Always happy to admit when a snap judgement is wrong – especially as it’s a rare event….. The gravel road leading to Latvia was in fact an existing road being resurfaced and widened to have a bike track added. The proper gravel road was today: an 48km arse massage through a deserted rural landscape with what seemed like old dachaus dotted around. There were bus stops.
We were heading to Riga, which you’ve probably worked out. A clear highlight was the Latvian Bike Museum. Apparently Latvia was the bike manufacturing centre of the East European States pre the Soviet era.
Latvia has a rich history of bicycle manufacturing and cycling culture, dating back to the late 19th century. The first bicycle in Tsarist Russia was reportedly created in Latvia in the 1880s by Alexander Leutner. Bicycle production flourished in the interwar period, with local manufacturers like G. Ērenpreiss Bicycle Factory meeting nearly all domestic demand. Today, Ērenpreiss Bicycles, revived by Gustavs Ērenpreis’s great-grandnephew, continues to produce bicycles in Riga
Some fascinating things in there, lovingly restored and maintained. Sadly it didn’t sell coffee, so we couldn’t dwell too long before back on what is now a main highway to continue.
Latvia has a population of circa 1.8 million, one-third of whom live in Riga. So naturally from about 12k out suburbia started to build. A fine network of cycle paths took us through the parks and streets, straight to the city centre.
Tomorrow a rest day. With any luck Barbara will read this before the morning and the subliminal message of “rest” will take seed…..
…..to be continued…..
Travelling reflections 