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Thursday, July
17’Th
Here I
am, in the cozy lounge at Raid und Draugis hotel in Riga. Eurolines left
Vilnius at 10 this morning, and it toot 4˝ hour to get here.
Not
surprisingly my first job was to find the hotel. It’s an exellent hotel
in the middle of Riga. My room is no. 37. When this was done it was time
for a little lunch and a look at the city. There are more tourists here
than in Vilnius. That’s especially British low-cost-tourist that’s just
here to get drunk. It’s quite annoying to be honest. I walk half a tour
recommended by Lonely Planet. It’s around old town and ending at a
city-park with a nice little canal running through. |
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Then
it’s time for a break before dinner. It’s important to stay away from
the places where the brits are having fun. So the restaurant on the
other side serving “fish’n’chips” is out of the question. Prices here
are higher than in Vilnius. Almost 5 € for a pizza and a large beer is
now 2.50 €. |
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Friday, July
18’Th
And
what have I been doing today?
First
there was this huge market in Riga, where almost everything was for
sale, and a lot of people were hanging out shopping.
Then it
was Riga from the top of a high Stalin-era building close to the market.
Then I
visited the Museum of Occupaton of Latvia. It’s about the Russian
occupation before and after WW2 – and the Germen under the war. |
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Right
next to it there’s the House of Blackheads. It’a almost a little castle,
but it was built in 2001. It looks just like its predecessor from 1344.
But that one was ruined by the Russians and the Germans.
And
finally it’s a long walk north and east of Downtown Riga. Riga is good
for walking. It’s as flat as a pancake, and there are plenty of nice
houses and strange places, when you get a little lost. |
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Saturday, July
19’Th
On a
Saturday like this where the sun is shining, it seems like most of the
people living in Riga leaves the city, and leaves it for the British
drunks. Instead they head for the beaches at Jurmala, and so I.
About
every 15 minuttes the train leaves for Jurmala from the railway station
in Riga. The trip takes aout 30 minuttes. I get off in Dubulti, one of
several stations at Jurmala. From here there’s a short walk down to the
beach. There are a lot of people down there, doing what you’re supposed
to do at a beach – bathing, sunbathing, playing football etc. |
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I don’t
want to do any of these things so I head for the major city of Jurmala
called Majori. Here people are walking up and down the street of Jamas
Iela. There are café’s, restaurants and a lot of people. There’s also a
few tourist-traps like the museum with old Russian cars and motorcycles
that I visit. But there’s also a very fine event with statues build in
sand. They are vere impressive.
At 3 I
head back on the train to Riga. I’m back in time to see the last part of
todays Tour de France on the TV, and later for a short walk through some
street of Riga. |
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Sunday, July
20’Th
This is
my last day in Riga. At the hotel I have picked up an issue of Riga This
Week – no. 92. Inside there’s a walk throgh Old Riga. Some of the places
I have seen – some I have not. For instance I haven’t been to the top of
the tower at St. Peters Church, so here I start. The view is
spectacular, and there’s a nice feature for the tower – an elevator.
Further
on to St. Johns church, which surprisingly enough is closed on a Sunday.
Then I pass through Konventa Se Ta, with some nice houses. After this I
cross the large Livu Laukums Square, with tourists all over, some nice
old buildings now mainly used for concert-halls. Across there’s a house
called Cat’s House, with 2 black cats on the ceiling. |
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Then
I’m at the Dome, where a show is going on, so I continue to the old
powder-tower of Riga. This is now a weapons-museum. From here I follow
more old building to St. Jacobs Church; where a show is also under
preparation, before getting to the Seima – the parliement of Latvia.
It’s pretty small, so you could easily miss it.
A
little away from here there are 3 old houses called The 3 Brothers.
Outside 2 people are playing the old Elvis-hit – “I can’t help falling
in love with you” – on a trombone and a tuba. That’s pretty weird. The
final sight is the Riga castle where the President of Latvia is living. |
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Now
there are no more sights left in Riga, so I can just as well head back
for the hotel for Tour de France.
In the
evening it’s another short trip. I visit the City Casino with some
slot-machines, to get rid of my coins. It takes forever since I keep on
winning. Finally I have to give up, get my coins back and go to the
nearby Rimi to buy some chocolate instead. It’s raining now – so I head
back for the hotel.
This
was Riga.
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To Tallinn
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