Thursday, September 12th
Landed in Riga, Latvia, without a hitch or bobble
Always feel we lost a day in the crossing - 8 hours difference on this trip
Today was Sandy's birthday - Great start for our first full day
In 2017, Latvia, and other Baltic States (Lithuania & Estonia) declared
part of Northern Europe by the United Nations
Very clean & cute, without language & signage problems
English dominates
part of Northern Europe by the United Nations
Very clean & cute, without language & signage problems
English dominates
Forgot to pack sleepwear and Sandy needed sox
Central Market, a series of WW1 zeppelin hangers,
plus hundreds of other shops, sells anything/everything
Including killer double espresso with "Alladin spice" ($2.50)
My jet lag evaporated
Central Market, a series of WW1 zeppelin hangers,
plus hundreds of other shops, sells anything/everything
Including killer double espresso with "Alladin spice" ($2.50)
My jet lag evaporated
Riga was founded in 1201 - This passage serving as the birth canal for a thriving port city where the nearby church had catapults on the roof to defend against the marauding Livonian knights
Riga's Old town was surrounded and protected by a moat, now a meandering canal and park
Our 4th floor airbnb apartment (with elevator) on new side of the canal
shares the building with the Azerbaijan Consulate
Medieval passageways, cobbled streets, where a beer costs $6
Across the canal, Art Nouveau abounds with hundreds of buildings
Built between 1899-1913 when Riga was filthy rich as Russia's largest port
With time-to-build slashed by steel framing and concrete reinforcement,
time and money remained for elaborate decoration using cheap labor
Serfdom, or Latvians serving as owned furniture on the farm, had been abolished
They flocked to the city, working on these elaborate structures for a few coins
Riga is a UNESCO protected site
Built between 1899-1913 when Riga was filthy rich as Russia's largest port
With time-to-build slashed by steel framing and concrete reinforcement,
time and money remained for elaborate decoration using cheap labor
Serfdom, or Latvians serving as owned furniture on the farm, had been abolished
They flocked to the city, working on these elaborate structures for a few coins
Riga is a UNESCO protected site
Medusa-type robotic heads with grimacing stares and writhing snake-coiffed hair
could be the stuff of nightmares, but house cats gazing out the windows enjoy a good life
could be the stuff of nightmares, but house cats gazing out the windows enjoy a good life
Learned about architecture and Latvians via rigawalkingtours.com
Our guide described his people as straightforward and bordering on insulting
If someone sneezes, Latvians don't say, "Bless You,"
they say, "Get healthy"
Birthday dinner was guide recommended
Pickled herring, herbed cheese, potato & salad ($6)
Sandy's pork chop rivaled anything
at the Iowa State Fair ($8)
Rain predicted tomorrow, but a plethora of museums and old churches are possibilities
It's no longer Sandy's birthday
Happy belated Birthday Sandy! Looks like this will be another great trip!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Sandy! Are you going to check out Kaliningrad while you are at it? Riga looks like a beautiful fun city. We always enjoy your adventures. Met a young lady from Lithuania working at Shore Lodge in McCall Idaho last summer. Shore Lodge brings temp workers in from all over the world which is fun. Our Spokane connection to Lithuania is Domantas Sobonis who played basketball for Gonzaga and is now with the Indiana Pacers. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteNot going to Kaliningrad this time- It was hard to squeeze in all we want to do in 3 weeks - but our first trip here could be the lead for a second - who knows. Thanks for commenting and following.
DeleteCan't wait to follow these adventures! Riga looks beautiful, what a treat, enjoy! Happy belated birthday, Sandy! Love from Amsterdam, Jessica, Wouter, Max & Sophie
ReplyDeletei just changed browsers from Firefox to Chrome to see if my commenting will work now (after 3 unsuccessful attempts with Firefox!) Wanted to say HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY to Sandy! hooooray! and sounds like it was a delicious celebration! also excited that you're on another trip to "Parts Less Travelled." it's possible that my great grandfather was from Latvia....so even MORE exciting! I'll be following you!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is really a belated birthday wish, but happy birthday Sandy! I am LOVING this blog. I know nothing about these countries, so thanks for the intro. Nothing like I expected....
ReplyDelete