31st July 2023
Moving day is always stressful and today was no exception. Starting with a sleepless night as I tossed and turned about being up on time and whether my taxi will be there as ordered. Well of course it was, in fact it was early and I didn’t even have to start worrying. I was early too (of course).
The bus left on time and the seat next to me was empty so I settled down to stretch my legs etc. That was until the first overtaking manoeuvre when I sat bolt upright and fastened my seatbelt. Not that he wasn’t a good driver, just that he was motivated to be on time and watching trucks move over when the bus was overtaking was, at times, nerve-wracking. But we got there very efficiently and on time.
Just as we got into Riga it started pouring i.e. bucketing! I was in a thin dress and sandles and just had to suck it up really. Its not cold, just wet and it looks as if its going to be for the next 3 days which will put a dampener on Riga.
Next trick was the taxi. Out I went to get in the taxi. I wasn’t sure how far out we were so when he said 15 Eu I suggested he should use his meter, which he didn’t. When we got to the address in all of 5 minutes I was really pissed off with him so I used an old LPG trick and told him it was too much and I wanted a receipt please. He immediately took 10 Eu, knowing full well he had overcharged…he was still nice even, no skin off his nose, he was still a winner at that price.
Then I just had to take shelter before I could even get into the hotel. It was a bit confusing and I wasn’t sure I was in the right place. It’s a boutique Hotel/ apartments. So I asked a woman who looked as if she belonged. She grabbed my case and to my horror started to climb, not one long flight of stairs but another. I’m so careful when I book to guard against this so I said to her, no,no I can’t be on the second floor. She rang the manager, I said I hadn’t booked this…blah, blah,blah. Long story short they miraculously found another apartment on the first floor…only one long flight of stairs. I looked it up and it said apartment all on one level, no stairs. I think they meant that the apartment itself is all on one level but fat lot of good that is if you have to climb 60 stairs to get there.
Enough with the whinging, the apartment is fabulous. Gorgeous really with loads of space, beautifully refurbished and could not be more central. When I finally settled down and went out walking the sun was shining brightly and it was hot(ish). And there was Riga in all its splendour. Just when I thought it would never live up to Tallinn it was looking as if it will. I haven’t done much exploring but it looks like another very lovely town. First to the tourist Office, as always. They aren’t as easy for the tourist as Tallinn where there was a Tallinn Card that got you into everything and allowed you to use all forms of transport. Here it looks difficult to go anywhere without foot power. There are roadworks everywhere (not in the old town) and trams etc are apparently disrupted. Anyway I’ll work it out.
Next I went to the Blackheads House and took that it…there is one in Tallinn as well. It’s a merchants guild named for a black saint/soldier St Maurice. It’s a fabulous building but the original was bombed by the Germans in 1941. Then the Russians, when they took over, dynamited the ruins. Fortunately they had the blueprints and set to work rebuilding it once the Russians had finally pissed off. It was interesting.
By then I was hungry, I hadn’t eaten so I found a little bar and had a Spritz and some ‘corn spare ribs’ i.e. corn marinated and cooked like spare ribs…more your Mexican vibe really. Then I came back to my swanky apartment to get a bit organised and have an early night to try and catch up a bit. A big day in store tomorrow I suspect and it will be back to jeans and wading through water I think. xxxxxx