Family Triathlon

On Thursday, May 19th, it was time to pack our bags and get on our bikes again. Slowly but surely, a routine is starting to set in and everyone has their morning tasks. A quick chat over the garden fence with the neighbor and off we go on the road. All in all, it can be said that the Latvians are somewhat more open and approachable than the Lithuanian population... at least the ones we have met so far. People often ask what we are planning and where we come from, and sometimes we even get a smile or a wave in return.

We arrive in Matkule after 53km of optimal road and weather conditions, with a short picnic break. This time our accommodation is a kind of youth hostel in Canadian log cabin style, with a shared kitchen and lounge area, but we are the only guests this evening.

We don't know why we declined the host's offer to take us to the next village to go shopping, but we don't remember in the evening. The boys need to burn off some energy, so we walk to Sabile. Time has absolutely stood still here, but funny enough, there is a Lavazza coffee vending machine on every corner with quite drinkable hot beverages. Refreshed with an ice cream, we head back to the accommodation - undoubtedly a beautiful route through forests and meadows, but in the end, we also managed to walk 15km and only the swimming section is missing to complete the family triathlon, but we are definitely too tired for that.

On Friday, rain accompanies us on the 48km route, so we have to switch to the highest gear, and in 2:05h we complete the route. We are rewarded with a great cozy accommodation: fireplace, sauna, hot tub... a cozy afternoon awaits us and Pippi Longstocking must not be missing: 'Mom, Pippi can ride a horse standing up!' - 'Really?! Oh, I can't do that!' - 'Well, you're already old!'... Thanks, my child :)