Blogs from Riga, Riga Region, Latvia, Europe - page 13

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Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 30th 2009

It was towards the end of the day and the city looked a lot busier than before. Many locals walking around, laughing, smiling it seemed a happy place. It felt safer too. The Police don’t look as intimidating now with their florescent yellow vests. In transit at Riga airport and 5 hours to kill there’s no better way to kill time than to exchange some money and head out to the Latvian capital for some Baltic life. 3 hours - that’s all I needed to see how much the Baltic’s have changed since my first visit - In 2004 it just got accepted into the EU (2 months earlier.) As a travel destination it was the unknown. Back then I stayed at the first hostel, which was still getting renovated at the time. I asked myself ... read more
Riga Train station
Locals freely playing music
Opera House

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 30th 2009

Sun. 30 August pretty as a picture - and that is all you are going to get with your Monday morning Weeties folks, its too late to write anything! proper anyway - man's gotta rest sometimes, at least in between Latvian feast times!... read more
Riga - St Peter's Lutheran church
Riga - St Peters Lutheran
Riga - St Peters again

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 30th 2009

this is the (almost) final Riga instalment (30-31 August) - being written on the bus Liepaja-Klaipeda (in Lithuania)- while battery holds out. (and no pics as takes too long - now in Lithuania its 3pm on 2 Sept. and I want out of my hotel! gee it is starting to get difficult to remember whats what from the Travel Blur! What di I do on 30 August? - well I do remember Diana at the K&G must have helped me with some more Latvian travel details re buses etc - the Rundale palace ones which went to waste (see later). I headed off down and efore I had gone far saw a shoe shop with a sale on (they all do) - myt cheapo Indian travel sandals are on their last legs as heel has worn ... read more

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 30th 2009

Our last day in Riga! We decided to take it easy -- both of us had sore feet, and my headaches and sore throat suggested that I might be getting a cold. Our friend Laurie, who’s done long trips like this before, once mentioned that it’s important to take a low-key day every now and then. So we didn’t set the alarm and didn’t make big plans. 
Mid-morning we headed to the Central Market to grab breakfast. This is the largest indoor market that either of us have ever seen -- it was built in a hangar that used to house zeppelins. The first hall is a giant butcher shop, with cuts of meat at stages of preparation that I’d wager most of you don’t see too often -- sides of beef, pig snouts and pig ... read more

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga 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, ... read more
Riga - older timber bldg
Riga - Art Nouveau again
Riga - Art Nouveau detail

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 29th 2009

this is about yesterday 28 August: as I already told you I arrived into Riga on the 6.45am bus from Tartu at 10.45 - walked to the LP recommended Krisjanis & Gertrudas B&B. After a blog update - and more importantly a nap - i was knackered after the early start and less sleep the night before - I was finally out the door for a walk. Headed down Gertrudas iela where K&G is towards the Art Nouveau are the other side of Brivibas which is where the fancy area of Riga begins - embassies and that sort of thing. As you can see in the pix started running into Art Nouveau on buildings without even going as far as the LP suggested walk! After a while - no eaties since 7am - decided to check ... read more
Riga - Art Nouveau 2
Riga - Art Nouveau 3
Riga - Art Nouveau 4

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 28th 2009

Riga lunchtime - 1.30pm (but I don't eat lunch, so I do not turn into a blimp as Melita suggested) The bus to here left Tartu (Estonia) at 6.45am and the hotel gave me a little lunch/breakfast polystyrene box of sandwiches and a bottle of orange juice - wasn't that nice, as leaving too early for breakfast. There was seriously hardly anyone staying there - and I had both the one breakfast and dinner I had there alone. Anyway having left Estonia some alleged facts about it - Estonia has the worst traffic accident fatality rate in Europe - and the way they hoon around the streets of Parnu I can believe it. Although I do not think I was the subject of a "crime" re loss of money some Brit posted a piece here (now ... read more
Riga -looking down Gertrudes iela
Riga - a colourful tram

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 28th 2009

We woke early in Pärnu so that we’d have time to grab a quick breakfast -- four pastries and two coffees, ordered mostly in Estonian. My rudimentary language skills hit their limits at the bus station, but I eventually figured out that we had to buy our tickets on the bus. The driver was, charmingly, a bit flustered because he couldn’t give us exact change; we overpaid and got on anyway, but after a few more people had paid he found us at the back of the bus and gave us our change. Aww. Meanwhile we’d struck up a friendly conversation with some Dutch travellers sitting near us. They had not loved Estonia, they said, because they preferred crowds. Well, I said, you’ll probably love Rīga. The contrast to Estonia really was jarring. Rīga is the ... read more

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 25th 2009

We came to Riga after 4-5 hours bus trip and immidiately followed to our hostel. Luckily for us that one was located in city centre and we shouldn't had to carry our luggages so far. I must to write the issue whose I forgot to type - in all Baltic states tourist can pay by card. Terminals are widely spreaded especially in Finland and Estonia, but in Latvia we haven't met any significant troubles with payments by card. Some problems we met afterwards in Lithuania and Poland. Riga as like Tallinn, Gdańsk and Turku had belonged to Hansetaic League. Characteristic feature of old town are merchants tenements. These are carefully trimmed and outer facades are various (reconstitud as they had looked in XVI century - Hansa time), at some of these buildings were set sculptures or ... read more
Riga - Old Town
Riga - Old Town
Riga - Old Town

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga August 2nd 2009

Latvia: 25th - 29th July 2009 It's not easy being Latvian. Sandwiched between Lithuania and Estonia with Mother Russia looking on disapprovingly, Latvians can be forgiven for having “middle child syndrome.” Worse still, if you're Latvian, then you are also the minority in your own capital, Riga, where ethnic Russians make up the largest demographic group. But, being second in line (regardless of whether you're counting north to south or south to north) can be a good thing for travelers who just want to relax and enjoy your city. Actually, our trip to Riga started with a few bumps. We found a nice apartment, and the owner, Nina, said her friend, Lena, would let us in since she, Nina, was on holiday. But unfortunately, Nina hadn't seen a typo in the number she gave us for ... read more
Elizabetes iela 10b
The 3 Heads on Alberta iela 4
Riga Graduate School of Law at Alberta iela 13




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