A London Return

It's funny that this blog started as a way to keep my family and friends updated on my life while living and teaching abroad in London, way back in 2010. Now this cyclical traveller is back in SE23, South East London. :) I love this city. This part of my travels will be 60% nostalgia satiation and 40% new things.

To kick off the nostalgia, I'm staying with my friends Martin and Louisa, whom I met through my old flatmate Allen. I visited them in 2017 for their wedding, and they've since had a new addition to the family, a little girl named Ruby. They still live in Lewisham, but in a different neighborhood near Dulwich. Martin kindly picked me up from Heathrow at night, and we started the next day with breakfast at The Teapot café. We had a wander through Peckham Rye Park trying to find a three-year-old's birthday party that Ruby was invited to. We were unsuccessful in our search for said party and had a pint from the park cafe instead. 

My hosts for the weekend

The Southwark Walk

One of my favourite areas of London to recommend to tourists is Southwark. Move over Trafalger Square or Buckingham Palace - this is my favourite spot in London to tour. I love strolling along the Thames, and the Wrigley family joined me for this favorite walk.

Tourist Susan

We started at Southwark station, taking in views of St. Paul's and the Millennium Bridge (which I always refer to as the bridge that the Death Eaters destroyed in Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince movie). I separated from the group for a quick tour of the Tate Modern, my favorite free art gallery. 

Some Tate pieces I enjoyed

After taking in so many wonderful pieces of art and continuing on our wander (passing by the Globe theatre, Winchester Palace, the Golden Hinde, and Borough Market -- which was WAY too insane on a Saturday to stay long at) -- we had a quick refueling stop at Leon's (a new-to-me fast food chain where I had an absolutely smashing Halloumi wrap). Louisa and Ruby left, and Martin and I met up with Allen, reuniting with my former roommate and his daughter (the last time I "saw" her, she was in his wife's belly when Sarah was pregnant!) 

We continued our stroll, finding a touristy spot selling Pimm's near Tower Bridge. We enjoyed this classic British cocktail (on my bucket list of things to eat/drink while I was here) which is a cocktail containing Pimm's gin-based liquor, lemonade (sprite), mint, cucumbers and strawberries. It's fantastic and I have not had a proper Pimm's cup recreated ever in Toronto.

It's Pimm's O'Clock

We then walked past the touristy area to the Angel Pub for another pint. The pub had a no-cell-phone policy, but it had a great view of the Thames and a classic British pub atmosphere (but you'll just have to take my word for it since I couldn't take any photos inside - lest some grumpy old British bartender scold me). We ended the evening with some amazing take-away pizza and my (surprisingly) inaugural viewing of Point Break at Martin and Louisa's house. 

The V & A, Swiftie Madness & Sunday Roast

I embarked on my own touristy adventure on Sunday, heading to South Kensington to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum. While the Tate is my favorite free art gallery, the V&A is my favorite free museum in London (or perhaps tied with the Natural History Museum next door). The building itself is stunning, and the artifacts inside are diverse and interesting. 

Entrance to the V & A

Coincidentally, Taylor Swift was in London at the same time as I, and I hoped to score a last-minute ticket to her show the following night (unfortunately, resale prices kept rising so spoilers: I did not go). However, the V&A had a cool exhibit celebrating Taylor's time in London - a 'songbook trail' featuring costumes from her previous tours, album covers, and music videos. The museum was bustling with Swifties (recognizable by their Era's T-shirts and friendship bracelets), making this probably the busiest museum in London that day.

Top: Speak Now Album cover dress & uke from that tour, Red Album cover hat and music video dress, shirt dress from the AMAs. Bottom: Cardigan from same titled music video, Bejewelled music video dress, Willow music video dress, costume from Reputation studio tour.

After my Taylor fix, I met up with the Wrigley family for a classic Sunday Roast Dinner at the Great Exhibition. Fun fact that confused me the first time I lived here: In England, dinner is lunch and supper is dinner. I was eager for some Yorkshire pudding and enjoyed it with my veggie Wellington and potatoes.

