Today was my day to spend on the Latvian version of the Riviera, Jurmala. When I got up the weather looked good. On the train there, the weather looked good. As soon as I got there, the rain came. At first is was just sprinkling into a steady yet light rain. They a brief downpour. Then the rain stopped and it stayed cloudy and overcast. Since I had traveled out to the beach i decided to take a walk down the miles and miles of sand. It was a day my mother would have loved. A bit cloudy, but not too many people on the beach and you can walk for miles in the sand and water. The rain started again lightly, but I was determined to enjoy the beach. And I did. It was great. Perhaps a bit solitary, but nice. And calming. I walked for about two hours, through intermittent rain. Still worth it. I went back to town to have something to eat and a cup of coffee. While I was there, the clouds cleared. While the day never turned out to be a warm and sunny beach day, the second walk on the beach in the sun was well worth the wait.
Jurmala is actually a collection of towns that line this stretch of beach which has been famous for years as a hotspot to go for some beach time. it is a favorite resort town for many people in the Baltics and Russia. The town sort of grew up in the early 1900s and maintains some of that charm, with unique old homes lining all the streets and a main avenue full of shops and restaurants. Much like all sleepy beach towns, it was "discovered" and became a resort location for many. What is so nice is that the beach is not lined with high rise apartments, but pine trees. There are a couple hotels but not many. There are tons of cafes, each that rent paddle boats, volleyball nets, sell coffee, beer, and snacks. I could imagine on a hot weekend day, the place crawling with people covering the beach. Even the town's energy picked up as soon as the weather got a bit nicer.
Tomorrow is the other extreme. I am heading to Guaja National Park and the town of Sigulda for some hiking in the forest!
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