Did she ... wet the bed?!!??

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Geo: 56.9465, 24.1048

Off to the bus station - on the way, we stopped to pick up some more of those donuts, pastries, and an open-faced ham sandwich for the ride to Riga. I had some Estonian Kroons to blow, so it was spent on bottled water, chocolates, and cough drops (or throat drops, as Yvonne would say) for Mary.

I wasn't feeling too great this morning - perhaps it's because I haven't had my usual morning cider yet. As Mary and I listened to my iPod, U2's classic "With or without you" came on. She asked me if I liked the song and I responded that no, I actually fill my iPod with songs that I hate so that I can constantly torture myself. Ahhh ... sarcasm ... the only thing in life that I am good at!

We arrived in Riga - it's a sprawling city. It was quite the trek from the bus station to our hostel. On the way, we ran into the Hong Kong ladies from Kuressaare. The hostel isn't in the best location as it's far from the action, but we decided to stay here because it sounded like it was quieter than most of the party hostels in Riga. The hostel is actually fairly nice, but they have an odd no shoes allowed inside policy. Perhaps this is in order to keep the premises clean, or perhaps the owners have a foot fetish.

The first stop was St. Peter's church in Vecriga (the old town) - the temporary art exhibit inside was more interesting than the church itself. The focus of the exhibit was the artist Ulgis Roga, who had a very unique style.

After, we stopped for a quick lunch at a cheap cafeteria-style restaurant, and then continued sightseeing. So far, Riga is definitely warmer, livelier, and less tacky than Tallinn. There is a vibrant café culture here, especially in its myriad busy squares. Our tour continued at the Cathedral - its cloisters were in ruins and disappointing. Hopefully they are able to gather enough donations to restore it to its former glory.

Riga also has a number of lovely parks - perfect places to stroll and enjoy the beautiful sunshine today. Trees, canals, and grassy areas to enjoy the shade or sun ... perhaps we could have enjoyed it more if I wasn't always in such a rush to get to the next destination!

The Jews in Latvia museum was surprisingly good once you got to the more interesting sections. The focus was on Riga's most famous Jewish citizens, but I really wasn't that interested in the lives of bankers, lawyers, athletes, etc. The most intriguing parts described how some locals shielded Jews from persecution, and the brutalities that the Jews endured in Riga at the hands of the Nazis.

A little more English information would have been nice, but we can't always expect everybody to cater to us English-speakers. Admission to the museum is by donation only, but they are pretty aggressive at soliciting donations. I think they should just start charging admission rather than guilting visitors into coughing up.

We continued on to the Art Nouveau district and then stopped for some tea at Goija Tea House. The soothing and funky electronic music gave the place a nice vibe. My yerba mate tea was way too sweet. I also developed a wicked headache after and was glad that Mary carried Tylenol with her.

The castle was quite disappointing. We actually had trouble finding it because it looks more like a mansion than a castle. Of course, we didn't actually go inside to see the History Museum of Latvia so it's possible that we missed out - but I doubt it.

Dinner tonight was at Velvets. It was a little bit chilly, but still a fairly nice night. I tried Lacplesis, a local brew. Not bad, but definitely not as good as the sweet, sweet cider I have been having in Estonia. Luckily, a touch of sweetness was added to the meal by the cute waitress!

We took a stroll after the mediocre meal. Pat and Mary Asian Circus-Sideshow Freak in the Baltics Moment #6: We passed by a casino, where the creepy security guards starting yelling stuff at us in Latvian. Perhaps it was racism, or perhaps he was hitting on Mary. It's a good thing there wasn't any trouble because each of those guys could have snapped me in half with two fingers! Oh, how I exaggerate ... those guys probably could've snapped me with only one finger!

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Photos

a
Mary was upset that her "Pinos" water was finished.

b
So she crushed it with her hands ... I think she's been educated by Lorena Bobbitt.

c
This truffle was crap. I also had a piece of cake that was little more than glorified fruitcake. The ham sandwich wasn't bad but really, how can you screw up a ham sandwich?

d
A bunch of lazy birds, lounging in the sun. They must be visiting from Spain.

f
One of the coolest looking TIs you'll ever see.

g
A controversial reminder of Latvia's Soviet past - it's three soldiers guarding the square.

h
Mmmm ... pancakes galore ... I can't remember which was which, but we had pancakes stuffed with cottage cheese, one with some other type of cheese, one with mushrooms, and a dessert pancake that we ate with jam and sour cream.
Mary-ism #10: "It's so gigantic and heavy! My wrist is hurting!" What could Mary possibly have been talking about? The extra large cutlery that the restaurant uses.

i
More chocolate. We need help.

i2
So in this restaurant, there is no alcohol, no credit cards are accepted, you can't smoke, can't race horses, and can't play the trumpet.

i3
Interesting-looking bollards ...

i4
... so Mary made take this picture. She forced me to do it, I swear!

j
I think this was taken inside of the Cathedral Church.

k
Statue of Bishop Albert, German missionary who founded Riga.

l
Mary moment #27: Sitting on a bench inside the Cathedral Church, Mary's legs weren't long enough to touch the ground. The land of the giants!

m2
In 1989, a demonstration (called The Baltic Way) calling for independence from the Soviets involved a human chain of over two million people. It stretched across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

n
Cars lining the highways.

o
The human chain stretched across all three Baltic capitals.

p
The Esplanade, a park in the newer part of Riga.

q
The Freedom Monument - it's supposed to be Lady Liberty holding three gold stars, which represent Kurzeme, Latgale, and Vidzeme (the three main regions of Latvia).
The Soviets destroyed most nationalistic monuments like this, but they allowed it to stand because they said it represented mother Russia supporting the three Baltic states.

r
Russian Orthodox Church, with its beautiful exterior.

s
The Art Nouveau district. I think this is the Stockholm school of economics.