Sunday Roast

After a bit of a respite, Martin and I headed to Peckham Rye for Sunday night drinks. When I lived here 14 years ago, Peckham Rye was NOT the place I'd ever consider going out in. But time and gentrification has transformed Peckham into a cool mix of urban and hipster culture. after wandering through some back alleys and climbing the sketchy stairs of an old warehouse, we had some cocktails at the Bussey Rooftop Bar. Sunday night is not the most hopping of nights normally, but we stumbled upon a free open mic drag show at John the Unicorn, featuring a performance by Jess Queen and some beginners. What a delightful surprise!

Night Life in Peckham Rye

Tower Bridge & the Moulin Rouge (not the one in Paris)

Martin and Louisa took Monday off work to tour me around. We took the 185 Lewisham bus (MEMORIES) from their place to Lewisham Station, passing through my old neighborhood in Ladywell. I squealed at the Felday Rd sign, lamented the loss of Kebabalicious (Lewisham Best Kebabs doesn't have the same ring), and nodded solemnly at Lewisham Hospital for taking great care of me when I was sick. We ate breakfast at Maggie's Café near the DLR station and I enjoyed jacket potatoes with cheese and sweetcorn (another British staple checked off!). 

Afterward, we wandered around Greenwich, shopping for souvenirs in the market and taking the Thames Clipper boat back to the Tower Bridge area. Since none of us had ever done the Tower Bridge Experience, we headed there. It was cool to learn historical facts about the bridge, like its eight-year construction and the use of divers to lay the foundation. King Edward VII (then the Prince of Wales) laid the final stone in 1886. When it opened, Tower Bridge was considered the 'technical marvel of its age' and still functions as a moveable bridge today. We climbed across the top, stood on the glass ceiling, and witnessed the bridge rising to let a warship pass through.

Tower Bridge Experience

As I wasn't able to get tickets to Taylor Swift, I treated myself to an amazing seat at the Moulin Rouge! musical that evening at the Picadilly Theatre. I picked it since the original Baz Lurham film is one of my favorites (I saw it twice in theaters!). It was a fantastic choice, as sitting in the second row allowed all my senses to be overwhelmed in the best way possible for this energetic jukebox musical. I bonded with another solo traveler sitting beside me over our enthrallment with this spectacular production (🎶 Spectacular, Spectacular...No words in the vernacular can describe this great event. You'll be dumb with wonderment 🎶 ...ok, I'll stop)!"

You can-can-can!

Shopping & Goodbyes

On my last morning in London, I did some solo shopping around Oxford Street, starting with a pre-fueling stop at my favorite coffee spot, Pret-a-Manger (another British treat checked off!). Instagram Reels had alerted me to a unique shop called the "Poetry Pharmacy," which sold small bottles of "pills" (capsules with poems) for various ailments and needs (e.g., hope, sadness, vice, and social media detoxes). I purchased one called "S.A.D. Remedy" to help me cope with the gray, wintry months in Canada. I also hit up my favorite London store, Primark, for some cheap deals where I can always say, "Hey, it's from Europe!"

In the afternoon, I left London for a quick evening stopover in Dublin before my flight home to Toronto the next day. This three-week Euro trip, through Dublin ➡️ Vilnius ➡️ Riga ➡️ Tallinn ➡️ Helsinki ➡️ London, has been wonderful.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy traveling in Europe and was glad to explore the Baltics, an area I knew little about. Growth is only achieved when you're out of your comfort zone, and hopefully, you have some fun along the way. I know I did. 

24 hours in Helsinki

I left Tallinn via the Tallink Silja MyStar Passenger Ferry to Helsinki for a quick 24-hour stop in the Finnish capital. The ferry was smooth and relaxing, allowing me to write a blog post and do some digital cleanup on my phone during the two-hour journey between ports. 

The first views of Finland from the ferry

I had bought snacks and water before the trip to avoid overpriced ferry items. However, I had my second blunder of the trip when my e-SIM wouldn't connect to the network in Finland, and I hadn't downloaded any maps when I had Wi-Fi, assuming I could rely on my data to navigate. With no Wi-Fi at the port (plenty on the ship!), I struggled for 20 minutes to recall my hotel's location and transit options before taking an expensive cab (likely ripped off by the driver). My hotel, Hotel Finn, was a clean and perfect single room in the city center. I appreciated the shower pressure! The hotel had a cute, small elevator to the 6th floor, but my window was closed and covered due to construction next door.

