Berlin to Helsinki Day 17: Igate
We woke up on the river bank and had a dip. But only because it looked so enticing, not because of the temperature which was quite cold.
Then we rode into the wind and uphill for an hour. I'm not sure why there were so many hills since Latvia is fabled to be as flat as a board, the highest point of the whole country is 320 m, or less than 1000 ft.
We stopped midway at a castle in Brivuldi. Although there was a wedding going on, that didn't stop is from going inside and checking out the decadent interior.
Mylène dancing in the great hall at the Brivuldi Pils (Pils is Latvian for castle)
Then we headed to a tiny village outside of Limbaži called Igate. We had been invited by a couchsurfer but it turned out that she was in Rīga at the time, so we were hosted by her lovely mother, Inta. Inta lives by herself in a house at the end of a dirt road bordering a forest. She grew up in Rīga but she bought this 200-year old house and property and left the city 13 years ago to pursue her passion of gardening. Normally she teaches professionals how to apply for and file documentation when applying for funds from the EU. She currently works with 4 NGOs teaching people how to apply for grants for research, education and energy projects in Latvia. She said that half of their energy comes from Russia and that the price of electricity is currently about 1 lat per kWh (~$1.50). To compare, the price in Colorado is about $0.12 per kWh and $.32 per kWh in Germany. She is working to try and start more wind and solar projects.
But she also took us around her property, accompanied by her two dogs, to show us her vegetable garden, herb garden, greenhouse and forest.
Inta among the peppers, tomatoes and basil in her greenhouse. The greenhouse is also thriving with grasshoppers and frogs.
We went to the forest to pick wild blueberries. We spent about half the time picking blueberries, the other half swatting away a barrage of mosquitoes. We had put on some spray but we had sort of wandered into the lion's den so they made sure we paid for that. But we still left with blackened fingers from all the blueberries we picked.
Mylène picking blueberries in the forest with a big trusty dog guarding her from mosquitoes.
For dessert, we used the blueberries, raspberries, red- and black currants, and strawberries that we picked both from her gardens and the forest. We mixed them with raw milk from the neighbor's cow.
Quite literally the fruits of our labor.
Nita's other hobby is pottery. She makes mugs, bowls and candle holders and recently received an order from the tourist center in Limbaži who will sell her painted mugs. She also gave both Mylène and me a lesson in making bowls.
Mylène working at the wheel.
Afterwards, just like every day, we collapsed into the couch we were surfing from exhaustion.
The Brivuldi castle, ready for the wedding ceremony.
Mylène picking blueberries.
Then we rode into the wind and uphill for an hour. I'm not sure why there were so many hills since Latvia is fabled to be as flat as a board, the highest point of the whole country is 320 m, or less than 1000 ft.
We stopped midway at a castle in Brivuldi. Although there was a wedding going on, that didn't stop is from going inside and checking out the decadent interior.
Mylène dancing in the great hall at the Brivuldi Pils (Pils is Latvian for castle)
Then we headed to a tiny village outside of Limbaži called Igate. We had been invited by a couchsurfer but it turned out that she was in Rīga at the time, so we were hosted by her lovely mother, Inta. Inta lives by herself in a house at the end of a dirt road bordering a forest. She grew up in Rīga but she bought this 200-year old house and property and left the city 13 years ago to pursue her passion of gardening. Normally she teaches professionals how to apply for and file documentation when applying for funds from the EU. She currently works with 4 NGOs teaching people how to apply for grants for research, education and energy projects in Latvia. She said that half of their energy comes from Russia and that the price of electricity is currently about 1 lat per kWh (~$1.50). To compare, the price in Colorado is about $0.12 per kWh and $.32 per kWh in Germany. She is working to try and start more wind and solar projects.
But she also took us around her property, accompanied by her two dogs, to show us her vegetable garden, herb garden, greenhouse and forest.
Inta among the peppers, tomatoes and basil in her greenhouse. The greenhouse is also thriving with grasshoppers and frogs.
We went to the forest to pick wild blueberries. We spent about half the time picking blueberries, the other half swatting away a barrage of mosquitoes. We had put on some spray but we had sort of wandered into the lion's den so they made sure we paid for that. But we still left with blackened fingers from all the blueberries we picked.
Mylène picking blueberries in the forest with a big trusty dog guarding her from mosquitoes.
For dessert, we used the blueberries, raspberries, red- and black currants, and strawberries that we picked both from her gardens and the forest. We mixed them with raw milk from the neighbor's cow.
Quite literally the fruits of our labor.
Nita's other hobby is pottery. She makes mugs, bowls and candle holders and recently received an order from the tourist center in Limbaži who will sell her painted mugs. She also gave both Mylène and me a lesson in making bowls.
Mylène working at the wheel.
Afterwards, just like every day, we collapsed into the couch we were surfing from exhaustion.
The Brivuldi castle, ready for the wedding ceremony.
Mylène picking blueberries.
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