Riga, Latvia Part 1: Introduction
November was a whirlwind in which I ended up traveling three out of four weekends, which of course means that I spent the rest of my time playing catch-up. Hence, even though I was in Riga a full month ago, I haven’t gotten around to posting anything about it until now.
When I came to Europe, I didn’t have too many preconceptions about places I would visit, but I certainly didn’t have the baltic states high on my list. However, my college friend Matt has been working in Latvia since graduation and I figured if I could find a way there, it would be worth the trip. Riga isn’t the easiest place to get to, but I was able to find a decent flight through Zurich and so I found myself training and planing north on Saturday November 10th.
Matt met me at the airport and we grabbed some groceries at a supermarket before returning his cousins’ car and having dinner there. It was nice to spend time with Latvian natives and to hear Matt’s perspective from having lived there for a bit over a year. Over the next few days I had a chance to see some sights, try some local bars and beers, enjoy a sauna and get a taste of the culture (including the finale of their ‘Singing With the Stars’ and an overdubbed presentation of Goldeneye). As Latvia was an occupied country up until the early 90s, it was interesting to see the contrast between the remnants of Soviet influence versus the development that has happened since. All in all it was a great visit and a good introduction to winter, because beginning on Sunday, the snow and wind made their presence felt.
I took many photos, especially of the architecture which I’ll share over the course of a few photo drops. Here are some starters.
Latvian flags by night
sunset over the Daugava River
park by night (pre-snow)
an old Soviet monument
Flowers are apparently a really big part of Latvian culture. People prepare bouquets to take as gifts to parties and gatherings as well as lay them all over the major monuments.
Orthodox Cathedral
random street scene
Matt and I enjoy an Alus (Latvian for beer)
When I came to Europe, I didn’t have too many preconceptions about places I would visit, but I certainly didn’t have the baltic states high on my list. However, my college friend Matt has been working in Latvia since graduation and I figured if I could find a way there, it would be worth the trip. Riga isn’t the easiest place to get to, but I was able to find a decent flight through Zurich and so I found myself training and planing north on Saturday November 10th.
Matt met me at the airport and we grabbed some groceries at a supermarket before returning his cousins’ car and having dinner there. It was nice to spend time with Latvian natives and to hear Matt’s perspective from having lived there for a bit over a year. Over the next few days I had a chance to see some sights, try some local bars and beers, enjoy a sauna and get a taste of the culture (including the finale of their ‘Singing With the Stars’ and an overdubbed presentation of Goldeneye). As Latvia was an occupied country up until the early 90s, it was interesting to see the contrast between the remnants of Soviet influence versus the development that has happened since. All in all it was a great visit and a good introduction to winter, because beginning on Sunday, the snow and wind made their presence felt.
I took many photos, especially of the architecture which I’ll share over the course of a few photo drops. Here are some starters.
Latvian flags by night
sunset over the Daugava River
park by night (pre-snow)
an old Soviet monument
Flowers are apparently a really big part of Latvian culture. People prepare bouquets to take as gifts to parties and gatherings as well as lay them all over the major monuments.
Orthodox Cathedral
random street scene
Matt and I enjoy an Alus (Latvian for beer)
posted by Aaron at 11:41 AM
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