Home Café 'Debesmanna' in Spāre: Where Čaks' Legacy Meets Presidential Taste

In Spāre, off the Ventspils highway, lies the home café 'Debesmanna', where hostess Santa Neilande offers not only a cozy atmosphere and delicious homemade food but also lovingly crafted items – from linen dresses to jewelry. The café's name is not random; it has a deep connection to poet Aleksandrs Čaks and his muse Milda Grīnfelde.

The house where the café is located is called 'Grīnfeldi'. When Santa bought it, the previous owner mentioned that before the war, a woman from Riga lived there and later fled back to Riga. Santa discovered the link to Čaks during a local quiz, where a prominent literary figure, recipient of the Order of the Three Stars, translator, playwright, and poet – and companion of Čaks – was mentioned. That turned out to be Milda Grīnfelde, who had lived in this very house.

'Debesmanna' also boasts a special guest: President Edgars Rinkēvičs. He arrived on a Sunday bicycle trip around Lake Usma and had solyanka soup. Since then, the soup has been called 'president's soup' on the menu. Santa Neilande admits the visit was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.