Day 23 plus one - Bernati to Liepaja

16km (750km) - 3 hours 30 minutes - weather fine

The welcome at Liepaja was overwhelming, and was largely orchestrated by Ziedonis.
Anita, Lija, Selga and I walked along the beach from Bernati. We could see Liepaja in the distance - it is Latvia's third largest city, and Ziedonis' birthplace.

I was extremely sluggish - having completed the primary objective it was difficult to get motivated this morning. Fortunately, the early rain had been blown away by the famous local winds.
As we approached Liepaja, Anita kept in touch with Ziedonis by phone - we had to arrive at about 1pm. Our objective was the south mols - a breakwater stretching hundreds of metres into the sea and part of a system protecting the entrance to the harbour.

About 800m before the mols, we encounted the 'media pack' - Laura and her crew from Liepaja's TV news, Selga and hers from Panorama (the current affairs programme from Latvia's national television) and Sarmite from Latvijas Avize (a national newspaper).
Laura inerviewed me, in Latvian, though with Anita close by to prompt me. Then Selga spoke with me and then with Anita and Lija. I was pretty hyped up and my Latvian became much freer and more coherent.

We then continued our walk for the very last stretch. On the mols we saw a number of people and the Australian and the Latvian flags blowing in the strong wind. Gunta and Ziedonis were there. Ziedonis was holding the Australian flag and his friend, Ilgvars, the Latvian flag. Gunta gave me a collection of amber pieces that she had, on an earlier occasion, collected from the Liepaja beach. Ilgvars' wife, Velta, had a small Liepaja flag for me.
Laura and the Liepaja television crew were there to record the final stages of the walk. Gunta provided the obligatory champagne and I completed an interview with Sarmite and chatted further with Laura, although this time in English.


Then it was time to walk out on to the mols. The wind was up and the waves were crashing over the pathway. We walked the 400m to the end of the wider section. Beyond that it was impossible.
All was done. We returned to the cars, and this time I willingly accepted a lift to the hotel where we will stay before returning to Riga tomorrow morning.
What has been achieved? The realisation of an idea that has given me a much greater connection with Anita's heartland. It was something that has captured people's imagination and so many have willingly helped to bring it to a successful end.
I am extremely grateful to all who assisted both in Australia and in Latvia and for all the support I received. Although the most common word used to describe my project was traks (mad), it was said in the kindest possible way.
To my blog readers, the opportunity to pass on my observations and thoughts has been very important to me. I might have emptied my mind of all work-related stresses by the physical exertion, but I have needed my nightly intellectual stimulation. To know that you have been following my journey has been important and I have greatly enjoyed reading your comments.
Every time I have accessed the blog I have cringed a little at the opening statement. What was meant as simply a statement of my 'proposal', sounds more like a confident declaration of my intention.
The blog only really has interest because when it is read, there is the element of uncertainty - will I make it or not? Some have said that they had no doubt I would. But it is not as simple as that. Physically, the possibilities of something going wrong were great. I had no health issues of any consequence and no accidents or injuries. Apart from 'the blister'. I got sick of writing about it. For the last week, it has been in decline and not any sort of problem.
The mental element of walking over a long period is more difficult. I have had some tough times but the company on the walk, the contact with Anita, the girls and our friends, and the brief conversations with the Latvians (and at least one Russian) I met on the walk have helped keep me going.
And now that it is over, I can return to walking sensible distances each day. This may not be my final contribution to this blog, but I certainly won't be describing what I saw on my daily walk.