Back in the U.S.S.R...

For work Tom has traveled to Riga, Latvia a couple times.  The company that he has been doing security consulting work for since October is building the new U.S. Embassy there.  In April I took a long weekend and flew up to visit.  Tom had been in Riga for almost two weeks when I got there.  After the weekend we flew home together.

The CIA World Factbook states that the name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (8th-12th centuries AD).  The region subsequently came under the control of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and finally, Russians.  While a Latvian republic emerged following World War I, it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries.  Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Tom was staying at the Elefant Hotel, which is less than a mile away from the work site.  He picked me up at the airport and after we got my stuff into the hotel room he took me over to the construction site to show me around.  I actually got to see someone I was in Iraq with in 2008-2009.  He is now working for the same company as Tom.  Small world!

After a dinner of sushi, we headed back to the hotel.  Tom had told me about the hotel's amazing hot tea made with fresh mint, ginger and lemon.  I had to have one the first night.  It was delicious and rather pretty so I took a picture.

On Saturday we arranged a walking tour of Old Riga, the historic center of the city, which is located on the right bank of the River Daugava.   The tour's focus was crafts and other items "Made it Latvia."

One of the highlights of the day was a market called the Berga Bazars.  A requirement to have a booth in this particular bazaar is that the participants make, produce or grow everything they are selling.  There was produce, cheese, sausage, soap, bread, lotions, candles, clothing, jewelry, art, pastries, and jams. 

Our tour guide told us one of the most popular sellers is this gentleman below.  He sells these gigantic loaves of bread.  He'll cut them up into whatever portions his customers desire.  I probably could have eaten a whole loaf.  This bread was incredible. 

I thought it was interesting to learn that he cooks the loaves with maple leaves on the bottom.  Apparently it is a regional tradition.  You can almost see the outline of the leaves in the photo below.

The city of Old Riga is a great town to explore on foot.  There are lots of shops and something I noticed were all the amber shops.  I did a web search and learned that amber has long been viewed as a precious stone associated with the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea.  All the way back to ancient times the Latvian territory has been known as a source of amber.

Amber from the Baltic Sea coast was valued as a component for jewelery and was used to barter in Ancient Egypt, Assyria, Greece and the Roman Empire.  I read that at times amber has been considered more valuable than gold.  Latvians themselves have occasionally referred to the Baltic Sea as the Amber Sea (Dzintarjura), showing their strong linkage to this precious stone.

One of the landmark buildings in Old Riga is the House of the Blackheads.  It is a reconstruction because the original structure, which was built in 1344, was destroyed during World War II.  The building was associated with a tradesmen guild called the Blackheads Society, thus the name.  

The House of the Blackheads served as our starting point for the walking city tour.  Here is our tour guide Irena showing us one of the many medieval streets around Old Riga.

Other historic structures in Old Riga are the "Three Brothers," which are the oldest stone houses still standing in Riga, and are an example of medieval architecture.  The houses were built between the 15th and 18th centuries.  

Notice how small the windows are. 

This here is the Freedom Monument, which was erected in 1935.  The sculptures around the base depict Latvian culture and history.

I thought this was an interesting building.  Notice the three sets of doors above the street level.  Must be in preparation for a siege. 

More photos from around town. 

I think this is a hitching post and a rather fancy one at that.

We came across a wool shop that we visited on Saturday and Sunday.  The store had such a great feel.  Tom bought me a beautiful scarf and blanket, and I bought some yarn to crochet with.  The couple who own the store dye much of the wool themselves and all the clothing was either made by them or artisans from around Latvia. 

One evening for dinner we ventured to Jurmala with another couple.  The husband works at the embassy construction site and the wife was in town visiting.  Jurmala is only 25 kilometers away from Riga and it's the largest seaside resort in the Baltic States.  Before looking for a place for dinner we walked on the beach and Tom and I both touched the Baltic Sea. 

Tom's turn in the surf.

The day before we flew back to Germany we went downtown again for a little while and we took some pictures of an unusual tradition and phenomenon.  In Riga when couples get married they have locks engraved with their names and wedding date and then they attach the locks to bridges in downtown Riga.  There was one bridge, which we unfortunately don't have any pictures of, that is so covered in locks that the city has instructed people not to put anymore locks on it.  Couples have just migrated to other bridges.  Here are some pictures.

Perhaps if Tom and I make it back to Riga we'll have to get a lock engraved and add it to one of the bridges.