I packed it in and got settled, and before I knew it, it was already getting late, and I was tired. But I needed to get some supplies. Fortunately, there is a market right across the street from the hotel -
More like a shopping center with a market within it as well. Later I found out that I am surrounded by markets and stores to buy whatever I want or need. This did for the night, though. I bought a bottle of wine and some bread and cheese since I had eaten lunch before flying out of Stockholm.
The shopping center also includes a theater and look what's playing:
The market was a nice experience. I was able to find the wine without a problem, the cheese came in small bite-size servings in a little resealable bag (I have a refrigerator in my room), and the bread was the only thing I might have had a problem with.
Apparently, you pick the bread pieces you want, then you put them in a bag and take them over to a machine where you enter their "item number" and you are charged by weight. I remembered this from Rome and was glad I observed before making my purchase otherwise, I would have been held up at the check out.
(I went to another store today, and there was no such contraption. I put my bread in a bag, and I was charged a unit price per pieces of bread - go figure....)
Check out was easy, just like home. I used my credit card, and everything went through without a hitch.
I woke up early this morning and headed for breakfast around 7 am. Since breakfast was included with my hotel stay, it was just a matter of finding out where and showing my room card. Breakfast was fantastic. You had a very large assortment of things to choose from and most were hot - including eggs, bacon, and other meats and cheeses, etc. Quite a spread and everything was delicious. Quite a bargain.
The weather was supposed to be nice today, so I took a chance and left the umbrella and sweater at home. Although it was a bit chilly and a little windy on and off throughout the day, it wasn't uncomfortable.
As I started my walk, I realized that Riga is not without her charms. Yes, there are a lot of old buildings and streets that are in need of repair, but it looks like they are on the job. My only complaint is that there did seem to be a lot of litter strewn about, but not overmuch as to detract from your enjoyment of the town.
Right smack dab in the middle of the town is a little river walk. I didn't really know about it and chanced upon it as I started walking towards the Freedom Monument. It reminded me of the riverwalk in San Antonio, but I didn't see any boats on the water - it was still early though. Here are some views along the walk starting with the Latvian National Opera House - http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Latvian_National_Opera
I walked all the way around the park, which was quite a distance, but along the way I also made a few stops.
The first stop was at the Freedom Monument - http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Freedom_Monument
It is a pedestrian area for the most part, but you can tell it has a special significance for the Rigans. Very impressive monument with large "heroic" figures at the base.
I've added other pictures I took in the same area.
Speaking of different, I did notice some graffiti in the city, but not a lot. Here's an example.
I like to sample the local beers and wines whenever I travel. After Sweden and that disastrous run in with the near-wine (God help those people), I am happy to say that beer and wine are sold everywhere in Riga. This particular picture made my heart happy:
I made my way around the riverwalk back to the Freedom Monument and stopped in the Greek Orthodox church - The Nativity of Christ Cathedral - http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Nativity_Cathedral,_Riga
From the Cathedral, I headed over into the Old Town area - crossing from where the Freedom Monument is and going towards the river. Here are some random photos I took on my excursion.
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| You better have some good walking shoes to manage these streets. |
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| Another way to get around. |
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| Had lunch here - more later. |
When I initially arrived at the airport, I made it a point to get to an ATM right away. Unfortunately, whenever I do this, I usually take out at least a hundred worth of the common currency. I say unfortunately, because I am usually given either the 100 currency or two 50's - you never get smaller bills - I don't know why, but it makes it difficult to buy anything initially that costs a couple of 1's or 5's. Be advised. It happened here at the cathedral. The cost to go in was 3,50 Euros, but I only had the 50 Euro bill, which they refused. I had to use my credit card to get in. Oh well....
Entry to the museum was about 5 Euro, which was a bargain. Here are some things I enjoyed discovering.
Right outside the museum was a restaurant whose menu I'd read before going into the museum. The prices sounded reasonable, and the pictures of the food on the menu looked very appetizing. So, I stopped for lunch. The bean soup was supposedly authentic Latvian (and it was so good on a cool day), and the goulash and mashed potatoes were just great - still couldn't find the word for water, so I had to drink beer again. Oh, well, I suffer in silence.....
I figured since breakfast had already been paid for, it was okay to splurge.
After lunch, I walked around the Old Town some more and ran into a little crafts market:
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| Baltic amber is supposed to be very big in Riga/Latvia. |
As I rounded the corner, I found the House of the Blackheads - Very interesting story and beautiful building: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/House_of_the_Blackheads
Yet another source of confusion. The entry fee is not clearly explained when you walk in. I wound up purchasing a ride to the top of the steeple - which really didn't turn out too bad. the church was also featuring an exhibit of amber craft - beautiful stuff:
Time to head back to the hotel, but not before doing some shopping. On my way back I found I have a mall nearby:
According to my map, there is another even bigger market across the street from my hotel, so I head out that way to do some exploring.
I also found the bus/train station, and now I'm planning a day trip out of town. More later.
I am really enjoying Riga, and I hope to see another town in Latvia before I head on out to Lithuania. The people have been exceptionally friendly, and although this isn't Paris or Stockholm for that matter, it is quaint, friendly, and very very interesting.
Nice choice for a vacation.
Talk to you soon
Steve
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