Tag X...

It's not like we weren't prepared: Vacation doesn't automatically mean that every day is filled with sunshine, good mood, relaxation, and perfect planning! There is inappropriate weather, dirty accommodations, unfriendly people, and what not. And not even on a bike can you cycle away from that. We calculated 'one grumpy day per week' - at least that was the experience from our previous bike vacations. And now, here it was, the day X! But the experience that Booking gave us on Saturday surpasses everything I had expected.

We set off happily towards Jurmala - 36 km, a piece of cake! Jurmala is a very popular coastal resort just before Riga, with magnificent villas, long white sandy beaches, pine forests, and the odd heirloom of old wooden architecture. The latter seem to be in Russian hands more and more frequently: members of the Moscow middle class who have been increasingly drawn to the democratic West in recent years.

So, after a short but wet ride (thanks to Latvian rain), dear Elena greeted us. She didn't speak English, but she did have Google Translator... well, we're familiar with that by now! Off to the apartment: fish smell, freezing cold, slightly worn out.... and: a bedroom was missing. A booking is a booking, principles are principles, and payment is payment! So, back to Elena: 'No, a three-bedroom apartment is not available. After all, we asked to check in earlier and they rearranged us! But there is a mattress in the basement!' So there we were, in our cold fishy apartment with a Russian gold look, feeling anything but imperial. A closer look behind the scenes didn't help either: it was dirty and broken, and when the kids locked themselves in their bedroom (doors couldn't be closed or opened because all the handles were broken), we had to get some fresh air, drizzle or not!

It's not so comfortable to sleep on the sofa at the age of 40 (all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up at the sight of the bed), so at 3:00 AM I decided not to stay another night in that place. We were supposed to go to Riga on Monday, but now we were 'forced' to travel to the capital one day earlier: Thanks to dear Tine for the Airbnb birthday gift ;)

At around 10 AM, we left our warm accommodation, only to realize that Elena's daughter and her grandchildren were apparently living in the originally booked apartment. Of course, she didn't want to kick them out for us.... what a fraud, we are in contact with Booking! To be continued....