I am in Latvia.
Today’s riding was 188 miles (mysterious – I thought it was going to be more) 4 hours and 10 minutes riding time.

Last night’s hotel near Tallinn: you’d have to call it traditional in design and style (like my hotel in Germany). Keys on heavy weights, hotel information in a heavy plastic folder in the room with every sheet in a separate A4 sleeve, the scent of air-freshener and other cleaning fluids, a feeling that the building has been heavily smoked in for years and that deep cleaning has been used at some point in the past to expunge those unenlightened years but not quite managed, the universal soapy dispenser in the bathroom with the optimistic ‘body/hair’ label. In other words is concentrated detergent with some scent thrown in. There was a restaurant and I was not optimistic. I arrived upstairs where the restaurant is behind a door identical to all the guest rooms. The lights were off and a waitress sat at a computer screen giving the impression that no one expected anyone to arrive. In the end I ordered only what seemed to be local dishes: pork with sauerkraut and potatoes with some picked gherkins thrown in and it was delicious. Washed down with a local beer. I did wonder whether these places are much better off serving local food instead of some invented cosmopolitan dishes. I followed this with a glass, down in the bar, of Estonian vodka.
At night, I seem to sleep poorly and dream of the next day. I had to achieve the journey but somehow not by travelling but by some other abstract activity.
Breakfast was mediocre and there was a heavy mist when I left. I got so soggy that I stopped at a bus stop half an our down the road to Riga and climbed into my Mr Balloon man overall which also kept out the cold. I was warned by the paranoid WikiTrip that driving in Estonia was very poor and often dangerous. I found it fine and I was the one breaking the very low speed limit.
The border into Latvia took me by surprise. I thought it would be very close to Riga. It was marked by two large ALKO stores with full car parks at each one.
I bought petrol once over the border and for the first time had to pay, using an automatic machine which asked me to say how much fuel I wanted before filling up. So I guessed – low – not wanting to pay for petrol that I couldn’t squeeze into the tank (I no longer have a large 33L tank which I had on my old Adventure – which I miss). I had heard of this on YouTube vids of journeys into Russia and far beyond.
I arrived in Riga about 3pm, feeling that it was much later in the day, and kept to a route that one day I will find out on the GPS track.

Actually, here it is – very direct as it turns out:

Riga, or the slice I saw, was a mixture of decrepit building, dug up pavements and some occasional very obvious investment. Again, I am grateful for the GPS that brought me through completely impenetrable one way systems (I can see that wasn’t the case) to the door of the Two Wheels hotel. I got a key to the large gate and could park at the back and under cover which I appreciated as it started raining an hour or so after arriving, but not before I took a fascinating stroll to a supermarket about a mile away, past the same mixture of falling down buildings and some beautiful renovations. I bought some supplies for my many hours on the boat tomorrow night. I learned that there is a huge variety of vodkas on sale and bought three different brands all at about 7 Euro each.
I then set off on foot in only a light jacket toward historic Riga a mile or so away down a busy dual carriage way. But it started to rain and I was badly dressed. I sheltered under an underpass then ventured out again but the rain was heavier so I turned back to the hotel to pick up an umbrella. Once back in my room with the rain sounding harder and the light starting to fade, I decided I would miss out on exploring my second Baltic city. But I got a real taste of it and its ‘lived experience’ that perhaps a stroll through its pretty historic centre would not give me.
Back in this highly themed and small hotel I optimistically headed to the bar – the website did not give much hope of a square meal but I had a passing burger and local beer (about 9 Euros in total). I seem to be the only guest.
Tomorrow heavy rain seems forecast all day so I anticipate a wet ride. I am not worried as I have the right stuff to wear and from what I can see the DFDS terminal at Klaipeda has buildings (unlike Viking Line inStockholm) – a shop, a cafe where I can spend my time waiting to get on the boat that leaves at 9pm.
I will not be in a hurry to leave. Breakfast starts here at a decadent 9am. The ride should take 3 and a half hours. So there is plenty of room for manoeuvre.
As I said the hotel is themed for motorcycle adventure. There is a motorcycle in the corridor downstairs. The room is a little overdone but has a great shower room, a large glass box. The bed is highly inviting.