Phespirit has stayed in Riga twice now and on each occasion the weather has been so sunny and warm that he was able to spend a whole day laying on the beach at Vecāķi. As far as he is concerned the Latvian coast is just an extension of the Caribbean.
This is the road from station to beach.
In the 17th century, a Turaida orphan called Maija was found in this area. Over time she became known as the 'Rose of Turaida' due to her great beauty.
On 6th August 1620 she conned a drunken soldier into killing her, rather than fall victim to his lust. Such sacrifice has made her an icon. Here Phespirit sits by her grave.
Dainu kalns - 'Folksong hill' - is a sculpture garden at the heart of the Turaida Museum Reserve. It comes alive in the spring.
At the west end stands the Turaida wooden church, one of the oldest wooden churches in Latvia, built in 1750 by local craftsmen.
This is it, here, behind the trees.
