2014 - OCEAN PRINCESS - LATVIA & LITHUANIA

NO LUCK WITH THE WEATHER IN RIGA, LATVIA. STILL RAINING.....

I DID NOT EVEN GET OFF HERE ....

THESE ARE FROM THE SHIP ,,,,

THE SHIP WISHES US ALL A HAPPY CANADA DAY.. LOTS OF CANADIANS ON BOARD ..

THAT'S IT FOR RIGA I'M AFRAID.

BUT ON TO KLAIPEDIA, LITHUANIA... WHERE THE WEATHER WILL BE MORE CO-OPERATIVE

A GREAT LOOKING BEACH & I KNOW I WILL GET THERE EVENTUALLY.

UNUSUALLY, I AM THE FIRST PERSON OFF THE BOAT.

I HEAD INTO TOWN.

EXCHANGE SOME EUROS - IN THE CASINO. THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW FOR FUTURE REFERENCE ...

STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE, PLAYING FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT IT SEEMS

I NOW REALISE I SHOULD HAVE TURNED RIGHT INTO THE OLD PART OF TOWN, BUT FOLLOWED THE SIGNS TO THE BUS STATION EXPECTING TO GET A BUS PASS. THEY DO NOT DO BUS PASSES

SO - I WALKED BACK PAST THIS BUILDING WHICH IS THE RAILWAY STATION, NOT A CHURCH ..

TO GET THE FERRY FROM THIS BUILDING OVER TO THE SPIT ... BASICALLY A SAND DUNE - STRETCHING FOR MANY MILES DOWN INTO RUSSIA WITH A LAGOON BETWEEN IT & THE MAINLAND. HENCE, THE FERRY

A NICE DAY OUT FOR THE LOCALS ...

NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE DOWN THAT WAY ...

SOME OF THE HIGHEST DUNES ON THE WORLD ARE ON THIS SPIT, BUT A LONG WAY DOWN FROM THE FERRY ..

I FOLLOW THE SIGNS TO THE FAMILY BEACH ( AS OPPOSED TO THE FEMALES BEACH ) THROUGH SOME NICE WOODS.

A COUPLE OF LADIES WITH A COUPLE OF KIDS ARE ON THE TRAIL WITH ME.

THE OLDER LADY TOOK THIS PHOTO OF THE BOYS ...

.... ACCIDENTALLY I THINK BECAUSE SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING THIS PHOTO OF ME ... MUST HAVE BEEN COOL AS I HAVE THREE LAYERS ON ...

NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE DOWN THAT WAY EITHER ....

SOME BIRDS ATTACKING ME ....

NOW IT'S MORE CROWDED. TOO BAD, CAN'T GET A DECENT SHOT OF THE OCEAN ...

THE LADY WITH THE HAT IS THE ONE WHO TOOK MY PHOTO. SHE DOES NOT SPEAK ANY ENGLISH BUT MIMED IF I WAS ALONE, TO WHICH I MIMED BACK THAT I WAS.
SHE THEN SORT OF ADOPTED ME. TOOK MY PICTURE.. PERSUADED ME TO GET MY SANDALS OFF & WADE IN THE WATER. KEPT NEAR ME & HER FAMILY ON THE BEACH.

I MAY BE WRONG BUT I THINK ALL THAT WAS BECAUSE I WAS A LONE MALE ON THE FAMILY BEACH. ON THE WAY BACK THERE WAS A SIGN POINTING TO THE MALE BEACH, I MISSED THAT ON THE WAY OUT.

SHE WAS MAKING ME PART OF THE FAMILY FOR A FEW MINUTES.

HEADING BACK FROM THE BEACH NOW - A TERMITES NEST MAYBE. THE LADY HAD SHOWED THIS TO THE BOYS.

NICE WOODS ..

AN UNIDENTIFIED BIRD - MARTINE?

BACK ON THE FERRY. I HAD CHECKED WITH THE GIRL ON THE WAY OVER IF MY TICKET WAS RETURN AS IT WAS ONLY ABOUT THREE DOLLARS. IT WAS...

EMMA - POSING WITH HER BEAU

AND A COUPLE OF QUIICK DRINKS TO USE UP MY LITHUANIAN MONEY

WITH A DUCK FOR COMPANY ... ALTHOUGH THE WAITRESS WAS BETTER COMPANY .