1836 – SECOND DAY OF THE SEVENTH EXPEDITION

The Kārsava train station, which opened doors in 1860, is the first European Union station on the Saint Petersburg-Riga line. The train stations in Riga and Daugavpils were built later.

The train station itself is renovated but the nearby storage unit made from red bricks is abandoned and demolished. We hope that the youths of Kārsava will manage to bring the municipality’s attention to buildings like these and bring them back to their glory.

While exploring the buildings, we find a geodesic point marked by the Latvian Geodesic Information Agency and an old Mercedes E123 that would look more in place in Riga Motor Museum or a private collection.

Not far from the station, in an area taken over by the bushes, we spot the chimney from brother’s Udemi brick kiln that was built in 1901. The bricks made in the brother’s kiln were mostly taken to Saint Petersburg. Many buildings in Kārsava are made from these bricks, including the train station buildings.

While taking a look at the chimney, we leave our helmets, having noticed that the red bricks occasionally fall down, as if the chimney is crying while taking in the sight of history going to ruin.

We ride through fields and forests toward Malnava, where in Malnava’s Dzīļu bakery we are greeted by the smiling and kind hostess Aina. She speaks Latgalian language and tells us about the history of Malnava, the present day and the fragrant bread that her grandmother baked with love in her home.

Aina takes us to the other side of the road, where the beautiful Malnava’s manor is located. We go through the white manor gates where in the old times the lady of the manor distributed bread to the local peasants every Sunday. During the outbreak of the Second World War, Hitler went through these gates to motivate his generals before the Leningrad battles. The German bunkers are still in the park, as is the Gardener’s house, still waiting for its reconstruction.

The evening is nearing, but we still have to visit folklore chapel ‘Sābri’ in ‘Muzikantu’ village. They will be rehearsing in Salnava’s school today. Valentīna, the director of the local culture unit takes us to a classroom where we meet the musicians, enjoy authentic music and listen to stories.

The night is falling, but we have to make it to ‘Līdumnieki’ next to Zabolotjes lake, where a nice wooden cottage, a campfire and songs of nightingales are waiting for five tired motorcyclists!