Travel-report from Riga, Latvia

Wanna be blonde....

Mike and the freedom-monument

Snowstorm in Riga, at the market

Market for the locals, they sell fruit with snow...

If you wanna ride, dotn ride a white horse.

Panorama view over the city from the cathedral. A classic

Sun after the snowstorm and the cats at the market are happy

Traditional latvian food- a loaf of bread with soup in mmmm!

Cold city!

Hi!

As this is a trip I will write in english so my fellas from oll over the world can enjoy! Me and my boyfriend took the ferry to Riga in Latvia. On the boat we were just chillin in the cabin with the TV. When we arrived in Riga the following morning it was so cold and snowing and the streets were filled with snow and it was hard to walk to the hotel. So we regretted that we didnt book the guidetour with Tallink. (only around 15 euro )

Day 1) We finally got to hotel Valdemars, a cheap and really good hotel. We couldnt check in so early but they offered us some hot "fika" and we left our luggage and went to eat at a resturant called "the frog" Cheap and good! Then we went back to the hotel and got some maps and stuff over the city and went to the old town. It was very snow so it was though to walk so we tried to do indoor-stuff. We went to the local market. We were the only tourists there and I really wish now that I could speak some russian since they dont speak english... But I loved it, the old ladys who sold fur and boots and a lot of meat and local food. They sold vegtables and fruit outside in the snowstorm! They are so nice since the salesmen dont try to sell anything to you. They just looked at us with very suspicous looks, even if I feel like both me and Mike looks very east-european with our style. (and feel very east-european in our hearts and blood) We didnt have so much money ( weekend before salary! ) so even if I wanted to buy all shoes and jackets I just bought two CD:s with russian popmusic. I gonna book a new shoppingtrip!!!

Day 1, at night )At night we ate the buffe that was included in the hotelprice, really good actually! And then we went to the skybar at hotel Reval. It was awesome!!!!! CHEAP drinks and a luxury environment with a panoramaview from the 27th floor. I drank drinks with the local alcohol "Riga Balzam" a black liquer that is strong but mixed the right way VERY smooth and tasty. This bar is a must if you go to Riga- Skybar at Hotel Reval. We wanted to go out and party more but the weather was to cold so we went back to the hotel and watched the olympic games- ski jump with our favorite Simon Aman!

Day 2) The next day the weather was extremly cold but a clear sunny day. We walked around in the city and looking at the beautyful architecture and went up in a cathedral to see the city from a high view again. We ate traditional food at a tourist kind of resturant that looke medieval with medival food. Normally I dont like the idea of touristtraps but this was actually good. We went back woth the boat. And this time we had the worst cabins at the whole boat because of a lot of trouble with the booking. It was terrible because the boat had to be an ice-breaker and we heard all the icebreaking under the floor. As we always say: never the cheap cabins again! We bought to lotterytickets and as I always bring luck we both won. Mike won a mens-perfumeset from Givenchy and I won three bottles of nice red-wine. So bring me if you need luck to something. I am like a magnet for good things in life. ;)

Things I learnead from this trip:

1) Always book a guidetour if you visit a place for the first time.

2) Learn Russian. Yes I will and I have thinking about that for a long time. It will defenitly be an investment since I am pretty sure the most east-european people understand russian at least a little. And maybe more than english. (not the young people OF COURSE! ) but older.

3) Travel after pay-day not before.

4) Never book the cheap cabins again. Really mean it this 52nd time I say it ;)

Riga is so nice and cheap so I really recommend this city to everyone! I liked it so much that I gonna book a new trip again! ( later in spring when its hopefully warmer)

Xo/ Citykatt