Eternal sunshine of the spotless minde

Sigulda, Latvia

As planned, I'm moving fast in the Baltic countries. Fast in the sense that I only spend two or three days in each country. With the time I have and the attractions there is to see, it is probably enough.

I made my way to Latvia. My flight to Vilnius stopped in Riga but I didn't have time to visit the city at that point.

First impressions, the Latvian capital moves more than Lithuania's capital. We can feel the soul of the old town more, people smile more and socialize more. Despite its small size, Riga feels like a big town.

That said, I went around the old town in a few hours only. After, one must just contemplate to slow down. Well, with the eternal sun here in summer, you can easily get rid of the museums while they are open (between 10 AM and 6 PM) and spend the rest of the day walking the streets, until it gets dark, around 11 PM.

Yes, 11 PM. Which is enough to play some little tricks with your brain, because you feel like in an eternal afternoon.

Other than the old town, which looks like any other old town, Riga has at least 800 art nouveau buildings. Arts or architecture lovers can get lost as they wish by looking at every single wall.

In fact, what gives Latvia its particular side is probably its quest for an identity. Refusing to identify with Russia or its two other neighbors, Estonia (Finnish wannabe) and Lithuania (Polish wannabe), according to my guide, Latvians might not have found their inner me, but they still can differenciate themselves from the others.

In Riga, I asked what other town was worth visiting. I chose Cape Kolka and Cesis, trusting my Lonely Planet. In my hostel, I was told not to go there, saying Sigulda is better, one hour on the train from the capital.

I got there and the city is really charming. It's  a mix of the city and the countryside. It offers the possibility to walk in streets surrounded by trees to reach some castle ruins and grottos.

The most adventurous might want to bungee jump from the lift across the river or ride a true bobsleigh. I ran out of time for the second option.

Note that latvian currency, the lats, is very strong (twice the canadien dollar). One must be careful when the prices seem low.

Worth mentionning, the Occupation Museum. We don't hear enough about the problems the Baltic countries faced.

I'm moving on tomorrow to Tartu in Estonia before heading to the capital Tallinn. From there, I should take the ferry to Helsinki in Finland. Looking at my schedule, I'm not sure I can see more of this part of Europe. I will need to think about flying to Portugal, where I might have to wait for awhile to get a visa for Brazil.

One thing is for sure, I must make my way to my original time zone. I bought my flight home and I intend to leave from Habana on August 15th.