Came back from the beach and now got on to a boat down river Daugava to check out the shores of Riga

I could not taste any difference (liked both of them) but I understand that the Latvian version has marinated beet (instead of chopped beet) and is not usually had with boiled or fried potatoes like they do in Lithuania. This Pink Soup, served cold, is becoming a favorite of mine. (I have been a big fan of beetroot ever since I was a child)

You may remember from my Nov 2023 visit to Nida in Lithuania how angry and cold the Baltic Sea was. Today, in Jurmala, it was as docile and inviting as it could be!

The beach is fairly hard and the sand was quite tightly packed. There are dense forests on one side of the beach and the Baltic Sea on the other.

On this Sunday morning, a soccer match was in full flow on the beach. The average age of the players was clearly 50 or above. For some of them, the jersey could not get past their beer belly. But when it came to soccer, they were all too serious and were giving it their all. Loved the spirit!

Have you ever seen a sign like this on a beach? It has clearly marked one side for active recreation and the other for passive recreation!

Tried out a train in Riga to go to the beach.

Overnight this monster had shown up. I ran past this today. First time seeing a cruise ship up, close and personal. They are gargantuan in scale. This one was much, much bigger than the one we went past in the Panama Canal.