We skipped across the Lithuanian/Latvian border and were in Riga in time for lunch! That's what becomes of staying in a Youth Hostel - early starts! On our arrival we decided to follow the signs to a campsite even though the weather was reasonably "baltic". However, what we found at the city's campsite was more like a parking lot for campervans than a lush paddock for tents. So we headed back into town to find a hostel.
It took quite a bit of organising but eventually we found a hostel right in the centre of the old town and a spot for the clio not too far out. We'll come back to the hostel in a moment ... Being a famished couple of travellers we grabbed Latvia's version of fast food - deep fried meat filled pancakes and for pudding, more pancakes filled with banana and cream cheese. Heaven!
From there we headed to the country's museum of occupation - yes, it's as depressing as it sounds but it really does give you some idea of what the people suffered for five decades under the Soviets, Nazis and then Soviets again. We ended up spending a good 4 hours there and probably could've been there longer.
After that much achievement in one day, surely there couldn't be more?!? Oh yes, Ben scored an A+ for his drink challenge - Riga Black Balsam:
Back to the hostel. Apparently rooms are hard to get in Riga so we were pleasantly surprised when the hostel had no trouble accommodating us. We should have smelt the rat then! The hostel bar was open until 6 o'clock in the morning and inconveniently located under our room. We are both champion sleepers, but when they play the same 80s cheese on a loop there is a limit to what a person can put up with. But the hostel round the corner, where we spent the next two nights, was lovely!
Riga's old town is gorgeous, although as we learnt many of the "old" buildings had been rebuilt generally since independence. Here's the "House of the Blackheads":
The Blackheads were the Guild for unmarried merchants and those from out of town, so a few parties were no doubt held here. Apparently they named themselves after their favourite patron saint, who was black. Also in the main square is the town hall:
A short distance away from the central square is the freedom monument. Latvians put flowers there regularly throughout the Soviet occupation despite the threat of deportation to Siberia if the practice continued. Today, it is guarded by two soldiers and people are free to lay as many flowers as they like.
Joanna has been feeling left out of the drinking challenge so has made one up for herself. Yes, it involves large amounts of tea!
And lastly, eagle eyed Ben spotted this interesting logo on the side of a car. It maybe doesn't translate as well to English!
And a small addition to this post: Riga's cathedral. It has a Kellog's cockerel style weathervane, but this picture doesn't really show that much detail, sorry! But we had a wander inside and there were lots of artifacts from Riga's past in the cloister. Including the retired weathervane (saw service early 1500s to 1985).
As ever there's celebrations on our arrival, Riga's contribution was impressive fireworks. They may have been for the local TV channel's b'day but we prefer to think they were for us...
We'll do Tallinn soon, but internet is mad expensive in Finland...
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