day 58 - Salacgriva to Parnu

Day 58
August 29th

This morning was again time to say goodbye. Kaspars and Julia were going back to Riga, just when we were growing accustomed to their presence, and we were headed to Estonia, already the tenth country on our itinerary. Julian, Andi and Tiago stayed behind to work, so Mani led the way.

We crossed the border into Estonia, faced another different and puzzling language (sadly, we have no Estonians joining) and stopped for lunch. At this point we met two Austrian cyclists, also headed to St Peterburg, like us, but not through Finland. We rode together to Parnu, looked for a place to stay and were hosted by a very nice lady who knits woolen socks and pullovers and has a huge dog named Rocky.

With yet another show of hospitality, we all got together indoors for dinner and to escape the cold outside. Summer won't last much longer in these latitudes.

day 57 - Saulkrasti to Salacgriva

Day 57
August 28th

Waking up at our favorite granny's place has some advantages. Not just the friendly smiles but also the amazing breakfast, perfect to feed these hungry cyclists. Our new group member Zane made her way to join us, just in time to take part in our singing thanks to our wonderful host and our friends Aija and Sintija for their help and hospitality.

Under some light rain, we rode along the coastline through narrow sandy roads, causing a couple of minor slips. We made good use of the maps and of Kaspars's expertise, had a few short breaks, visited the Red Rock Caves and eventually came to our guide's summer house, where his mother and his sisters gave us an excellent lunch in the yard. We're treated like family everywhere we go, and it feels great!

After the magnificent meal and a bit of rest, we hit the road and tried to beat the sunset, as we rode to Salacgriva, our last stop in Latvia. We stayed at the local school, where people were sensible to the arguments of our supporters, Maris Strombergs and Raimonds Bergmanis. We settled in a hall, had dinner, watched Tricky work his magic on a Swedish bike and gathered strength to face the weather again in the morning.

day 56 - Riga to Saulkrasti

Day 56
August 27th

As the sun rose above Reznas iela, we loaded Boris with a huge amount of water, juices and a few boxes of Karums, courtesy of our sponsors (miam!). No spare bikes anymore, as they're being used by the new comers. We went for breakfast at LU again, and met a few new riders. In fact, this morning our group grew larger by 10 riders! A very promising start for this new stage.

With our trusted local guides, we left Riga heading north, with the Gulf of Riga to our left and on our minds. It was a great day for riding, the sun was shining bright and the road was clement. We had a lunch break just before we had to take the highway to Saulkrasti.

Covered by Boris, we followed the road and came to another stop, this time visit Dita, who was waiting with a few more of our friends at the beach. We left the bikes at home, walked on singing sand and went for a relaxing swim. After much splashing and a couple of family (and wedding) photos, we had a snack in the garden, said goodbye to our riders Elina and Marcis and proceeded. The day's ride was far from over.

After just a few minutes we reached the Bicycle Museum, a must-see for us and for anyone as passionate about bikes. There were some real treasures on display...

Having seen the Museum, we charmed a few locals on the way and made the last stretch to Aija's grandmother's place, where we were hosted for the night. We covered the floors with mats and blankets, went for dinner at the beach and later we even hit the sauna. This was a long day with the most relaxing ending.

day 55 - Riga

Day 55
August 26th

Our local team put together a very busy plan for the day, which got us out of bed really early. Seul, whom we'd met in Siauliai, joined us as promised. Having met the rest of the group, she got up on a Swedish bike (thanks again, guys) and we all followed Boris to the University building.

First we met our colleagues from the Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art Student Parliament and from the local ESN section, and were greeted by the President of the LU Student Union. They complimented us on our initiative and we complimented them on their outstanding organization. Up on the roof, where we belong.

We had a discussion forum with very distinguished guests: Janis Vetra, Director of the Council of Higher Education; Juris Krumins, Vice-Rector of the University of Latvia; Gita Revalde, Director of the Dept of Higher Education from the Ministry of Education and Science; and Baiba Ramina, Head of the Academic Information Center.

Our lengthy and stimulating debate was moderated by a fellow student, and we touched upon every single topic of Higher Education, at the national and European Level. Student Mobility, finances, recognition, Bologna Process... A unique opportunity to discuss these matters with the very people who can address the problems we face. Our speakers also expressed their support for our project by signing our Manifesto and the Bike of Honour.

We went for lunch (against all odds, typical Lithuanian Chili Pizza) and took a quick walk around the park before heading to the House of the European Union, where lecturer Inese Runce gave us a presentation about Cultural Diversity in the Baltic. History of this part of the world is a mystery for most foreigners, and yet it is incredibly rich and often provides valuable lessons to those willing to take heed.

Afterwards we took a bike ride around the center and visited the Museum of the Sun, an impressive space dedicated to our Star, so faithfully worshiped, so carefully studied and so creatively painted by this group of artists.

Before dinner there was still time to meet the press and speak of the project. After that we moved back to the dorms for a quick stop, and then off to another local landmark, the LIDO Recreation Center.

This was a fun and busy day, with the promise of more fun days ahead, as our group gets larger.

day 54 - Jelgava to Riga

Day 54
August 25th

This morning, the Latvian University of Agriculture invited us for breakfast. We met with representatives of the International Office, with our colleagues from the LLU Student Parliament and foreign exchange students. A great way to start the day, with some interesting conversations about Student Mobility - what else?

Then our guide Aigars showed us the Jelgava Castle, where LLU has its headquarters, and the Castle's Museum. From there we went to the City Museum, learning a few different things about the local history and culture on every story, as we climbed the tower. When we reached the top we took some time to enjoy the panoramic view of the city.

The time came to hit the road once more, for our last day on this stage. Aigars led the group, first on the highway, then on smaller roads. We had one last meeting point at the entrance of Riga, and we were led to the dormitories by another guide, Rihards. We crossed the Daugava and reached our dormitories. We met our local crew and a new rider, Konrad, as we had a quick meal and settled in.

Shortly after our arrival, we moved to the city center and split up. Part of the group took a tour in Old Town. While Julian, Andi and Mani went filming by the river, Georgie went into the river in a kayak, courtesy of our sponsors Luzumpunkts. In the end we gathered at the University of Latvia for dinner. Two more riders, Marcus and Stefan, joined the group and our local organizers showed us Riga by night.

Another brilliant welcome in the Baltic States - with the special touch of Liga, our RFYR Promotion Coordinator, who's been working on this crazy project since the very beginning!

Stage L completed, three more to go.