Usually, my “Exploring Europe” series is about cities or places I visit for the first time. As you may or may not know, with Latvia it is different. Since I recently visited Latvia and took pictures, I figured an article would be a good idea. Who knows, maybe it will inspire someone to explore this Baltic state. Just a side note, use AirBaltic for travel to Latvia, if you plan well in advance then you are sure to get a good deal for your roundtrip tickets. Traveling with Ryanair from Brussels (Belgium) is a headache worth not having.
During the last 24 months, I have been to Malta and Portugal. Even though I was near the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean I barely washed my hands. Yes, I admit it was due to bad timing (early spring and winter respectively). Luckily, while in Latvia at the end of the summer, I took a dip into the Baltic Sea. It was cold and windy.
In one of my old articles, I mentioned a snack called Chebureki. Below you can see the place where people in Jelgava (Latvia) buy them. The building pictured below is part of the Market of Jelgava. It is an old, dilapidated place barely standing. The city’s mayor (in power for over 20 years) has promised to open the new Market this upcoming January. Will the lady making those delicious Chebureki move to the new venue? Only she knows. So you know, Chebureki are still as good as they were 12 months ago. I ate four during my visit. The cost of one is 3.00 EUR.
Do you want to know what a more or less traditional Latvian dish looks like? Fries, two types of salad, and meat with mayo and cheese. It may not look like much, but it sure is tasty. Also, you ought to drink “Kvass” with this meal. Trust me. The total cost for one is around 10.00 EUR (7.00 EUR for food and 2.50 – 3.00 EUR for the 0.5L drink).
Latvia finally got new electric trains. We took a couple of roundtrips to Riga. Using an app called Mobily you can secure your roundtrip tickets for 4.50 EUR per person. The train has air conditioning. During this past winter due to weather, it broke down multiple times (too cold), thus it will be interesting to see whether something has been done during the year. Good luck!
Foreign friends told us that the train station in Riga looks huge. It is. Please note that it serves not only as a train station but also as a department store. However, it is currently also a building site. There is this thing called “RailBaltic” happening which is moving on slowly and painfully. The project has run into a huge obstacle called money, and chances are that this train station may be in development for the foreseeable future. Therefore, bring your safety hats.
Probably the tastiest meal I had during my visit to Latvia. A chicken and bacon sandwich. I don’t remember the price, but it was at Herbary, a cocktail bar in Riga (Latvia).
Last year my wife asked me to buy tickets to a concert. The performer is called “Dons”. Even though I am not his biggest fan, I liked the performance. Most importantly, my wife was happy. He performed at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest representing Latvia with the song “Hollow”. Spotify him, if you haven’t heard his voice.
Can we squeeze in a wine tasting? Yes, we can. Although the selection is nothing out of this world, it was nice to visit the venue where I took my first steps into the world of wine. In Brussels, we attended an Australian wine tasting, the price per person was 45.00 EUR. In Latvia for these six wines you pay 25.00 EUR. Even though in Brussels it is almost 100% more expensive, the quality of wine is better. Nevertheless, it was nice to see the owner and those still around in Jelgava drinking wine.
My hometown recently experienced a massive flood. Below you can see the river “Driksa” and the aftermath of the rain. The mayor said the city is out of money this year (the comment came in mid-July), thus most probably this sight will be there for a while. Unimaginable? Not in Jelgava.
I got to drive again. It is the same car from last year. I spent 83.00 EUR on gas. Even though it has been a minute since my last drive, the skill never left. I mentioned to others that I did not miss handling a car. That was a lie. At first, I didn’t, but when I got to return the car the love came back. Maybe it is time to rent a vehicle in Brussels? There is a future article on that idea.
And I managed to turn on the check engine light on the dash. I was told not to worry. Thus I did not and kept driving. The issue was due to a damaged oil filter. Once it was replaced the light disappeared.
Hotdogs anyone? These bad boys are a must whenever we go on a road trip. That is a bacon and cheese sausage with ketchup, mayo, and mustard in a bun. I believe the single dog cost 3.50 EUR and the double is 5.00 EUR.
Fries with grilled chicken, cheese sauce, and a salad? Yes, please. Tastes the same. Nothing changed taste and price-wise.
I tried more or less the same thing at a different place in a different region. It was good. That green sauce was interesting in a good way, those grilled vegetables not so much.
During these two weeks, I read a new biography. It is translated from Swedish about the man who created the dynamite and the Peace Prize – Mr Alfred NOBEL. The new addition to my book (biography) collection. I highly recommend it. Mr Nobel was not only a skilled inventor but also a brilliant businessman. He had a remarkable personal life and an interesting family (you need to know his father to know Alfred). 600 pages.
It would not be a trip without a mention of cards. These five decks were waiting for me in Jelgava. The Paris deck is from our first visit to the magical city of lights. I did not know I had a Bicycle deck in Latvia. The PokerStars deck came with my PokerStars poker chips. There is some wear and tear on those cards. The yellow deck I bought from one of my trips to Belgium before moving there permanently. The Osiris deck is just a random one from a local bookstore.
Imagine my surprise learning that Piatnik decks in Latvia cost less than 4.00 EUR. Together I brought from Latvia twenty decks. I bought 14, I had the original five and the last one was a gift. Those famous painter decks are just simply stunning. Yes, less than 4.00 EUR. That Strip-Poker deck is disappointing. It is of low quality, but it costs more than those fabulous Piatnik decks.
This was the last deck I got in Latvia. It is my first deck non-Amsterdam deck from the Netherlands.
To celebrate the end of our trip to Latvia we opened a bottle of Cremant from Luxembourg, which we bought at a local grocery store. Delicious.
Goodbye, Latvia. Thank you for the cards and the conversations. If you think where is a photo of my lovely Tudor? Didn’t I take it with me? I did, and I took a snap or two. However, for some reason, it did not seem right to add it here.
I must admit that this article is not your usual TripAdvisor material. However, I hope it has given you a sense of what to expect when you visit Latvia. If you ever need advice on what to see and where to go while in Latvia, you can always drop me a line.
Kindly,
Olaaf
