Entry is open to everyone (over 18 years old), globally (where permitted by law) till December 20th (PST).  Then one lucky person will be randomly chosen to win the bag and all of its contents.

They’re also looking out, each day, for the person that shares their give-away the most creatively  and are giving away their Retrospective camera bags!

ENTER TO WIN!

Rules:

1. One entrant’s name will be selected at random as the winner.
2. Limit one entry per day.
3. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
4. It is the winner’s responsibility to pay any customs fees and taxes.
5. Think Tank Photo will take all necessary steps to alert the winner. If after three weeks the winner has not responded, a second winner’s name will be selected at random.

Photos: http://www.xltphoto.net/gallery/places/skulte/

Weather also was our luck – it was warm and sunny. So we spent nice weekend there. Did a bit of geocaching that resulted in finding an interesting building fro soviet times that might be some hall once but now abandoned. Newer saw it before although it’s close to city center and oldtown.

Photos from Tallin: http://www.xltphoto.net/gallery/travel/tallinn/

Buy the The Camera Lens Mug at the Photojojo Store! It’s $24.00 for Canon mug and $30.00 for Nikon. If you are photo-geek these ones are must!

So on Saturday’s morning we pretty quickly hitch-hiked from Riga to Cēsis. We wasn’t on hurry so spent few hours there. Our plan was to go by river Gauja. It used to be hiking paths nearby river in soviet times. though it came out nobody used them for at least 20 years. So time to time  we had to break through scrubby paths and bushes.

Further are pictures from hike with some comments. 

Fortress of Cēsis (or what’s left from it). Built in first part of 13th century. One of first buildings made from rock in Latvia.

Oldtown. There’s church in the background.  It’s possible to climb up to the tower. So we used the possibility and there are some photos made in tower.

Unfortunately windows in tower are barred. So picture with castle is “squared”.

Square of Roses (hides behind small house in front). One of central squares with cafés and fountain.

When we left Cēsis road took us into woods. .

We found some bilberries by the way.

Road leads to hillfort of Kvēpene. 

There are legends that oak in photo below  served as prototype for illustration on Latvian money (bank note of five Lats). Don’t know how much truth is there.

After visiting hillfort we started to look for suitable paths as we lacked reliable map and also locals wasn’t much help.  At the end we took longest way but we got to the river Gauja.

At one moment we took wrong path and ended up near small and romantic but abandoned hut.

It took quet a time for us to find a right place for tent. At least we found nice meadow.

Breakfast and morning coffee. And then on the read.

Classical countryside of Latvia.

Ferry on river Gauja near Līgatne.

And Līgatne itself.

.. and just few kilometers to highway. With some more classical landscapes.

Full gallery: http://www.xltphoto.net/gallery/travel/scotland/