Joanne in Iceland & the Baltics: Riga, Latvia (one)

I had a few days in Riga. If you all remember, way back in the planning stages, I had hoped to spend a few days in all stops. But I got greedy and kept adding in more places to visit. Travel days kind of suck. They are stressful. I don't like not knowing what I am doing. But it mostly works out fine (not always though, more on that after Riga). And my bag is too heavy! But I am still at one bag so that is progress for me. :D

This was the schedule at the train station!

Tickets for trains and buses are the least informative bits of paper ever. Plus, posted schedules do not list cities. They list stations, which makes sense I suppose but not helpful when you are trying to find your platform when the ticket lists the city. I just go to the info booth now. There is no way to figure anything out on my own. Oh, and of course, nothing is in English once I left Lithuania. I got spoiled in Lithuania.

But I did get to Riga. It was a long trip so I didn't get in until the evening. I found my apartment and just stayed in that night. I booked a walking tour of old town the next morning. And there was a concert at the cathedral in the evening. So, a full day ahead.

The walking tour was fine. I don't remember anything that the guide said other than Old Town is essentially dead to the locals. It is just tourists and people who serve tourists. Locals don't live there and avoid going there if they can.

But lots of things to see and take pictures of. I can't remember which of these photos are from the tour or my own walkabout before the tour. I guess it doesn't really matter.

This statue is based on a legend where some farm
animals, a donkey, dog, cat and chicken, banded together
to look bigger to scare away some bad men.
The statue was created as an allegory for communism. The posts
represent the iron curtain that the animals are emerging from

The Blackhead Society's headquarters.
This society was for bachelors arriving in Riga. They had to
spend a few years in the city before they could become
citizens allowed to start a business, marry etc.
They were called Blackheads because their patron saint
was African. And, you know, black. It was the 16th century.

The Blackheads were supposedly the start of the
Christmas tree tradition. I think the Germans
would have something to say about that...
Anyway, this metal tree commemorates the
location of the first Christmas tree. Which
they drunkenly lit on fire.

The black cat of Riga. Images of black cats are everywhere, every mug, postcard, t-shirt. All based on this cat statue on the roof of an old building. There is a history about locals using it to show the German invaders something important about equality but our guide said that is all made up by guides in the past so they have an answer to 'what's up with the cat'. He says, it is just a cat on a roof as far as he knows.

Note the cat on the peak of this building

Zoom close up!

There is so much live street music here. And they find the coolest
places for the best acoustics!

Remember this plaque from Vilnius? I had to hunt this one
down in Riga. Outside of the McDonald's of all places.

So judgy. Or just Latvian.

Next event, an organ and cello concert at the Cathedral. I had to go there to buy tickets because I could not make the online system work for me. That would be fine, I was in the area anyway but the ticket lady was a real pill. I asked for a ticket for the concert. She did not speak any English. She tossed a ticket at me. I mean she really threw it down in front of me. There was a young woman at the entrance. online, you could choose your seats so I asked her where on this ticket I could find the seat. Ticket troll had just given me a ticket to enter the cathedral, not the concert. So, the nice young woman intervened on my behalf. I had to pick a seat. I was not allowed to look at what was already taken. So, I best guessed based on the very tiny seating chart. I tried to pick what seemed like it had the best sight lines for the cheapest price. Concert at 7, entrance at 6:30.

I went exactly at 6:30 and was the first one in so I got some good photos of the church. I found my seat. They could not have been worse! No helpful suggestions from ticket meanie, that was for sure. This seems like a good time to mention that the Baltic people are not overly expressive of their emotions. Or not expressive at all. They are very hard to read. Maybe she didn't hate me, maybe she was just Latvian. Hard to say. Anyway, my seats sucked so much. I could look at one column in one direction, or a different column in the other direction. So, I waited to sit down. I read every bit of posted info to be found, just to kill time. And a few minutes before the start, I sat in the best section, in a kick-ass seat that had great sight-lines. Thank you very much!

It was a cello and organ concert.

The Organ was spectacular!

And we could watch the organist play on screen.
I had massive respect for anyone who can play an
instrument since I cannot (ask Joe).
But an organist! Holy smackers. There are five rows of keys
Four rows of foot pedals and endless levers to pull
and buttons to push. There was an assistant for
the levers and buttons.