Babīte

Just a minute away from Rīga you can find yourself in the country. And by a minute, I mean it took us one minute to reach the home of our relatives after passing the giant Rīga sign.

  
Babīte is south of Jūrmala, and shares a name with Babītes ezers. The Babīte lake is an important ecological area from an ornithological standpoint; of the 184 species of birds that have been documented there, 36 nest within its marshes and 15 are considered endangered within Europe.

Once again our host's gardens were fascinating to wander through, edible kitchen gardens mingling with colorful flower showcases, red and black currant bushes and apple trees.

The boys particularly enjoyed meeting all the resident animals, although the foot powered air-rocket came in a close second to the baby chicks.

It was a soothing, restful afternoon and evening in between all the traveling. What a pleasure to meet this extended family of ours, to learn how the branches of our family tree stretch all over the world!