Latvia

Latvia is a nice country (they even just won the Eurovision song contest to prove it), although it seemed to be more Russian than Latvian much of the time, although the Latvian's would probably take offence to me saying so, particularly considering the way the country was treated by the Russians during the Soviet regime.Riga, the capital is very attractive with an impressive cathedral with a multi-tiered spire (photos 1 & 2) and nice Art Nouveau buildings (photo 4).

Not far from Riga is the memorial to the concentration camp at Salaspils. It is a peculiar place with statues symbolising brotherhood, solidarity, unbroken and humiliated. These are huge concrete sculptures in the Socialist Realist style. There is also a symbolic cattle car, also made of concrete. The most evocative bit though is the huge granite block with a metronome ticking a solitary heartbeat. It was an interesting place to visit, although bloody cold and a bit spooky, but a rather different sort of holocaust memorial.

Winter sports are obviously popular in Latvia, considering how much of the time it is winter for it makes sense that the locals would do their best to enjoy the cold season. As a result it is not unusual to see the local lads playing ice hockey on the village pond (photo 1). One thing the Latvians should be pleased the Russians left behind is the Olympic bobsleigh run. What's even better than that, is that it is possible to have a go. Before having a go as the brake man in a two-man sled (photo 2), I had never really appreciated how much this really is a sport as one hurtles downhill with your guts being squeezed over lower and the g-force as one goes round a hairpin bend at more than a hundred kilometres an hour is intense, something I would definitely recommend people trying. It's like a roller coaster where you have control over your fate.