I’m staying at a campground tonight, full kitchen, hot showers, picnic tables and a lake view, all for €10 (NZ$16).
I’m starting to enjoy these cheaper countries.
Today I headed to Riga on a mission to buy some summer gloves. My old ones have worn out, so I’ve been using winter ones. I’m starting to cook in them, well not actually cook, just getting hot!
Also, on the list was to get some oil so I could do an oil and filter change on the bike.
The first shop I called into was a place called KMoto. On their website it looked like they had plenty of summer gloves, when I got there, they had none. They did have oil. I said to the guy behind the counter, seeing as you have no gloves, if I buy the oil from you can I use the workshop oil drain pan and do an oil change on the bike here? He said yes, and with that he opened up the workshop (the mechanic is on annual leave) got me some gloves, rags, oil pan and helped me get James on the Centre stand.
I had the place to myself. The guys did quip there were a couple of bikes that needed repair while I was back there
The guys suggested I could try the KTM dealer up the road for gloves.
The traffic getting there was grid locked, it was getting hot, then it poured with rain.
In the end I did get some gloves, then headed to Riga city campground in very, very slow traffic.
Just as I pitched the tent the heavens opened and the thunder shook.
Forecast for tomorrow is rain so I’ll just have to brave it. It’s a 3km walk to the old town.
After a heavy night of rain, I awoke to a grey old day. Rain was forecast for the morning.
I walked from the campsite into the old town of Riga.
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia with a population of 606,000. It’s the largest city in the Baltic states.
The old town is a UNESCO world heritage site.
It was nice to do some walking, especially without riding gear.
After checking out the sites, walking back to camp I had amassed close to 20,000 steps. Haven’t done that since our Em and I were travelling together.
Leaving Riga on the bike was very slow, lots of roadworks and lots of traffic.
I headed south and called in at Rundale Palace. The palace was built by the Duke of Courland and finished in 1768.
From there I crossed the border into Lithuania.