1836 – second day of twelfth expedition

All forecasts stubbornly declares that it’s raining, but there is no sign of rain in the manor. We slowly pack up, as this positive and nice place doesn’t want to let us go.

After just few kilometres we meet one more hero from Imants and Rimants Ziedonis book. Broņislavs and his wife Monika with huge enthusiasm shows his farm. We find the legendary snowmobile, it’s still in a perfect condition. Broņislavs built it a very long time ago. We are enchanted by his life story and explore his farm – it’s loaded with self made, strange devices. At one moment, we feel like we are in the Lotes’ scientists village.

Time goes on but the hosts want to drink wine with us. It’s not a common wine – self made 40 years old and unbelievably tasty. Broņislavs asks us to stay for while longer but we still need to visit Grīcgales manor ruins and Grīcgales tavern, where Latvian writer Lūcija Ķuzāne was born.

We bid farewell as childhood friends un continue Westwards. At the manor’s ruins we suddenly realise that we need to look for an accommodation for the night. And around here it’s not so easy to find one. Aigars whom we meet on the road tells us about local farms and it turns out that one of them is a summer residence for Rēdlihs family. I quickly call my colleague Jēkabs and ask him about possibility to spend a night in his parent’s barn. There is nobody at home, but Jēkabs tells us a way how to get to the top of a bathhouse. It’s a last minute shelter for us as dark rain clouds are gathered above our heads. We spend one picturesque evening on the shores of river Mēmele. In God’s bosom we cook our dinner and dry our clothes. Big thanks to Rēdlihu family!