Spring Water

Day 5 – 170km mark.

After cycling out of Talsi, I passed through the town of Valdemārpils.

The town was named after Krišjānis Valdemārs, who was one of the leaders of the First Latvian National Awakening.  There has actually been three “national awakenings” in Latvia and I’m currently waiting for the Fourth Latvian National Awakening… but that’s another story for another time.

Only passing through Valdemārpils for a short time, I headed off to a place near Lube called Lūrmaņu avots.  It’s a little place inside a forest where spring water pours from rocks in a cliff face.  While I was there, some locals were collecting the spring water in large plastic bottles.

Lūrmaņu avots, above.

About to get ready for a night of camping in the forest near Lūrmaņu avots.

Camping near the spring was a very serene and tranquil experience.  I had the entire campsite to myself.  So I spent the evening beside a little campfire that I built, having some soup that I prepared on my little hexamine stove and maybe drinking just a little vodka mixed with cranberry juice!  It was a pleasant night with good weather.

The next day, Day 6, I packed up my aluminium horse and peddled off to visit an ancient burial site.  More about that later on.