Some snapshots from late afternoon in Uzvaras Parks in Riga where the Victory Day of the 9th of May is celebrated.

As the Nazis capitulated and signed the surrender in late evening of 8th of May in 1945, it was already 9th of May in Moscow – so in Soviet Union the victory was announced early in the morning of 9th of May. Continue reading →

To celebrate 1st of May, Labour Day, Constitution day of Latvia and the opening of Riga Bicycle Week we decided to organise Free Bicycle Tours on 1st, 2nd and 3rd of May.

Riga Free Bike Tour - 1st May - 2012

We had 8 exclusive bikes ready for action and they were quickly booked ahead. Continue reading →

In spring they come out to warm up in the sun and then mate later. These are non-venomous  – they are called Grass Snakes in English or Zalktis in Latvian, Natrix Natrix is the Latin name.

I was rather surprised – never before I have seen so many snakes together – not even in a zoo.

Grass Snakes usually have a yellow collar behind the head, shaped like two half moons – this way you can easily distinguish non-venomous Grass Snake from Vipers which are venomous.

This lovely cafe in Riga ‘Kafka’ is an oasis of books and caffeine based products, cakes, biscuits and good vibes.

You are visiting Riga – you are looking for a great coffee, well, Kafka cafe is probably where you should be heading! It can be found at Vaļņu 26, Old Town (2nd floor in a book-shop Globuss).

The first thing I remember about this place was the smell. This was a real cafe I thought to myself and sure enough when I actually tasted a cup of their fine black caffeine soup I knew that I could easily recommend it to others. I was also struck by the design inside their space. Wood covers everything and it is clearly a place to sit back relax, pick up a book and forget all of the troubles that Old Riga tends to throw at us.

Good for the general public, the staff here are extremely welcoming, coffee lovers and very warm. Now that is a rariety for Old Riga Cafes! Make sure to ask about the Travel Nights on Tuesdays that they are running.

Have fun! Take a coffee, flick through your Hemingway and chew on a cookie!

If you want to chill out after a long busy day or just experience some oriental vibes there is a great place to go in the very Old Town of Riga.

Teahouse KAMA Tea hub has vide selection of herbal teas from all over the world, good music and home made snacks. Continue reading →