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Published: August 29th 2009
late night Riga 10pm+ rainy Sat. nite 29 Aug.two blogs in one day - this is truly net addiction! - cos I can, as I keep saying.
Having posted the earlier entry and finally got out of the K&G at about 4pm - call this being a tourist?! - fair dinkum, its like the Leunig cartoon of the people inside watching the sunset on TV while its actually happening outside! in a way I welcomed the opportunity to come back "early" to the hotel as it was raining - the real reason I stopped for dinner at 7pm was I was really busting busting - and eating earlier was a good thing as well - rather than at 9pm+ and then coming back and blogging and the whole midnight thang - its not good for you, or for early starts. You have breakfast just before 10am, cos that is as late as you can have it etc and then leave the hotel in the afternoon after not doing much. Just as well i am in Riga for 4 nights as my "tourism" plan (moi, what is dat??) is shot already! So far in 2 days I have managed to complete
the Art Nouveau district - more pix attached - mind you that is pretty unique anywhere- and have not even seen the Old Town - Vec Riga yet - maybe I should have stayed there, at least I would not have got sidetracked having to walk there - but then I might not have seen the Art Nouveau etc.
In the time left I should also really get out to Jurmala the beach resort, with Russians with bad haircuts (says LP - those style bitches?) and also Rundale (Versailles - Latvia style - palace)- no way other than bus tour (its 75km away) I think as too hard and too many bus changes to get there independently - and I do not have that kinda time and do not need to save that much money. The weather started fine rain earlier in afternoon which was my excuse for staying here in the afternoon. The young woman at K&G was helping me with research re Sandi's family and location near Aizpute. She is going off for four days to Scotland to take her 3 yr old son to meet his grandmother - father must be Scottish but I did not
get into that - apparently the divorce rate here is like 60% (slightly worse than the unemployment!).
Anyway then tonight after dinner at 9pm ish (AA Gill update follows) also raining so thought coming back and doing this and an "early" night and early start (ahem - these things are relative) on Sunday was a good thing. I have decided that my "accidental tourism" is just really a bit haphazard - now without this easy accessibility of weblog to amuse youse I might be out there enjoying myself - altho I obviously get something out of this too and it is good to be able to do a menu du jour of the daily best photos and post them.
So when I finally exited the hotel after the showers had stopped (yeah, yeah, an excuse) and wandered over to Art Nouveau land to continue the LP path, I had a stop at a genuine tea shop - it said Teja outside with a samovar thing hanging up - and some in the window, so that was a bit of a clue - they are supposedly better than the coffee shops, so it was a good excuse to try
one for a bit of tiffin so to speak at 5pm. She only spoke Latvian and German, not really English - but I had a nice little cake and a superb black Russian tea with walnut and orange flavourings - water poured over the tea in a wicker basket in a glass in a pewter sort of holder- no doubt routine for them but new to me. And it cost all about $2.50. A very nice change. Then on to more Art Nouveau - Alberta iela is seriously one heavy duty street with almost every building some kind of bizarre masterpiece in terms of sorta neo-gothic ornamentation on the outside - goodness knows what they are like inside! a couple of them are embassies as west of Brivibas is where most of the embassies are - its rather exclusive, like the shops.
So wandering around there, looking for a bar or something I could use a loo - and decided the restaurant Rossini would have to do - and eat at 7pm for a change as I said. So - AA Milne update (thanks to Barbara for putting me onto this! - you won't hear the end of it
now!). A very nice salad - usual dressed leaves, but with butter-fried chanterelles - the slender yellow mushrooms in season at the moment - delicious, with some halved quail eggs ad cherry tomatoes thrown in for good measure (cost c 10AUD). Then continuing my search for interesting duck dish - you don't think of it as an italian dish as you never see it in Australia- this was an Italian restaurant did I say? This was duck fillet cooked pink and cut into slices and fanned across the plate and was really quite elegant (cost c $20AUD). And served with some small baked chats and grilled vegetables. Almost 'the' duck dish so far I think on the unofficial survey. Then - tiramisu with forest berries - a hugs slab for $10AUD - and a 375ml carafe of rosso Sicilia - all quite pleasant really -- total cost with 10% tip $55AUD. Just as well I got in there at 7pm - it being Sat. nite as it filled up afterwards. 2 tables of Russians I think - one lot not drinking much, or a couple doing vodka shots - the others apeared to be wine buffs (?)- had their Italian
red decanted into a carafe sitting over a jug of ice ?? (different - maybe that is how they drink it in Georgia or something?).
Anyway better do the photo thing. It is still raining quite steadily out so just as well I bought the Rivers parka on sale for $15 in a pocket which is stashed in the camera bag - and the camera bag has a pullout cover for it as well! - got to try both of them tonight so not wasted. Night night.
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lynne
non-member comment
from oz
Hi Mike, You certainly have been keeping us up to speed on your trip. Love the photos of all the art nouveau buildings. What is the temps over there. You are eating very well and such a variety. All is well here and has been pretty warm in the 30's. Went to the beach today and had a dip. Keep well and safe. Love Lynne