Latvia

• By admin
• July 29, 2016
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After the morning walk

We spent the first night in Latvia at a costal campsite to the north of Riga. The windswept beach stretched miles in both directions and after a very bracing morning walk the next morning we packed up and headed to Riga. The city campsite overlooking the river Daugava was again a short cycle to the centre but as it was raining the very helpful campsite owner ordered a taxi for us but not before grilling us on the outcome of the referendum.

Riga has a completely different feel to Tallinn. It is a large town, less charming than Tallinn with far more signs of the its previous occupation. It’s a busy, buzzing town which attracts many tourists of all nationalities. During our second day we went on a walking tour with a Latvian guide. She was very interesting and talked about many aspects of Riga’s history and culture. As there were only four of us in the group, including a Turkish man who happily looked the image of George Clooney, we all went for a coffee after the tour including the guide, Simitra. Having said we could ask her anything we assailed her with questions about the Soviet occupation, and the EU. In Tallinn and Vilnius, we had found that any locals we had spoken to saw their membership of the

View of Riga from the campsite

EU a positive deterrence to any future Russian interference.   Her view, however, was not so optimistic, she expressed a fear that as such small countries, the Baltic States would remain at threat. To emphasis her disquiet she had initially requested that we do not record our conversation. It gave an acute insight to the residue fear that remains from having lived under occupation.