Saturday, 30 April
In the morning we departed Estonia for Riga, the capital of Latvia. It was a comfortable 4hr bus ride on a surprisingly well equipped vehicle; there was WiFi onboard and each seat had its own entertainment system showing the latest hollywood movies, and cost only 8 euro. We arrived around 2pm into Riga and our hotel was a short walk from the bus station. It was another beautiful clear day and we went for a quick orientation walk around the historic city center before having the rest of the afternoon free to explore on our own. There was more of a mix between modern and old than with Tallin, and though not nearly as charming, it also have a lively cafe culture. There was however an abundance of green space with a large canal bisecting the city and manicured parks along its banks. As it was the weekend, the park was filled with leisure goers out to enjoy the spring sun, and it lent a very festive atmosphere. As in Estonia, being this far up north, it stayed light until 9pm, with many folks still out and about. The majority of both days were spent exploring the town on foot; splitting my time between charming cafes and relaxing in the park by the canal, in general relaxation and appreciation of the sunny weather. For lunch one day I had surprisingly good sushi at Tokyo City, a local chain with several restaurants in town. There were a number of craft stalls scattered around the various squares, and it was a good place to shop for local souvenirs, and if you like amber jewelery, this is the place to get it.
