Art Deco

Trip Start Aug 23, 1996
1
379
451
Trip End Ongoing


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Latvia  ,
Sunday, January 27, 2008

We love collecting sets. Lucy and myself have all the five Latin Euro countries, three short of the Med countries and have been to all the Western Euro ones, but back in October last year, we started a new set. Countries of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republic. After experiencing the delights of Ukraine, we knew we had to try another one, well mainly for the vodka fix, but once it gets into your system, you know you need to try another one !!!
 
Jew boy prices rule !!! Lucy found the flights, £40 return, and we were on our way.

Next step, lessons in Russian. Da, Nyet, Spacebo. Enoughs enough, lets get going !!!
 
Arrival
 
We grabbed a bus and headed into the old city and straight away there was failure. I tried my Russian and the reply was in Latvian followed by English. Yes, my Russian had failed me, nothing to be expected really !!! Along the way, there were the usual EBA, but this is to be expected. Once the bags were dumped, we took an Uncle Davros walking tour. I had found a couple of different ones and thought it would be a good way to see the city.
 
Day 1
 
Starting at the touro info building, a guy came up and asked us if we wanted to go on his. I told him that he was making a mistake and he would be better off coming on mine. At that point, he lost his English, abused me in Latvian and walked off !!!
 
The majority of the first stuff that we saw was re-built from WW2, but that was ok. They were in the old style, not our favourite EBA !!! As you walk around, there are loads of old art deco styles, and the only problem is that you eventually get a sore neck from constantly looking up. They were everywhere, in all shapes and sizes. Amazingly, the Soviets had left them there.
 
As the sun came down, we came across an ice rink, but Lucy didn't have her skates with her, so she did the punter thing and went on with the hire ones on. Now Lucy can skate, but I was pissing myself with her attempts. After a while, she did manage to go backwards, spin and jump even !!!
 
Day 2
 
Up early, we headed over to the markets. They are housed in old Zeppelin hangers. Massive. And then it happened, we saw all this meat, just hanging there, so Lucy and me had an arguement, and it went like this
 
Lucy - It's Wabbit season
Me - It's Duck season
Lucy - It's Wabbit season
Me - It's Duck season
Lucy - It's Wabbit season
Me - It's Duck season
 
And then we saw them, Babushkas.

Then we looked at each other and screamed, It's Babushka season !!!
 
Be vewy vewy quiet, we're hunting Babushkas !!! Hahahahahahahahaha !!!
 
They were everywhere. We gave chase, but they were sneaky. Everytime we went to shoot, they would turn. They were not compliant like the Ukranian ones. We bagged as many as possible, then hit the streets again.
 
We walked over to the cathedral and caught the lift up to the top. It was nice looking down on Riga. It's a tiny city for a capital, about the size of L'viv. Once down, we took another walk around to see more art deco buildings !!! Not following any of the tourist maps that we had, we wandered around sections that were run down EBA and also through a part that was all wood. Some were old, some were not as people were re-building them. Eventually, the Jew in me found the local synagogue. It was the only one to survive the Nazi and Soviet occupation. Inside, I met a man and we had a good laugh about all things Jewish. I do like discussing my heritage.
 
As night rolled on, our weekend came to a close, snow came, and it was nearly time to go home, but first we had to feed ourselves.

Dinner

We found a local place and I would love to know who was the person who changed the menu from Latvian to English. They had beauties like steamed green things, pok knuckles and the one that I went for, after celebration special. Raw fish and pickles. It was beeter than the cheese on toast that Lucy had, which we couldn't see the cheese !!! But the winner was the venison goulash.
 
And finally
 
Riga was fun, the city was nice but having experienced Ukraine, I think that they are lucky that the cheap flights haven't arrived. Ukraine still has an innocence about it, while it seems like Riga has been ripped apart by the young Westies over for cheap piss ups. Yes, it's nice, but I prefer the people and what I saw in Ukraine. I don't know if I will go back, but we never know where my life will take me.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family Pictures & Videos

