See the free states of the Baltics in 3 weeks – Sigulda, Jurmala Latvia 6/2018 (11)

5/6/2018. From Riga, I took a bus to Sigulda, only 53 kilometers away, for a day trip. Though sunny, the temperature plummeted, and the wind blew. Painted in lush greens, Sigulda felt like a small town in an enormous park, with human habitation. It was so well-groomed, I couldn’t help wondering how they kept an enormous park so meticulously trimmed, with no stray hairs. This was such a quiet and restful place, interrupted by only the gentle sound of nature, as though everyone was trying hard to keep their voices down, nothing more than a whisper. There was a touch of history revealed among the trees: the odd old manor houses, reconstructed castles, and churches. There was no make-up necessary. It was so peaceful, far away from the busy Europe and noise of the big cities, so off the beaten tourist track. It was perfect the way it is.

5/6/2018 从里加坐上大巴到53公里外锡古尔达（Sigulda)一日游。虽然阳光明媚，却大大降温，又刮风；寒难抗，毕竟脸皮没以前厚了。这小镇是名副其实的小，中心就几家餐厅店铺，可是却非常整齐。整个小镇就是个大公园，草地没一根毛发越界；没一棵树木错位；眉清目秀的环境修饰得仪表更加出众。除春风窃语，一切都那么低调。这是里加外另一个不同世界，一个大公园里得小镇；茂密原始森林，还藏着城堡，古庄园和教堂留下的痕迹；没炫耀，没夸张， 只有清秀的素颜。

6/6/2018. Since I was visiting the Baltic countries, I should really see the Baltic Sea close up. So, from Riga, I made another day trip, this time by train to Jurmala, only half an hour away. When I disembarked, I found tall trees surrounded the train stop, as if we were in the middle of a forest. The passengers who alighted here very quickly vanished into the forest. With no one in sight and no one I could ask, I could only try to head in the direction of the sea.

I soon came across a most restful cemetery, the graves sitting among the naturally grown trees in the forest. I thought to myself, I had found the dream home as my final resting place. If I died here, I was sure I would rest in peace. I soon heard the sea hidden behind the trees. It was a long and deserted beach, because the air and the water were chilly. Facing the sea towered a long belt of forest with many big old houses nestled in it. These were decades-old bungalows, each built uniquely for their owners, likely people of considerable wealth. I walked for miles to admire the architecture in this forest setting. To have the whole beachfront occupied by some privileged ones, hmm, that seemed a bit sacrilegious. But who am I to judge, right?

6/6/2018 既然在游波罗的国我该乘机目睹波罗的海。从里加搭上火车，半小时后到龙尔马拉 ( Jurmala)，一个海边小镇。车站如遗失在森林中，下车的乘客们一转眼消失深林中；没人问路，我只能盲目跟风大致朝海滩方向走。

刚走没多远，经过一片树林，无数坟墓在这里安息，又隐蔽又自然，是我见过最安宁的地方，我想我找到了我一劳永逸的居所。往前走，海声越来越近，穿过这片树林，汪洋大海亮在眼前，一下揭开波罗的海面目。今天天气还冷，沙滩冷清，几乎没人，只有几个小伙在玩沙滩网球。滩前的这片树林原来住着大豪宅，看来像是几十年的房子，各有风格，都给笔直的大树包围，看来都是有钱又有品味的人住的；虽遗憾这片滩前好景给私人豪宅占据，但在树林中这些忽隐忽现老房也是一个值得一游的风景线。