Day/Night Watch

They are watching us, observing us day and night silently. They have witnessed things we will never know and probably no one will ever know...if they could only talk.

I Love You

On Aldaru street right behind the Swedish gates can be found such a lovely bar, oh if you only knew...

Eduards Smilgis (1886-1966)

When an educated engineer with a talent and creativity becomes an actor and forms the theatre, most wonderful result can be achieved. This portrait is on the wall of the New Riga Theatre. To find out more about it, click on the post title.

Bank and Church

This is photo from Brivibas (Freedom) street is ironic as it illustrates opposites of modern and "civilised" world. The yellow building is a Orthodox Church with beggars in front of it. The building on the right is occupied by money maker Rietumu (West) Bank.

Dome Church and Alpen Restaurant

Small streets of Riga Old Town and one of massive churches in the middle of it... check out the number plate:)

Flying Frog

Antonias Street in Riga is place of interesting restaurants and cafés. Flying Frog is not exception...if not for anything else but name

Flag of Latvia

I could recognise the middle flag (for those who do not know - Latvian), he, and possibly the left one (EU)...

Making the photos

This is the interesting one - as you might have gathered from the gestures of the lady who is selling flowers - she is not happy that her photo is taken by the guy. Regardless her protest Mr Redjacket, as you can see, snapped her anyway. I am not sure whether the law in Latvia is on the side of the lady, but certainly the guy has very vague understanding of a termini "dignity"...

Riga castle

This building by the river Daugava is reconstructed and partly combined with the remains of its 14th century origin - the tower. Nowadays it is the president's official residence. If you feel like curious what is inside, click on the post title.

How free are we?

Two landmarks and symbols of Riga - Freedom Statue and St Peter's Church. Freedom Statue really translates from Latvian as Freedom Monument, but I refuse to accept that our freedom is gone. Why gone? Because the word "monument" implies that our freedom is commemorated.

Have you swam this year yet?

By odd accident Riga was placed at the shores of the Baltic Sea. It is very rarely producing massive waves and if they do - not for a long time and at the "wrong" season (when you can not enjoy them). On the other hand a calm sea is a warm sea and people can enjoy swimming at this Northern latitude and besides that - it keeps Riga and Latvia warmer in autumn and early winter.

LDz

I think the last time I took a train was in France, it was RER with an underground roots and stations - quite complicated but effective transport system. In Riga we have only on ground tracks, but the railcars are built in Riga, and the concern LDz significantly contributes to the economy of Latvia.

Talking Stones back home in Latvia

Talking Stones (Runājošie Akmeņi) is Latvian design project and it was presented in France in 2005. Now in Riga Old Town they have something to say. The images are projected on them and they are producing sound - telling different stories.Here is a video where you can see and hear them talking.

What now

After Latvian Song Olympics are over the city gets decorated with diadems. Karlis Padegs is not exception and I am sure he does not mind:)

Latvian Songa and Dance celebration (4th post)

Just to illustrate the atmosphere of Final Concert. National dress code is one that participants have to follow, rest of us can get away with diadem:)

Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (3rd post)

Latvian Song and Dance Celebration normally is held every five years and it is a major event in Latvia. The first Latvian Song and Dance Celebration was launched in year 1873 as a manifestation of awareness of Latvian National identity that was oppressed before that for 700 years since Crusaders invaded Latvian territories. Despite oppressive Soviet regime they were held on regular basis since started.

Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (2nd post)

250 mixed choirs with 8000 participants, separate male and female choirs with 4000 participants were singing in a Final Concert of Latvian nationwide Song and Dance Celebration. Total amount of participants reached 35 000 this year. It is organized once in five years, starting from year 1873. When all singing, you are left shivering. Here are two samples to get the idea.

Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (1st post)

Latvian Song Festival just finished and this is first post of the series from the concert. As they call it - Latvian Song Olympics:)
Click on the post title for an educational preview.

Latvian National Opera

The Riga Canal area near Latvian National Opera is not only use for the access to events, but also is recreational area in the middle of the city. The Canal (left from the building) with greenery belt and parks around it forms a ring around the Old Town and splits it away from the rest of the City.

Safari

Despite very unsuitable weather conditions elephants are animals that live in Riga ...coffee shops. The Coffee Nation chain is one of nicest in the City and it was surprisingly quite for the weekday morning.

Fly like an eagle

This is another cheap way to fly. Come on... its a lot of fun. Get yourself out of the box and call your local flight instructor, this will bring some colour to your life!

Archer

It is not like archery is very popular in Latvia, but I am entirely sure that shooting darts at your lunch break is a lot of fun and good stress relief. But even in the hands of professional archer, is it safe? Nevertheless, no other place in Riga centre would be more suitable for it than Riga SOHO-wannabe - Andrejsala.

Reminder

The clock in Riga railroad station. Time is up, can you still make it to your train?

Little Paris

No, this is not Paris. Its just one more reflection photo, this time of Dzirnavu street.

Tasty

I am starting to think that, perhaps, I have a little oddity. This building on Valdemara street - it looks tasty to me:D (no other buildings do, to be fair). Am I the only one?

Serpants and cat

These two huge pipes look like a serpants digging into the ground. Whatever is their primary purpose, they serve as well as a hideout for cats and an ride element for BMXers.

Da best beach in the world:)

You can watch sun setting in the Baltic sea, pack your gear and in one hours drive away you can be on the other side of the Riga Gulf waiting for the sun to rise from the sea. I agree with people who think that Latvia has best beaches in the world - undescovered though:) Having said that, under Soviet regime Jurmala resort got several hundred thousand visitors from other Soviet republics and since the Soviet collapse has not been able to achieve same numbers again.

For a small country with its extraordinarily long shore line you can find all sorts of beaches- quite, crowdy, windy and calm.

Have one guess who is trying to harness the power of wind?

Cuba

If you have nothing to do on Friday night in Old Riga, go to Cuba. You do not have to book your flight ticket, just enter the bar, where you can enjoy the music, drinks and a dance called salsa.

Old fashioned modern Riga

Highrises in Riga are very recent trend and I like the diversity they bring to the architectural statements of Riga. This recent addition to the skyline I decided to post in black&white to create a false sense of historical evidence of Riga long-drawn highrise culture:)

Jugla

Jugla is one of the neighborhoods (micro regions - mikrorajoni in Latvian). It starts off on Brivibas boulevard with couple of mid-rises that have magnificent views from top floors over the Shmerlis (Smerlis) forest.

"NO leaving behind" - theme

As for the theme day "NO-signs" here is my version. Dogs and humans both eat at home, just on different ground levels, but the real difference between these two beings in our modern world is where they "relieve". Dogs do it always outside the house (at least the ones with good manners), humans normally use the toilet. In Riga there is a public law, that master of the dog has to clean up after his pet, you know what. Only the homeless dogs are free to do their nasty thing wherever they like, without cleaning it up. So in the park named Ziedondarzs I found these green buckets with the sign. Do not know, if the bullshit fits in there as well.