Vitauts in Latvia Desmit (10): Jurmula to Riga

Jurmula to Riga

Ansis is the host with the most. We left Abragciems for Riga in the morning, but it was raining, so our plans to stop along the beaches to see the white sands was no longer possible.

We did, however, sprinkle dirt from Liesma and Arnold Grinvalds’ graves onto the Latvian soil and the Gulf of Riga as a symbolic gesture.

Jurmula is where the wealthy people go to stay for the weekend in their summer homes. We saw houses there that rival anything we have in the United States, but the structures are all either very old and beautiful or very modern. They don’t have the “McMansion” epidemic that is plaguing America.

Rain poured down, but Ansis took small side roads, and we hunted mushrooms as we drove. Glen, Ansis and I found a few to take home.

After surviving the tumultuous downpour, Ansis took us to 36 Line, a trendy restaurant in Jurmula. He knows the chef, so when we sat down we were greeted and encouraged to try the fish stew. And Glen, despite his dislike of fish, at the entire bowl. Glen knows how to take one for the team.

Sue had a wonderful Italian wine that I promised I would take a photo of. We shared the bottle and it was wonderful. Dad insisted that he wasn’t hungry and that he wouldn’t eat much (a running theme for Vitauts). We had some kartupeli (potatoes), and I gave mine to dad. We also had a free sample of Latvian steak so Glen could see what it was like, and we gave the surplus to Vitauts. He ate it happily despite his reservations.

After lunch, we walked down to the beach which was AMAZINGLY beautiful after the clouds cleared and the rain stopped. Vitauts walked back to the Honda CRV and waited for us there.

We drove back to Riga, and we ran up to the apartment to get our gifts that we brought for Ansis and Monta’s three girls. Ansis was going to take us to his home for supper where we could see the amazing house that he and his wife built.

When I visited in 2005, they lived in the apartment that Bruno let us stay in for the week because he is between renters. Now, Ansis and Monta live on an acreage where they renovated the old farmhouse and added on an entire new addition. They created an architectural wonder out of an old farmhouse.

Next? Supper with Ansis, Monta, Darta, Laura, un Nora…

Latvian language side note: As we were driving with Bruno and Maruta, dad pointed to a car in that cut us off and said, “something something shita.” I had always heard the word “shita” growing up, but I didn’t know what it meant, so I asked dad. He said there was no such Latvian word. Then five minutes later, he used it again. It turns out the words simply means “this” or “that one” as you point you say “shita.” It’s spelled “šeit” (š is pronounced /sh/). So finally, Maruta and Bruno asked me what it means in English… I told them “Kaka.” They all had a good laugh.