Blogs from Riga, Riga Region, Latvia, Europe - page 19

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Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga May 30th 2008

Prior to easter 2005, I was searching for a destination for a European city break which would provide a travel experience to a relatively-unknown city on a favourable budget, and came up with the idea of visiting Tallinn, in Estonia, where I spent 4 inspiring days over easter of that year. After that enjoyable trip, I vowed to return to the region in order to check out the rest of what the Baltic States had to offer, and the next port of call was the Latvian capital city, Riga. By and large, Riga is considered to be Baltic States' main hub of activity, and upon arrival, a few brief glances around the cityscape in downtown Riga revealed hints of what treats the city had in store. Pre-departure background reading about the destination enabled me to gain ... read more
Art Nouveau building
Lunch
House of the Blackheads

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga May 18th 2008

Hi guys, Another blog entry since we have free (albiet very slow and unreliable) internet access at our guesthouse here in Riga. I thought Vilinus in Lithuania was beautiful, well Riga is even more so. The buildings and architecture here are totally amazing. They are definitley restoring the city to its former glory, the communists really did not do much to enhance the beauty of the place. We arrived yesterday to find it was some sort of special festival for the beginning of summer with music and stalls etc. This weekend was also museum weekend, once a year when all the museums are free - fab! It has been particularly useful today as it has been grey and a bit wet. Such a change after over 2 weeks of glorious sun. In Vilinus, and now here ... read more
hill of crosses
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Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga May 16th 2008

Het was leuk om even terug te zijn in België maar onze voeten begonnen te jeuken en het werd tijd om terug te vertrekken. Om middernacht landen we in Riga. Te laat voor de bus nemen we een taxi naar het Elisabeth Hostel. We vermoeden dat de bestuurder ervan droomt de Letse Senna te worden. De straten van Riga zijn gelukkig niet zijn Imola. Een supervriendelijke madam ontvangt ons met een brede glimlach op dit nachtelijke uur. De dag erop gaan we na een goede nachtrust de stad verkennen. We lopen wat rond in de Oude stad. Het is er niet groot (om niet te zeggen piepklein). Alles is recentelijk gerenoveerd en in perfecte staat. Eeuwenoude gebouwen zien er nieuw uit en zijn mooi opgeblonken. Het lijkt een beetje onecht. Het is wat zielloos. Onze inkopen ... read more
Soloreiziger
Bremer stadsmuzikanten
Oude stad

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga April 24th 2008

(Day 20 on the road)When Latvians go to the sauna, they keep their swimsuits on. I found this out the hard way when I was standing stark-naked in the middle of the main room of the sauna, with everyone else being dressed and staring at me as if I was the first guy they had seen without clothes in their entire life's. Well, the people I had asked to find this place never mentioned that fact to me, so... Altogether though, it was a very relaxing afternoon. Especially the "salt sauna", where there was a huge basket full of salt to rub your skin with, was perfect. Riga itself stroke me as being slightly more cosmopolitan than Vilnius, but also very pretty. I also found Riga to me more spread-out: Whereas Vilnius' Old City concentrated on ... read more
Riga main square
Orthodox Church in Riga
Train-station at sunset near Riga

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga April 14th 2008

Well here is a place I have wanted to go to for a long time, and was really impressed by the city and its history. I went to a museum in Estonia on the occupation of the Baltic States but you didn't see as much there as you did in Riga the capital. As for the history of the area is,well I think this would tell it better then I could http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Latvia (I know but its true and you all know it..) Any way there were all sorts of things to see and do in Riga you could even go out to a Soviet Bunker and shoot a AK-47 but the guide was out of town for the weekend so I went to a outdoor museum. I know its not as good of a choice but ... read more
SNOW
Freedom Monument
This is just the begining of this kind of stuff I hope you know this....

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga April 5th 2008

We arrived at the airport in Riga on Friday afternoon. (Both Latvia and Estonia are 1hour ahead of Germany.) As we taxied to our gate, we saw an airport in need of some work. The runways needed paving, the airport terminal itself was tiny, and there appeared to be a Soviet plane graveyard in the middle of it all. Once inside the terminal we found an ATM to withdraw LATS (the local currency). Knowing a bus ride was only 40 LATS cents, we needed to break the new 50 LAT bill we got from the ATM. We walked into a small airport store which sold drinks, food, and candy. As I was wandering around inside, Romas disappeared - leaving me to pay for a 35 LAT cent roll of Mentos with a 50 LAT bill!! It's ... read more
our hotel
Freedom Monument
Guards in front of Freedom Monument

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga March 19th 2008

It was yesterday evening when I was considering my next year and how it will look like... and suddenly out of blue air I got this crazy idea of spending my summer somewhere abroad. As I have to start my master studies in September, I have my time only till then. And as I am in AIESEC and are we kind of dealing with internships :P ... hi hi... well, You got my point... I want to go on an internship during the summer. I started to consider the destination... and as I was visiting Anki, I just looked at her and my decision came itself. I want to try Romania! As I want an internship only for 2 or 3 months, than I see only Europe for it now. And Romania seems to be the ... read more
Romanian flag
Romania
Romanian castles

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga March 10th 2008

Having booked our flights to Riga back in November our trip East seemed to come around incredibly quickly after our last jaunt to Krakow. The usual silly o'clock start that we have become so used to saw us arriving in Riga without any problems, and a first for boys club - a taxi driver from the airport that didn't want to either rip us off massively or try and kill us with his dodgy driving. Result! We were booked into the comically named Friendly Fun Franks hostel which proved to be an absolute winner - arranging a couple of great trips for us, having a 24 hour bar and greeting us on arrival with a free beer each! The weather was decidedly on the nippy side the first day in Riga, and this certainly wasn't helped ... read more
Riga from St Peters spire
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh start

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga March 10th 2008

Llegamos a la capital letona cuando ya ha anochecido, y Riga nos recibe durmiente y gélida. A la mañana siguiente pequeños copos de nieve caen perezosamente, y tras abrigarnos concienzuamente bajamos al Hall del Hotel donde nos espera Ieva ( de la oficina de turismo de Letonia) . La ciudad ha recuperado su actividad habitual y cuando llegamos al "Latvian Etnographic Open Air museum" empieza a nevar con mas fuerza. Despues de la visita de rigor al lugar ( o sea casas y mas casas bajo la nieve) volvemos al centro de Riga, donde visitamos las principales atracciones de la ciudad vieja que ha sido reconstruida en su mayor parte en los ultimos años ya que en la segunda guerra mundial Riga fue muy castigada por los bombardeos. Pero la visita estrella de Letonia no esta ... read more
Chocolates Laima Riga
Nieve en Riga
Liepaja

Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga January 22nd 2008

well well well well. i find myself sitting at riga airport like a giant lemon, all tired out and wearing too many layers. see, its dang cold outside, but inside its el scorcho. very annoying. been another interesting day really, yesterday was insane. maybe not as insane as a man holding a gun to his head on a tram, but still, latvia is mad. so yes, recap. woke up early yesterday as arta had school so was in the centre of riga by 9.30, which isnt that early, but it certainly felt it. arta went off to school and i went to the train station. riga's train station is a strange one, it must be said. as far as i can remember it was my first train station experience where there was no english whatsoever, which ... read more




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