001 Potato Pancakes, Riga 001 Potato Pancakes, Riga 002 Building, Riga 002 Building, Riga 003 Two Buildings, Riga 003 Two Buildings, Riga 004 Entranceway, Riga 004 Entranceway, Riga
005 EBA, Riga 005 EBA, Riga 006 Buildings, Riga 006 Buildings, Riga 007 Building, Riga 007 Building, Riga 008 Cat Building, Riga 008 Cat Building, Riga
009 Cat, Riga 009 Cat, Riga 010 Cat, Riga 010 Cat, Riga 011 Cat Building, Riga 011 Cat Building, Riga 012 Sculpture, Riga 012 Sculpture, Riga
013 Building, Riga 013 Building, Riga 014 Babushka, Riga 014 Babushka, Riga 015 Building, Riga 015 Building, Riga 016 Building, Riga 016 Building, Riga
017 Figurehead, Riga 017 Figurehead, Riga 018 Figurehead, Riga 018 Figurehead, Riga 019 Church, Riga 019 Church, Riga 020 Stained Glass, Riga 020 Stained Glass, Riga
021 Cows Head, Riga 021 Cows Head, Riga 022 Statue, Riga 022 Statue, Riga 023 Seven Bells, Riga 023 Seven Bells, Riga 024 Church, Riga 024 Church, Riga
025 Church, Riga 025 Church, Riga 026 Building, Riga 026 Building, Riga 027 Three Buildings, Riga 027 Three Buildings, Riga 028 Church & Building, Riga 028 Church & Building, Riga
029 Palace, Riga 029 Palace, Riga 030 Church, Riga 030 Church, Riga 031 Gate, Riga 031 Gate, Riga 032 Theatre, Riga 032 Theatre, Riga
033 Statue, Riga 033 Statue, Riga 034 Bar Sign, Riga 034 Bar Sign, Riga 035 Laneway, Riga 035 Laneway, Riga 036 Gate, Riga 036 Gate, Riga
037 Gate, Riga 037 Gate, Riga 038 Building, Riga 038 Building, Riga 039 Building, Riga 039 Building, Riga 040 Building, Riga 040 Building, Riga
041 David & a Babushka, Riga 041 David & a Babushka, Riga 042 Building, Riga 042 Building, Riga 043 Head, Riga 043 Head, Riga 044 EBA, Riga 044 EBA, Riga
045 Statue, Riga 045 Statue, Riga 046 Lucy in Riga 046 Lucy in Riga 047 David in Riga 047 David in Riga 048 Church at Night, Riga 048 Church at Night, Riga
049 Blue Bridge, Riga 049 Blue Bridge, Riga 050 Zeppelin Hangers at Night, Riga 050 Zeppelin Hangers at Night, Riga 051 Zeppelin Hanger at Night, Riga 051 Zeppelin Hanger at Night, Riga 052 Lucy Skating, Riga 052 Lucy Skating, Riga
053 Lucy Skating, Riga 053 Lucy Skating, Riga 054 Lucy Skating, Riga 054 Lucy Skating, Riga 055 Lucy Skating, Riga 055 Lucy Skating, Riga 056 Lucy Skating, Riga 056 Lucy Skating, Riga
057 Building, Riga 057 Building, Riga 058 Sculpture, Riga 058 Sculpture, Riga 059 Memorial, Riga 059 Memorial, Riga 060 Statue, Riga 060 Statue, Riga
061 Love Lock, Riga 061 Love Lock, Riga 062 Love Locks, Riga 062 Love Locks, Riga 063 Che & Bart, Riga 063 Che & Bart, Riga 064 Tower, Riga 064 Tower, Riga
065 Doorway, Riga 065 Doorway, Riga 066 Old Town Wall, Riga 066 Old Town Wall, Riga 067 Salo, Riga 067 Salo, Riga 068 Pumpkins, Riga 068 Pumpkins, Riga
069 David in Riga 069 David in Riga 070 Zeppelin Hangers, Riga 070 Zeppelin Hangers, Riga 071 Zeppelin Hanger, Riga 071 Zeppelin Hanger, Riga 072 Fish, Riga 072 Fish, Riga
073 Babushka, Riga 073 Babushka, Riga 074 Babushka, Riga 074 Babushka, Riga 075 Breakfast, Riga 075 Breakfast, Riga 076 Soldiers, Riga 076 Soldiers, Riga
077 Soldiers & Monument, Riga 077 Soldiers & Monument, Riga 078 Russian Church, Riga 078 Russian Church, Riga 079 Russian Church, Riga 079 Russian Church, Riga 080 Frozen River, Riga 080 Frozen River, Riga
081 Balcony, Riga 081 Balcony, Riga 082 Wall Painting, Riga 082 Wall Painting, Riga 083 Theatre, Riga 083 Theatre, Riga 084 Mural, Riga 084 Mural, Riga
085 Idol, Riga 085 Idol, Riga 086 Statue, Riga 086 Statue, Riga 087 Lucy & a Statue, Riga 087 Lucy & a Statue, Riga 088 Statue, Riga 088 Statue, Riga
089 Statue, Riga 089 Statue, Riga 090 Riga 090 Riga 091 Riga 091 Riga 092 Riga 092 Riga
093 Tower, Riga 093 Tower, Riga 094 Bridge, Riga 094 Bridge, Riga 095 Markets, Riga 095 Markets, Riga 096 EBA, Riga 096 EBA, Riga
097 Statue, Riga 097 Statue, Riga 098 Star of David, Riga 098 Star of David, Riga 099 Synagogue, Riga 099 Synagogue, Riga 100 Three Heads, Riga 100 Three Heads, Riga
101 Lions Head, Riga 101 Lions Head, Riga 102 Motif, Riga 102 Motif, Riga 103 Running Man, Riga 103 Running Man, Riga 104 Church, Riga 104 Church, Riga
105 Statue, Riga 105 Statue, Riga 106 Beer, Riga 106 Beer, Riga 107 Beer, Riga 107 Beer, Riga 108 Dinner, Riga 108 Dinner, Riga
109 Dinner, Riga 109 Dinner, Riga 110 Dinner, Riga 110 Dinner, Riga 111 Dinner, Riga 111 Dinner, Riga
Slideshow Print this entry Riga hotels

Comments

thistlemoon
thistlemoon on Feb 18, 2008 at 05:37PM

wow!
Thanks for this write up David! When I was an exchange student in 1994, I had a choice, Latvia or Norway. I had a hard time deciding, but after reading your post , I am glad I went for Norway!

uncle_davros
uncle_davros on Feb 18, 2008 at 06:59PM

Re: wow!
Don't get me wrong, I liked the place. I think it would have been amazing in 1994. The problem is that because of the cheap flights, these Eastern Euro cities are selling their souls for the cheap piss ups. It will happen to Ukraine, I'm just happy I got there before it happened.

Add Comment