• Blog,  Europe,  Latvia,  Stories,  Travelogue

    Reflections

    Perhaps people watching is a glorified lack of activity. Boredom too. And an absolute invasion of privacy. But… I’d like to think that each time I travel, I’m looking at things and people while going from place to place. Nothing wrong with those who look. But the simple joys of sitting in a cafe, sipping on your favorite chilled beverage in the afternoon, and watching the world go by. It’s a different state of being and am not sure if that chilled beverage has anything to do with it. Reflections on a sunny, relaxed afternoon, somewhere in Riga. One sunny afternoon in Riga Latvia, having had enough of walking on…

  • Milda
    Blog,  Europe,  Latvia,  Travelogue

    For Fatherland and Freedom

    It’s been a landmark in Riga for close to a century. She’s a symbol of Latvia’s freedom and independence. And she’s affectionately known as Milda. View of the Freedom Monument as you walk from the Old Town While the Old Town is what many tourists come to explore and experience, a short walk outside and you can see a bit of Latvian history, literally towering over you. And if you time it well, watch a change of guard done with such precision, it’s an attraction all by itself. Guard of Honour The Freedom Monument It towers over the city, sitting between Old Town and Central Riga. It was built in…

  • St Peter's Church Spire
    Blog,  Europe,  Latvia,  Travelogue

    Bremen Town Musicians

    What do perestroika, the Brothers Grimm and this statue in Riga, Latvia have in common? Depends on your understanding of history, especially during the early 1990s, when Europe was going through winds of change. View of St Peter’s Church in Riga On one of those wet afternoons while in Riga, my travel buddy and I managed to find ourselves in front of St Peter’s Church. Originally built more than 800 years ago, turns out it is one of the city’s most important monuments. And while only a few walls and pillars are what remain of the original construction, it still has some of the most amazing Gothic architecture. The highlight,…