tales of wander

I think I mentioned in my last post that riding a bike of this weight (and with flat pedals, no less) feels to my muscles like I’m riding more miles than I actually am. I keep telling myself that this is “training,” sort of like running with weights strapped to my ankles, but my muscles aren’t buying it. Nevertheless, the riding continues to be amazing and provides visual motivation to my tired body. I am constantly impressed by how green it is here, how many bike paths there are (and how well signed), and how courteous drivers are when the paths run out. (Fellow cyclists can attest that back home, drivers are not always so courteous.) 

The routes continue to be wonderful, including…

Gauja National Park (Latvia)– 24 mi Sigulda to Ragana. Now I’m in Latvia, which seems to be as green and gorgeous as Estonia. On the way here, the shuttle stopped in a delightful town called Cesis and I enjoyed seeing the medieval castle and the gorgeous park behind it. This ride had me visiting the Sigulda Castle, then Gutmana Cave, which is the widest and largest cave in Latvia and bears inscriptions dating back to the 17th century. After the cave, I rode up to Turaida Castle, which has been recently renovated. The offered route is short today, which would’ve left me plenty of time to explore Turaida Castle and its gorgeous grounds, but I knew there was a longer gravel option, so I decided to explore the gravel paths instead (castles seem to be plentiful here…but my gravel riding opportunities are limited). I enjoyed the gravel paths between Sigulda and Ragana for a few hours, getting lost at one point (thank goodness for GPS apps!). Eventually, the path dropped me back to the main road and I stopped at Krimulda church, which is Latvia’s oldest and a stop on the “new” Latvian section of the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. 

Jurmala (Latvia) –  39 mi Riga to Jurmala and back again. This ride started in Riga, Latvia’s biggest city, and follows a bike path that goes to Jurmala, a neighboring resort town. My intent was to keep it “light” on this day  because my body needs a rest (the actual route was supposed to be 19 miles), but I got sidetracked by all the wonderful bike paths in Jurmala and found myself completely turned around and utterly lost. I eventually found my bearings again and made it back to Riga just in time for a stiff headwind the entire ride back. Sigh. So much for a rest day. I am thankful, however, that the weather has continued to be just incredible, in the 70s, with clear blue skies each day. I am also glad I’m planning more time in this lovely city later in my trip because it’s clear that the bike tour passes through it too quickly to appreciate it.

And the rides continue…