Latvia 1 - Riga

I'm not quite sure what to say about Riga.

You can see my pics above, from the bus I took from Tallinn to Latvia's capital, Riga, to the beautiful Art Nouveau architecture of Latvia and the pretty parks, all the way through to the imposing cathedrals and quaintness of the Old Town.

Yet, I didn't connect with the city or the people. I don't know if it was the space I was in (only a couple of weeks before heading back to Oz), or if the freezing cold days were finally getting to me...I'm just not sure.

I don't like to say it, but I found Riga to be grey. The light seemed grey, my pics even seem a bit grey, and the funny thing was that I saw more sun here than I did in Tallinn.

I suppose you can't help compare the two cities. They are both Baltic countries, with almost identical histories, they both have their beautiful Old Towns, and they both are intensely proud of their language and culture. Yet, Riga didn't seem to have the life or joy I found in Tallinn. After some discussions with a few locals, it's a tough life in Latvia at the moment, and I suspect that was some of what I was feeling.

Riga is a pretty place, and the locals helped whenever I asked for it, yet I had that sense of grey with me from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. I'm really glad I went, and honestly, I'd like to visit again in their Summer and see some of their country, which is supposed to be just beautiful. I feel like I need to come back and give it another go.

And that's what I have to say about Riga. Oh, but of course there's a whole other discussion about food....