Eager for Riga (just like Maggie May)

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No need for an early 'get up' today. So far the sailing and crossing the Baltic has been remarkably calm. The Captain's blog has not risen past ‘'smooth'. Today was a full day at sea. A chance to ‘join in' and see what activities there are and generally mooch around.

I think it was Benjamin Franklin who once said: ‘Nothing in this world is certain, except death and taxes!' He obviously hadn't been on a cruise!! The quotation should say: ‘Nothing onboard is certain, except eating and…BINGO!!' The day was going to be based around our meal times and, to give it the correct European name, Lotto!

We had a leisurely breakfast on Deck 11 – Tosca in the Cafeteria Le Vele while we studied the daily programme. Bingo started at noon so that was our first 'to do' today!! We didn't fancy the chess for beginners or intermediate so there was no point in entering the chess tournament. The cha, cha, cha lesson didn't really appeal to us and the Texas hold ‘em tournament sounded rather rude. I know now that it is a type of poker!!

Tonight's dress code is ‘gala'. This means to say a tux and dickey-bow for the gents and a posh frock for the ladies. Gala is not compulsory but you have to adhere to the dress code if you want to eat in the restaurant otherwise it's a case of slumming it in the café!! This was the first time I will have ever worn a tuxedo. I shall put my £60 suit from Matalan (including dress shirt, dickey AND cummerbund!!) to good use as well as my £10 patent leather shoes from Primark. Not only was it the first gala dinner of the voyage but there were also welcome cocktails beforehand and a chance to meet Captain Raffaele Ponti

Any way that's tonight. We've got €5,000 to win for a full house yet. We made our way to the Cotton Club via the photo gallery. The professional photographers snap you at every opportunity from boarding the vessel to disembarking at every port. It's good fun to look at everyone's picture and see if there are any looky-likies among us. So far we've spotted a Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson) and Kathy Bates. From the expression on her face I would say it was from her ‘Misery' era!!

The €5k was safe. Nobody won it. The full house had to be called within the first 40 numbers. Any calls after that won €100. Still a tidy sum but alas, we didn't win that either!

This is what they must mean by the Italian Lessons. The brochure promised regular Italian lessons. A promise that has not been kept. There is nothing in any of the daily programmes so fare to indicate organised classes. However, Roisin and I have learned how to count to 90 in 6 languages. Maybe, as times are hard, they have merged the language skills class with the Bingo!!??

Strolling back toward the aft of the ship (in the direction of the restaurant) Roisin spotted a couple of the entertainment crew laying out some craft materials on a table. ‘What are you doing?', she asked.

‘Please, sit, madam. We are going to make stuff!!'

In the hour that prevailed, Roisin was occupied by making a box with a lid from card. She gradually got an audience and a couple of other ladies joined in the ‘Blue Peter' experience!! Roisin's precision folds and cuts and immaculate and imaginative design work caught the eye of a Brazilian lady next to her. This was a prime example of communicating without words. Ok, there were lots of words in both English and Portuguese. None of which were understood by the other!! The main mode of communication, however, was actions. Do as I do and not as I say, so to speak. The poor Brazilian lady couldn't if she wanted to. Roisin's final product was actually better than the entertainment crew's box, who at one point, asked Roisin for advice.

Blimey is it that time already? Where does the time fly? As we left our cabin dressed in our formal attire, I couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable. What if everyone else is in jeans and t-shirt and the whole thing is a wind-up? This fear was short lived as turning the corner, approaching the elevator there were 2 couples also waiting to descend to the Caruso lounge. 1 man was in a white tuxedo. Very ‘the names Bond, James Bond-ish' The other man was wearing highland jacket and kilt, complete with fluffy sporran. Very ‘Donald, where's yer troosers-ish?!'

As we entered the Caruso Lounge, there were the ever-present photographers. Who was the dwarf in the white tux though? He could have easily been mistaken for a Hobbit if it wasn't for the 4 gold rings on his jacket. I've he only had the one gold ring and referred to everyone as ‘my precious', I'd be worried!! We had our photo taken with Capitano Ponti and headed in to the lounge for our welcome cocktail. We could get used to this. The lounge was busy It was wall-to-wall posh frocks and tuxedos (and the odd kilt!!)

We sat through the part where the Captain made a speech then introduced his officers.

‘If all the officers are here, who is driving the boat?' I commented to one of the crew in a facetious manner. ‘It can't drive itself!', I added.

‘Well actually, it can!!' came the reply. I politely gave the crewmember a quizzical look as if I hadn't understood (he was Italian!), smiled politely and headed for the dining room.

Riga is the capital of Latvia. Before 1991, this was a state of the formal Soviet Union. Together with Lithuania and Estonia, they are commonly known as the Baltic States. Riga is the biggest city of the Baltic States and lies on the River Daugava. Over time Riga has suffered from many invasions. It was under German rule in the 15th century and then was ruled by Sweden. In the 16th century Latvia was governed by Poland and not to be outdone became part of the Russian Empire in 1710. In 1945, Latvia was integrated in to the Soviet Union. It is fair to say the only nation not to have invaded Latvia is the Martians!!

