at the door I phoned the contact number given with the booking confirmation.  Hallelujah!  an answer, I gave my name and said I had a booking, got a babble of  Latvian back with several references to "Colleague" and the phone went dead.  Had the colleague taken my booking and shouldn't have?  Could the colleague speak English?

My phone beeped signalling a text  "Welcome dear guest the door code is ****A  Please to go in and wait, colleague there soon".

I had time for a swift look around before the colleague arrived.  A young guy of about seventeen arrived, looked at me and nodded; I nodded back.  The first thing he said was "I don't work here"
However, he continued raking through the desk looking at key fobs.  Eventually one seemed to satisfy him.  "This is you" he said, handing me the key to room ten!.  "We will find your room"  so off we go.  Half a minute later he's on the phone to his "colleague", I caught the words "Second floor".  Another rake around and back on the phone.  Colleague 1 tells him where the stairs are and we seem to be in business!!  I'm unpacked and preparing a meal when a squad of builders come in; a bit of banter and they reappear from their rooms clad in a towel and heading for the showers.

I was for an early bed but these guy's were remarkably quiet and I heard not a sound even though they'd breakfasted, washed up and driven off to work.

To the sea side!

Just look at them there flags!!  and I'm supposed to be heading along the beach going left!!

Even my bike is in hiding from the chilly blast.  The beach is a non starter, apart from the wind the beach is too soft to ride on

Heading for option two, the coast road.  Lots of fancy new hotels and apartments being built

There is still room for the old traditional buildings too

A bit like me, past its sell by date.  A shame to see timber work like that decaying.

Road works and a brand new cycle path being built

It will be great when it's done but for now it's ride the edge of the road!!

At one of these bus stop lay byes I was accosted by a gentleman of the road who spent the best part of half an hour pointing at my map and wittering away in Latvian, pointing up and down the road and pointing into the woods (I suspect he meant cross country as  Ventspils and Liepaja kept cropping up).  Another 20km of "Coast road" and my next bed for the night hove into view.

What a place!  Typical timber building and I was in it on my own.  However, wind, roadworks and time had to be taken into account to give me time to get to Kaliningrad and on into Poland within the time allotted on my visa.