GS.lv Day 17 Latvia and Riga (300km)

We left Tallin for a very windy ride to Latvia. We are running out of time due to a customer services debacle perpetrated by DFDS ferry company in booking our return to Sweden.

<Rant on>Basically this company's web site will not allow a two motorcycle booking for two and cabin. So after a chat session we were advised to ring the call centre and book. The agent could not see our rout onto system so promised to book the passage and call us back. He never called back and we made several calls to remedy only to find that there was now no space available for motorcycles. Asking for escalation recovering apologies etc etc but no head way untill centre manger Amy was engaged and she went to work freeing cargo space. Three hours later we received the original booking confirmation from Aron (the first Agent) for a passage in the wrong direction FFS. Amy was extremely helpful getting all but one motorcycle book and tried everything but in the end she couldn't make it happen. This really pisses me off they stuffed our beooking so rather than having a hard conversation with the person that booked after us the take the easy route and shaft us. 

Aron and team leader I hope your CSAT and NPS and variable component plummet 

Amy and Rebecca thank you

<Rant off>

Amy did have a booking reserved early in case so that's what we are doing cutting a few days off the trip. Unfortunately this means less time in The UNESCO sites of Vilnius and the national park.

Back to the ride. We took the direct main road to Riga. We had read that the EU has funded this road so those horror stories of dirt won't be an issue. The road was only two lanes but we'll serviced and no one gave a shit about speeding. I must say that the books read that Lativia is a poor cousin of our experience was the road in Latvia was just that little bit better with wide shoulders good surface and good markings. On markings. These appear purely open to interpretation in Latvia as we learnt to lane split one lane each way and shoulder as if it were a four lane hwy. everyone was well behaved and the trip was thrilling and fast.

We arrived in Riga about 5pm and checked in the Tallink Hotel. Brilliant cheap hotel with super Se use parking in the basement. In fact the vehicles have to go down on an elevator accompanied by a hotel employee.

Riga is very calming compared to Tallin. Less people, less ye olde theme park and very beautiful. It's not as defined a walled city as Tallin and architecture not as old but still it's relaxing. At least it would have been if the restraunt experience had not been so frustrating. Faults on both sides due to language, miscommunication by us due to fatigue (did I mention the wind, you know the type on minute your fine the next minute the front wheel lurches a foot aides way). The steak was beautiful and the cheapest I've had since Australia, but it was one of those travel fatigue moments for Gerty and I so we were fighting to remain civil to others and each other.