Le résumé
Some of the pictures were taken on a rainy day (it rained a crazy amount that fall!), so it doesn’t really give justice to the bucolic character of the place. It was one of my favorite moments during my stay in Latvia. During « the réunion de travail au ministère de l’économie dont dépend l’office du tourisme national » which happened half way through my trip, I was asked what I saw for the potential of Latvian tourism, and at once, I answered that this was the kind of rural lodging (mixing sauna, natural environment and a warm family welcome) that tourists look for when they come to explore these regions.
La petite histoire
When I got there that night, the person who was taking care of the sauna house asked me if I could translate a letter written in French that her dad had received. Long story short, years ago, the father had helped a French couple adopt a brother and sister from Dobele. The mom had afterwards written a thank you letter. Since he wanted to answer, I checked the back of the envelope. The address was different from the one in the yellow pages, but there was a landline phone number, so I offered to call them. The phone rings and it’s the adoptive mom that answers, I explain who I am and the reason for my call. She can’t hide her emotions when she says: « I wrote that letter 7 years ago, that man still remembers? », « Of course, I tell her, he’s beside me ». I proposed that we do a Skype video chat so that everyone can see each other, and they can see the kids are doing well. Five minutes later, everyone is on Skype. I wont mention what was said here…
Le lieu
It’s a tasteful sauna house, simple, but authentic and comfortable.
You can find an exterior sauna outside, with a deck where you can jump directly into the pond; it’s there for that.
Inside the big house, you can ask to see their wine lab, used for their house wine:)
Other than that, the dad has a passion for old transistors, so he can explain the whole history behind it.
L'équipe
It’s a real family, good people, and very real.
Le bilan
One of the most powerful moments during my Latvian trip.
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