Roisin and I had visited Riga once before. 3 years ago in 2006, we travelled to Riga for a short break in January. It was not the warmest holiday we'd ever taken…-26ºC to be precise!!

We had looked at the official shore excursions and once again, there was nothing that took our fancy. The excursions ranged from a 2 ½ hour highlights of Riga tour for €35 to a full 7 hour trip to Sigulda – the Switzerland of Latvia. This costs €71. A shuttle bus ran between the ship and the city centre for a cost of €8 return. The centre was approximately 15-20 minutes by bus. Not having had time to venture in to the gym during our voyage so far, and unlikely to do so for the remainder, we both decided that the walk would do us good.

After about an hour, the dusty and potted holed dock road split into 2 dusty potted holed roads!!

Most tourists tend to head for ‘old Riga'. The old town is split in to two aptly named halves ‘Old Riga – Northern half' and ‘Old Riga – Southern half'!!! This is divided by kaļķa iela or Lime Street. Somehow the famous Liverpool sea shanty doesn't have the same ring about it

‘Oh Maggie, Maggie May, they have taken her away,

And she'll never walk down ‘kaļķa iela' anymore…'

Entering the old town from the north, we felt like we had been whisked back in time to a Hammer House of Horrors film! The narrow thoroughfares and architecture gave it a certain ‘neo-gothic' film set look although most of the buildings were only founded in the late 19th and early 20th century. We meandered our way through the narrow streets until we arrived at the Pulver Tornis (Powder Tower). This is somewhat older than the buildings that stand in its shadow. It goes back as far as the 14th century where it probably stored gun powder but was destroyed by the Swedes in 1621, probably looking to set up another furniture store!!! It was rebuilt shortly after with 8ft thick walls. ‘Try destroying this one, Sven!!'

Walking down another narrow street with an unpronounceable name, stands Kaķu mäja‘(The House of Cat). Once owned by a merchant who had a bust up with his mates from the Great Guild, he turned all the cats so they had their backsides pointing toward the Great Guild Hall. All the Guildsmen, who were the most influential in the city were, for the first time in their lives, powerless to do anything. They offered him money; he refused point blank and just silently pointed to the cats. This is how the phrase, ‘You can stick your money up your arse', came about!!!

Moving into the southern side of the old town passing the last remaining section of the city wall and along side the cathedral of Riga in the very tidy Ratsnamms (Town Hall Square). The square is dominated by the Melngalvjunams (the House of Blackheads). Its Dutch renaissance façade is reminiscent of, well, Dutch renaissance of course!! Go to Amsterdam and study the Dutch Master (especially Rembrandt) for 4 years. You'll see what I mean!!

The name is somewhat shrouded in confusion. One school of thought is that the merchants of the city (not sure if they were connected to ‘cat-man!!) used the hall to hold feasts of remarkable magnitude that became the stuff legends are made from. Sort of an early McDonalds-cum-KFC affair!! Many scholars believe that the building gets its name from the black caps that were worn by its member or from its patron saint, Mauritius, a moor.

Speaking of Micky D's, it was lunchtime so we headed to Latvia's own fast food restaurant known as Cili Pica. The restaurant probably fits somewhere between McDonalds and TGI Fridays on the scale of cheap and cheerfulness!

After a well-deserved rest, we headed out and took a walk through a belt of parkland to the east of the old town. This is made up from Kronvalds Park and City Park. The strip is divided by the city canal that runs the whole length of the parks.

We crossed an interesting bridge that was completely covered by padlocks that had been clamped around one of the bridge's railings. It's a custom believed to have started in Hungary where couples declare their bond by fixing a padlock with their names engraved on to the bridge and throwing the keys into the waters below. . I'm not quite sure what happens to the keys in winter when the water is frozen over though. Perhaps they are thrown on to the ice-covered canal and the ducks come along and eat them?? Who knows??

The padlocks were all shapes and sizes and many are engraved with the names of the couples.

Freedom monument, affectionately known as Milda to the locals was unveiled in 1935. It has become a national shrine and each day fresh flowers are put at the foot of the monument. This was punishable by transportation to Siberia in Soviet times!!

Atop of the white obelisk stands a woman, Mother Latvia. She is holding 3 stars that represent the 3 historic regions of Latvia. This was nothing to do with the Champions League as first thought!!!

The thought of walking back to the ship was less than appealing as we had been walking for most of the day. As we don't do taxis (if we can help it), Roisin had spotted a tram that passed us on several occasions on our walk from the ship earlier on

Buying a ticket was an ordeal as no-one seemed to speak English or, indeed wanted to speak German. We finally bought some sort of ticket that must have been the right one as the driver waved us on as we entered the tram. The tickets cost 0.50 Lats, about 50p.

The tram took us to within 1 mile of the cruise terminal.

Our 2nd visit to the Latvian capital was as enjoyable as the first (but a lot warmer!!) It's one of the best cities we have visited for just wandering. The old town and centre is very compact and I guarantee the city will unlock some of its hidden gems to you on every visit.

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