Day 14 - Near Ledmane to near Kegums

25km (424km) - 6 hours 50 minutes - weather overcast and drizzly then fine

Firstly, I want to again say how much I enjoy the comments. It may take some time to access them and it is difficult to respond - my mobile office doesn't always do what I would like it to, though we are now becoming quite attached.
Toms, I also met your cousins, Maris and Laima at Licupe. I have been waiting for your request that I visit a particular place for you. I remember I told you that I would walk up to 10km off my route, but closer would be better!
Peteri, I decided to stop commenting about my blister. I took photos of it last night but they are unsuitable for general publication. I will review the position at Anna's in 2 nights' time and perhaps pop it. It is presently a very minor irritant.
Andi and Rudite, I haven't found a tantuks to consult about my blister though Esmeralda did identify some leaves to put on the wound if the blister should burst. I passed through Madliena yesterday in a flash (after 24km and 15km to go). Didn't see the cemetery, but with its Proustian name, the town seems an appropriate resting place.
Jani, I think I will be at Zebrus on Saturday night. Come down after the parties or whatever else you are doing.
Jaq and Matt, great to hear from you. Mark didn't sing but the weak jokes were coming thick and fast.
Meryl, thanks for your well-wishes. Pleased I can provide some diversion from your terrible work. I don't think much about mine - I know it is in very capable hands.
Ian, I give thanks every day for your good advice about all the nitty-gritty technical matters which have enabled all this to happen.
Juris (Benkis - bench), keep on making this all happen.
Lija, keep writing!
Janite, what do you think of Lija appropriating all your friends? You didn't really trash the house did you? Lita, I expect you to be the responsible adult.
Anita, thanks for everything, every day.

Today, I visited the re-created 12th century castle at Lielvarde. Unfortunately, Agris Liepins, the brains behind it was away for the day, but Dzintra was very helpful. Agris, his wife Inara and daughter Virginija, were at Falls Creek 3x3 camp in January 2005. I was only at the camp one night (to present a quiz about Latvian things) and I recall that Virginija was a keen competitor.
The castle is lovingly created - I spent about an hour there and only really had time to walk around the village inside the battlements. It would have been a tough life in those times.
The Daugava River is dammed at Kegums and there is a hydro-power station. Ruta, my host tonight (at 'Pukkalnini') told me (I think) that the house she and her husband originally had, was drowned and the present house is a very old house which has been lovingly restored. She has looked after me well.
I faced a crisis today when I realised that my credit card had expired at the end of July. I do not have enough cash for tomorrow night. Anita phoned Anna who phoned Dace, from Slokas near Vecumnieki, and apparently it is all fixed. Anita will get some cash to me when I reach Anna's.
It rained a bit today, but nothing to worry about. I seemed to miss the worst of it and this afternoon it was back to wearing sunglasses.
The countryside is principally farmland and forest. I generally only travel through one or two significant settlements each day. Today those were Lielvarde (which had a set of traffic lights) and Kegums where I had an early dinner at about 3pm in a kafejnica.
The farmland is lusher and better cultivated with a range of crops. I don't know if artificial fertilisers are used. I can see that the next few years will present many environmental challenges that have probably been avoided because of the lack of 'progress' during Soviet times. There will be huge infrastructure costs with upgraded roads demanded by car users. I hope the European influences moderate the rate of these 'advances' so that there is the best use of scarce resources and less environmental damage.
Today is a significant day - I crossed the Daugava. This river runs through the heart of Latvia (and Riga) and is the setting of the most popular Latvian legend, Lacplesis (Bearslayer). A recent translation into Engish by a non-Latvian academic from Adelaide, Arthur Cropley, has recently been published.
Before I crossed the river, I was less than 50km from Riga. It will take 3 more days before I am west of Riga. Tomorrow I travel south-west, but after that it is pretty well due west to the Baltic Sea.