This morning we started the drive to Latvia. On the way we stopped to visit the Hill of Crosses. The site has long been a site for peaceful resistance. Even though the Soviets would tear the crosses down, more crosses would suddenly appear the next night. At last count on February 24, 2012 there were 105,000 crosses on the hill.
We stopped along our route to have lunch at a charming house where a couple had remodeled it to have an old world restaurant downstairs and their home upstairs. The house had been abandoned when the former owners were sent to Siberia. The current owners acquired the building for a very cheap price when the first owners refused to come back. The food was like a home cooked meal. We had soup, chicken topped with thin-slices carrots, cole slaw with cabbage and tiny apple chunks, rye bread with caraway seeds, smashed potatoes mixed with chives, and a thin slice of Lazy Chef Cake, ice cream, and tea.
We continued on the bus, stopping at the Lithuania/Latvia border to takes pictures of the border sign. Our next stop was Rundales Palace Museum. For two hours we were escorted by a palace guide through the ornate rooms. I was very impressed at the amount of paintings on the walls. These included paintings of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and many family members and friends. I took 100 pictures of our activities today!
Border Crossing from Lithuania into Latvia
Rundales Palace Museum
My room in PK Riga Hotel in Riga, Latvia is a business class room. We had lasagna, salad, mushroom soup, wine, and dessert for dinner.