19th Stoated! 20th Riga!!

19th started late, I'd booked breakfast and the place I was staying, Rakari Camping Farm, didn't do breakfast until 1000 on Sundays.  Mind you it was a big bowl of porridge topped with honey; not the purist's choice but hey, I was going to need that energy!

Away 1030ish it was a case of hugging the edge of the black top for nearly 40km; thankfully Sunday was relatively quiet for normal 'punter' traffic but trucks must have been playing convoy as they came horsing past in bunches of eight or more doing what seemed to me to be a little faster than the prescribed 70kph.  I was still following the new Eurovelo 13 signs but 40km of riding a 40cm wide strip of road began to lose its appeal.

The bit between the white line and the drop off onto the gravel was mine.  Quiet now, just waiting for the next convoy!!

At one or two places you could see the Baltic (It is there, honest!) through the trees but these were few and far between, so at Tuja I turned off onto the original guide book line heading for Limbazi, sounds very African.

Anyway, 15 or so km later it dawned on me that the Latvia map I was on was a different scale to Estonia.  I think it went "Jings skrivens and help ma boab"  Or words to that effect.

Limbazi went by  in a haze and I got to my booked accommodation in Sigulda at 2045 and 95.5km under the tyres.

The Baronial Hall of Hotel Pils the cheapest that Booking.com could find.  Breakfast was included so I ate a lot.

At Sigulda Tourist Office I had a long conversation with Janni and his little boy (a bit off colour so missing kindergarten).  The advice was to take a train the last few km into Riga as the traffic is  very busy.

Janni and work placement at Sigulda Tourist Office.

I eventually hauled my bike off the train in the centre of Riga around 1520, found a lift and the correct floor to exit the station and then had to get the bike down two flights of steps, through an underpass and back up two flights.  There were lifts but just big enough to take one person and a small shopping trolley.  However, made it and booked in at Riga Old Town Backpackers; Aussi pub on ground floor!  No kitchen at the hostel but you get a free welcome pint, and a free breakfast beer!  You have to eat out for something solid.

One of the staff recommended a bar where many locals ate so thought "Why not"

Through the cellars just to get in.

Traditional food, potato cakes with soured cream and home made jam.

And that was just for starters!  My main course was meat balls with braised sauerkraut, roasted potato slices (game chips) and pumpkin and tomato sauce.

Yep, scoffed the lot.  Posting this and then bed.