In Riga

After a long sleep, we head into town. Riga has the feeling of a very post-Soviet city. Outside of the Old Town, there is a mix of faded grandeur and Soviet concrete. We hunt for a bike shop in the pouring rain and stock up on a few things before heading into the Old Town. The streets are busy but we find a spot to busk in the shade of a lime tree. There is quite a bit of interest compared to previous sessions. Two women stop for quite a while, taking notes (we advertise buskingforstreetchildren). One small girl takes a great interest - see photo.

We finish the day by visiting the Museum of the Occupation which tells the story of the successive occupations of Latvia first by the USSR, then by Nazi Germany, and finally, once again by the USSR. As the Museum's website explains,

"The Museum's goal is to portray life during the three occupation periods suffered by Latvia and Latvians. The items of the exhibition tell about Latvia during the fifty+ year-long subjugation: about power politics, about Soviet and Nazi terror, about the destruction of Latvia's economy, about Soviet and Nazi totalitarian ideologies, about the opposition to the regimes, and finally how Latvians regained their freedom in 1991.The first section of the exhibit documents the events that led to Latvia's occupation: Soviet and Nazi pact, finalized on 23 August 1939, by Molotov and Ribbentrop, which divided East Europe into Soviet and Nazi spheres of influence."

It does this well but as with most history, it is worth asking who wrote it. It turns out that the Museum was set up by the Latvian diaspora. Although it is now funded by the Government, it still relies on voluntary donations to fund 3/4 of the operating costs. As is well known, the diaspora of any nation is often not in the best position to reflect on events of the past and this is reflected in the very linear history - independence, occupation, occupation, occupation, freedom. Absent are any alternative voices which could provide some more nuance on the events of ths past.

Nevertheless, it is a moving, valid, honest and vivid account of the horrors that the 20th century threw up for Latvia and the other Baltic States. It is useful to be reminded that at Yalta, Churchill was deaf to the appeals by the Baltic States to regain their freedom, deferring to Stalin's demands that the internal affairs of the Soviet Union were not to be part of the discussions.

We also reflected on the life facing Russians in Latvia - they are now part of the EU but have struggled to have their identity properly reflected in the post independence states - something Putin has played on to whip up ant-western feeling in Russia.

In the evening we set off to catch a train to the coast - this will save us 2 days cycling. This turns out to be a farce. The carriage we are meant to put our bikes in already has 2 bikes and only one free space despite us having bookes tickets and made reservations. Moreover, the bike store is at the end of a carrtiage full off passenger seats. We have to take off all our luggage (10 min until the train departs) and wheel the bikes through a seething mass of holidaymakers and children. We are not popular. The carriage is unbearably hot. Nevertheless, we enjoy the ride and arrive in Liepaja on the Latvian coast and check into the clean and pleasant Amrita Hotel.

Cycled 1.51 km

Busking earnings:- 29.78 lats, 5 roubles, 1.50 euros

No punctures