Latvia: Jūrmala

While in Riga we got a tip that a beach resort called Jūrmala was worth a visit, so we packed our best beach gear and headed to the train station.

We were all starving though and figured there’d be a McDonalds or something in the station – there wasn’t. All we could find was a woman at a stall who spoke no English selling doughnuts. We each bought one and hopped on the train. After sitting down on the uncomfortable wooden seats in the carriage we got started on our food only to find that they weren’t doughnuts at all; they were some sort of salty minced meat wrapped in undercooked pastry and covered in sugar. I decided to go hungry instead, so Matt ate mine. I think he finished off most of Alex’s too.

This was our train to Jūrmala. The carriages are not what you would call accessible. I wouldn’t recommend rail travel in Latvia if you’re very old, very young, disabled or afraid of steep stairs.

Alex and Matt looking happy on the beach.

A Soviet-era hotel.

An international beach football tournament that we stumbled across.

We were having a lot of fun playing in the sea and such when the sky suddenly opened up and the thunder and lightning started. The Latvians all retreated indoors, but we, the hardy Brits kept on throwing the ball around in the sea. That was until the lightning got really close and we all decided to leg it to the beach. In the panic that ensued I saw Matt perform one of the best ankle taps I have ever seen on Rob who was sent flying face first into the shallow water.

After walking around in the pouring rain for around an hour because nobody would let us in their shop while we were dripping wet the rain finally stopped. This is the aftermath. We had no clothes to change into so the ride back to Riga was a very wet and uncomfortable one.