Blogs from Latvia, Europe - page 33

We’ve spent the last couple of weeks cycling the Baltic Sea Coast, and stopping to relax on its beautiful white sand beaches in between Nida and Riga. Nida is on the Curonian spit, a small strip of land covered in forest and sand dunes. This Unesco region is shared between Russian owned Kalingrad and Lithuania. From Nida you can’t walk more than a kilometre south over the dunes without meeting Russian border guards with machine guns (apparently!). The villages are built on sand dunes and due to shifting sands many villages on the spit have been buried several times in the past. The old method of housing meant that the local people would retrieve their buried home from under the dune and relocate to a new and more suitable location (not sure what they would do ... read more

We woke around ten and spent an hour or so packing everything up. After a banana for breakfast we went and paid for the room. With our waterproofs on we headed for the stone jetty that leads out some 2 kilometers into the sea. It was raining, windy and cold but we still walked out for a while. I reached the point where I could no longer feel my toes so we decided to turn back. Back at the hostel we had another makeshift lunch of leftovers from previous picnics. We had two hours to kill until we needed to leave for our bus so I decided to take a nap. I fell asleep whilst Rob watched the discovery channel. I woke up to find Rob asleep on the sofa and he hadn't set an alarm. ... read more

Nouveau Riche: The Latvian Way Of Life nou•veau riche: (nōō'vō rēsh') One who has recently become rich, especially one who flaunts newly acquired wealth. (American Heritage Dictionary) Throughout Europe there are some filthy, filthy rich people. Think about the old money from places like Lake Como, the French Riviera, or Capri. Families that have had wealth for more than fifty years learn how to live good “rich” lives in a way that is subtle and glamorous in an understated way. These are the people that we used to hear about on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous with Robin Leach. Usually “Old Money” does its best to stay away from flash and show. On the other hand, much like West Egg from Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Latvia is the home of the newly rich in ... read more

A great country! Flew into Riga, the capital, on the 9th August and stayed for a few days in a awsome hostel, Fun Friendly Franks, based in the Old Town of Riga. It was a small city but the buildings were so amazing with paved streets and a great laid back feel about the place. The hostel was up 2 flights of well worn wooden stairs and it was a great place to meet other travellers. Every night the staff would round up anyone keen to head out for drinks, which usually seem to consist of me and 20 odd guys, and they would take us off to some of the great nightlife spots around the city. The country has such a sad history with Russia then the Germans then again Russia occupying the country for ... read more

"Latvia - the country that sings" is the tourism tagline we saw on our 4 days here. But as Aussies in this 'country that sings', we found ourselves asking "Well where the bloody hell is the song?" (We should mention this blog has been banned in England...) As a result, Latvia can be a confusing place for Australians to visit. To help you navigate this tricky country we have assembled a list of FAQs so you can make the most of your time here. Is Riga as beautiful as made out? Yes, Riga is in fact a very beautiful city, and is easily the best part of a trip to Latvia. The old town is full of architecture from another era, winding cobblestone streets to get lost in and amazing churches at every turn. But what ... read more