French-German TV-channel Arte.tv made a very lovely reportage about our city and said a lot of warm words about it.
I still can't put videos in here, so I give you link right to the video. You can watch video here
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Expecting Christmas: Christmas markets, mulled wine and cats
It's been more than 10 months since the last time I've wrote here. There a lot of news and changes and now I'm ready to come back and drag you back into life in Riga.
Time has passed very fast and it's almost Christmas time again. Some of you and some of us entered sacred time of Advent (or Christmas fast for the Orthodox). First Advent in Riga was celebrated by illuminating of a main Christmas tree in the Dome square. Living my whole life in this city, it was the first time when I have witnessed this event. It was beautiful: illumination started with Bengal fire and accompanied by a joyful noise of a crowd. There were surprisingly many people, but my friend and I managed to take good position. But what is weird – the decoration of the X-mas tree. Beside lamps and balls, it's decorated with... white wooden ducks! Why so? Have no idea!
But the illuminating of the Tree isn't the only joyful news. What I liked even more are Christmas markets! So far I've visited two: on the Dome square and the one on Livu square. There also is some Pop-up Christmas store on Kalku street (also in the Old Town). It supposed to have some great stuff from local designers and etc, but I haven't checked it out yet.
So, back to markets. On the market at Livu square you can buy very good waffles with boiled condensed milk (don't make such big eyes, it tastes very good!) and Piparkukas, that is analogue to a ginger cookies, but instead of ginger we add black pepper and for my taste it's much much better.
On the Dome square at First Advent night beside the market, X-mas tree and loads of people there were also official Riga's cats who are living in the Riga council and are personal cats of the current major of Riga. They have really great story: our major adopted them from asylum and moved them to the council. I suppose they bring luck to the city, how'd you think?
Also it's hard to imagine Christmas without mulled wine. Not being big fan of wine, I still decided to try some. We've chosen mulled wine make of local home-made wine: my friend took traditional red grapes' mulled wine and I took apple wine's. Truly said, it's nothing you should try. It tasted... bad. Like hot home-made apple juice that gone bad. And it didn't warm me at all. I've heard that the best mulled wine is in the wine stand closer to the Dome church. But again, it's just a rumor, I haven't checked it yet.
Outside it's about -3 – 0 C, a little snow and very damp. But anyway it's beautiful in here.
Time has passed very fast and it's almost Christmas time again. Some of you and some of us entered sacred time of Advent (or Christmas fast for the Orthodox). First Advent in Riga was celebrated by illuminating of a main Christmas tree in the Dome square. Living my whole life in this city, it was the first time when I have witnessed this event. It was beautiful: illumination started with Bengal fire and accompanied by a joyful noise of a crowd. There were surprisingly many people, but my friend and I managed to take good position. But what is weird – the decoration of the X-mas tree. Beside lamps and balls, it's decorated with... white wooden ducks! Why so? Have no idea!
But the illuminating of the Tree isn't the only joyful news. What I liked even more are Christmas markets! So far I've visited two: on the Dome square and the one on Livu square. There also is some Pop-up Christmas store on Kalku street (also in the Old Town). It supposed to have some great stuff from local designers and etc, but I haven't checked it out yet.
So, back to markets. On the market at Livu square you can buy very good waffles with boiled condensed milk (don't make such big eyes, it tastes very good!) and Piparkukas, that is analogue to a ginger cookies, but instead of ginger we add black pepper and for my taste it's much much better.
On the Dome square at First Advent night beside the market, X-mas tree and loads of people there were also official Riga's cats who are living in the Riga council and are personal cats of the current major of Riga. They have really great story: our major adopted them from asylum and moved them to the council. I suppose they bring luck to the city, how'd you think?
Also it's hard to imagine Christmas without mulled wine. Not being big fan of wine, I still decided to try some. We've chosen mulled wine make of local home-made wine: my friend took traditional red grapes' mulled wine and I took apple wine's. Truly said, it's nothing you should try. It tasted... bad. Like hot home-made apple juice that gone bad. And it didn't warm me at all. I've heard that the best mulled wine is in the wine stand closer to the Dome church. But again, it's just a rumor, I haven't checked it yet.
Outside it's about -3 – 0 C, a little snow and very damp. But anyway it's beautiful in here.
(c) LETA
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Fancy restaurants and delicious food
Now it's kind of tradition to start my post with "it's been a long time", but still it's really been a long time. As some of you don't know, I've got my bachelor degree and pretty happy about it. First step was made. Today I want to tell you about great place my fellow and I were celebrating my graduation.
As it's very rare when we manage to meet due to distance, I wanted to choose really nice place with good food. Hearing a lot of good words about restaurant called "Biblioteka Nr.1" I decided we should attend it and I wasn't mistaken. Service was great and food delicious. Champagne was very fancy but still not too tasty for me. Food and compliments from chef was fantastic. Interior is tasteful: traditional but still very modern. I took some fancy-cooked chicken which was mmm, great! and had some tasty snacks. If it wasn't so late in the evening, I'd probably taste also some sweets. Good thing is that tables are pretty far from each other so you have some privacy and are not disturbed by neighbors chat.
I'd rate it 8/10 and would like to go there again.
P.S. As experience showed it's better to make a reservation, especially if you go there in the evening.
Have a good week and tasty food!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Bright colors in a grey winter
I miss you guys so much, but time is crazy: where is it running so fast?! Catholic Christmas and New Year was celebrated in a wonderful way: with a family. It was a second time when on Christmas Eve I was surrounded by the big husband's family. Hope so much that once also my relatives would unite and could spend good time together.
Still, most of the time I spend in my office work, in Vecmilgravis, in Riga Port. So finishing work at 6 p.m. I don't have much time and energy to go downtown to discover some cool places. Still I discovered one great thing in an old place. In a shopping center's Alfa 2nd floor is an Art store. It's been there for a really long time, but just yesterday I discovered that they also offer printing on canvas, and you can not only bring your image, but to choose one from the several galleries catalogues. There are reproductions of an art masterpieces: both classical and modern, photos... We spent about an hour or so choosing the image for our bedroom. Also great thing is that they can print also really big-sized images, just exactly what we needed. So now I just have to wait till image will be ready to be put on the wall. Promise to make a photo of it and share it with you.
As the winter is pretty grey this year, I try to surround myself with some brightness and positive emotions. Blog isn't an exception, so now the blog has a new view and a new userpic. I like it, and do you?
Still, most of the time I spend in my office work, in Vecmilgravis, in Riga Port. So finishing work at 6 p.m. I don't have much time and energy to go downtown to discover some cool places. Still I discovered one great thing in an old place. In a shopping center's Alfa 2nd floor is an Art store. It's been there for a really long time, but just yesterday I discovered that they also offer printing on canvas, and you can not only bring your image, but to choose one from the several galleries catalogues. There are reproductions of an art masterpieces: both classical and modern, photos... We spent about an hour or so choosing the image for our bedroom. Also great thing is that they can print also really big-sized images, just exactly what we needed. So now I just have to wait till image will be ready to be put on the wall. Promise to make a photo of it and share it with you.
As the winter is pretty grey this year, I try to surround myself with some brightness and positive emotions. Blog isn't an exception, so now the blog has a new view and a new userpic. I like it, and do you?
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