Day Fourteen

Today started a bit off, the camp site we stayed at Riga City Camping was not good. To make matters worse when we got back to the Camel last night some thoughtless individual had parked so close to us we couldn’t open the back of the trailer so were unable to access anything in it, and as the trailer tent was already up it meant taking it down and moving the truck and trailer forward, way too much work at 10pm. So this morning after me seething all night began with us getting off the camp site as early as possible, and making our way up towards Kolka. Because we hadn't had any breakfast, (all the stuff was in the rear of the trailer) we decided to stop on the way and treat ourselves to someone else getting our food. We found a fabulous place called Madame Brios in Jamala. The food was superb and the service excellent, just what we needed to lift our spirits.

We then followed the coast road towards Kolka, first the A128 then on to the P131, both of which hug the coast, although views of the sea are limited there are many stopping places where a short walk through the trees opens up a vista of fantastic white sandy beaches that stretch for as far as the eye can see. We travelled through lots of small hamlets consisting of a few houses usually very well maintained with immaculate large gardens. Along the way we came across a house with an old telegraph pole in the garden, a family of stalks had made a nest and were looking after their young. On arriving at Kolka the sun was shining and we parked up to spend some time at the most north westerly point of the Gulf of Riga before we head south along the coast road towards Ventspils.

On the road to Kolka

Miles of white sandy beaches

Stalks nesting on the telegraph pole

The beach at Kolka

Kolka has the Irbe straight on the west side and the Gulf of Riga on the east. Because of this it held vital importance in protecting the entrance to the Gulf of Riga and thus access to the city of Riga itself. Prior to world war one there have been fortifications at Kolka. But in 1939 following the signing of the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact Latvia was forced to accept help from the Russians in the form of 25,000 soldiers stationed across Latvia. This also gave the Russians the opportunity to build coastal bases, as the coast of Latvia was now in effect the border of the USSR. All along the west coast between Kolka and Ventspils, (the route we are travelling) the USSR stationed coastal and border guards, and air and naval defence personnel. Strict areas for swimming and times of day when the public were allowed to go to the seaside were implemented. Much of the infrastructure from the soviet time here still remains in some form or another. Some is reused by the current authorities to manage radar and radio, while other building sit in various states of decay.

The Beach at Kolka, trees taken down in a hurricane which now protect the dunes from further erosion.

 

The old USSR installation at Kolka

We are overnighting at a camp site in the national park, no showers, composting toilets, (which if you don’t know really really smell), and no phone signal or internet so I'm typing this into word and will post it on the blog when I next get a signal.

And finally today’s selfie, taken at the top of the observation tower at Kolka west.