A visitor from Riga

I’ve written before about meeting the locals in Valencia through Hospitality Club, a social networking site that links travellers looking for accomodation or local knowledge of the places they visit. This weekend we’ve been hosting Matiss, a student from Riga and it was my turn to show him some of Bristol’s landmarks.

Always ready to research places to visit I asked Matiss to give me his list of top things he would recommend to a visitor to Riga and here are his suggestions.

Old Town Riga
Wander round the cobbled medieval streets, there are plenty of bars and cafes to relax in. You can start in Town Hall square and see the impressive House of the Blackheads, then visit the free Museum of Occupation . When we visited Riga a few years ago our whole family enjoyed the museum – you can take a virtual tour of some of the exhibits, such as the felt boots and fabric face masks worn by political prisoners to keep out the cold here.

A view from St Peter’s tower
Take the elevator to the top of the tower of St Peter’s church in the Old Town for a great view of the whole of Riga.

If you enjoy interesting buildings take a walk up Albertas Iela or Albert Street to see beautiful art nouveau style apartment buildings in one of the most expensive residential areas of the city.

Favourite bars and clubs in Riga
The places that Matiss likes to hang out with his friends are;
Cuba Cafe at Jauniela St,15 for coffee and snacks in the day and cocktails and music in the evening all with a Latin American theme. Free WiFi and a chance to try out your salsa some nights.
John Lemon Bar at Peldu, 21 is the place where arty types go for light meals, wraps, pizzas and breakfast all day.
Just opposite at Peldu 26/28 is a popular alternative nightclub called Pulkvedim Neviens Neraksta (Nobody writes to the colonel)
For a bar with a great view of the city try the Skyline bar at Reval Hotel Latvija, although Matiss said that the prices are higher than his student budget will normally allow, so he sometimes goes up just for a look.

For something a bit more off-beat, you could visit the Andrejsala neighbourhood of Riga which was an industrial area by the docks but now houses venues for art and music – apparently there are some great music clubs and street-art here – read more about the redevelopment of the area in this article. You can walk there in 15 minutes from the centre.

A trip to the seaside at Jurmala
Since the 1930s this seaside resort near Riga has drawn holiday makers and in the Soviet era became a popular holiday destination for Communist Party officials. It was famous for its spa treatments and healthy outdoor activities. Nowadays there are plenty of activities around the beach, restaurants and cafes and concerts in the summer. There are regular trains or buses to Jurmala from the centre of Riga and the journey takes 30-40 minutes.

And if you are travelling with children I’ll add a recommendation of my own, that you visit the Livu Aquapark which is just outside Riga in the direction of Jurmala. We took our children there a few years ago and they spent many happy hours there on the waterslides.

Thanks to RobertPaulYoung, Reinns and Mightymightymatze on Flickr for the photos

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The Pantheon – in Rome

I’m sure the Pantheon is magical if you visit very early in the morning. You’ll read in your guidebook about the awe inspiring coffered dome with the open hole letting in the elements and how the bronze ceiling was taken to be melted down in the 17th Century. The Roman Temple of the Gods is now a church and free for all to enter.

But folks, I have to tell you the truth here – it was so crowded that the magic was somewhat diminished for us. In fact my mother and son took one look and decided to avoid the crush and wait outside. This is the packed Piazza;

and here’s the scrum to get in;

Inside there was almost room to breathe and if you looked up perhaps you could forget the hundreds of tourists around you straining to get a decent photo (just like me in fact).

Pop behind the Pantheon to the Piazza della Minerva and the crowds melted away, so we could enjoy the obelisk on the back of a charming elephant designed by Bernini with room to breathe again.

We even had time for a little window shopping of the clerical kind.

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See all my Rome photos on Flickr

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Street entertainment in Piazza Navona – in Rome

Piazza Navona in Rome is a fun place to wander around and relax as it’s a centre for musicians and street-artists who come to entertain the crowds here. We sat in front of the Bernini sea gods of Fontagna del Moro and listened to a band but the larger Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in the centre of the Piazza was under renovation when we were there.

There are plenty of those moving statues that come to life as soon as you drop a coin at their feet, or entice you in to have a photo taken with them. This lady with a flower pot on her head was a little more unusual as she moved from one pose to another, balancing on one leg but without dropping her flower pot. She managed to keep her cool (and balance) when one little girl came up to her and started tugging on her skirt.

There are plenty of artists in the Piazza who will draw your cartoon portrait – it’s always fun to look over their shoulder and see whether they’re making a good likeness of their willing victim.

From here it’s just a hop, skip and jump to the Pantheon, another of those must-sees in Rome. You won’t get lost – just follow the crowds.

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See all my Rome photos on Flickr

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Rome – street art and street artists photoset

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