Of Jurmala

This is the beach at Jurmala, the most fabulous resort of the former Soviet Union. For much of the Soviet era, Jurmala was the vacation hot-spot where all the big cheeses at the politburo went for their summer beach time. As we understand it, even today, people from Armenia to Kazakhstan think of Jurmala sort of like Americans might think of Miami Beach. Except at a latitude more like Alaska than Florida. The beach is nice enough. As you may note in the photo, it is like most of Latvia - quite flat. While we didn't attempt to swim, it looks like you would have to walk about a quarter mile out into the water to reach swimming depth. And while there aren't miles of high-rise hotels like Miami Beach, there are several nice hotels and restaurants, so we'll surely be back for more investigation. We are working to acquire the rights to the surely thrilling video of seagulls obtained by this unknown cameraman.