After unwinding, I visited the award-winning Yeastie Boi bagel shop for dinner. The vibe and food were delicious, with a crispy tofu bagel and home-brewed lager. 

One of the best tofu bagels I've ever had

Helsinki is quite expensive compared to previous countries I visited. For example, an Aperol Spritz ad in Tallinn yesterday and Helsinki today highlighted the price difference. 

Tallin vs. Helsinki

Luckily, I stumbled upon Helsinki's annual "Night of the Arts" festival, featuring artistic pop-ups throughout the city. Highlights included a samba band, free photo art prints, a personal poem writer (too long a line to wait), a protest march against arts funding cuts, and various street musicians. I enjoyed a delicious blueberry ice cream while wandering the streets before bed.

Exploring the Night of the Arts

The next morning, I visited Fazer's Cafe, recommended by a former student's pareny (Thank you to Emilia's mom Riita for all her reccomdations). I indulged in a latte and cinnamon bun. Karl Fazer is known for his chocolate, earning him the nickname "Willy Wonka of Finland." I brought some chocolates home to share. 

This girl runs on coffee and cinnamon buns.

Since this was my 4th walking tour of the trip, I was becoming a bit disengaged. However, I still managed to retain a few interesting facts: 

- Finland gained independence from Russia in 1917 without Soviet occupation, has mandatory military service, and closely monitors its border with Russia. 

- The Havis Amanda statue, a symbol of Helsinki, was under repair during my visit, but we got to catch a glimpse of her when they removed the barricades to allow construction vehicles to enter. 

Glimpse of Havis Amanda

- I also learned about Lonkero, a drink invented during the 1952 Olympic Games, consisting of gin and lemonade/grapefruit. Turns out I actually drank this drink when I was in Tallinn! It was delicious.

The walking tour ended at Oodi Library, an impressive, state-of-the-art facility. As a former teacher-librarian, I was particularly interested in the maker space, offering 3D printing, vinyl printing, sewing machines, music rooms, and more. The top floor featured a cafe, viewing deck, and book area, while the kids' section had a play area and appropriate shelving height!

Oodi Library

After the library, I treated myself to salmon lunch at a cute cafe and explored the market by the Harbour before heading to the airport for my last destination of this Eurotrip: a return to London.

Tallinn, Estonia

 Tallinn, Estonia, is the last spot on my Baltics leg of this European trip. My private room in Fat Margaret's hostel was ... alright, but may be encouraging me to book hotels in the future instead. I also committed my first travel blunder on this trip here. After a leisurely wake-up, I ended up grabbing a sandwich and drink to eat in a park beside a church before joining my walking tour. I had started to notice small bubbles under my screen protector on my phone, so I reached into my bag to get my credit card to iron them out. And guess what wasn't there... A bit of panic set in; I thought back to the last time I used it (coffee machine in my hostel earlier). I gave up on my walking tour and headed back to my hostel, scanning the road with every step I took. I knew no one had used my card since I get alerts on my phone with every overseas purchase, so I started brainstorming a contingency plan if I needed to cancel it. After arriving back at my room and tearing apart my bag, I worriedly asked the person at the front desk—and there it was (I had left it on a couch). Crisis averted, and cortisol levels stabilizing.

Tallinn Old Town

Since I had missed the "storytelling" tour due to being the Absentminded Professor, I ended up on a regular walking tour of the old town. In a weird, "it's a small world" moment, I learned that two other travelers in my tour group were from Toronto. Not only from Toronto but also from Leslieville. One of them was a teacher in the TDSB (at Wexford High School). What's more, they originally met at the Only (my local bar beside my apartment). I actually met her during a staff social there when both my school and hers were having drinks. Crazy!

Some things I learned about the town on this tour were:

- Like the other Baltic countries, it had been taken over by various countries throughout its existence and gained freedom in the 90s, after the Soviet Union's collapse. They have a Freedom Square with a military parade every February 24th (although they don't have an army, but a "defense league"). In 1911, there was a statue of Peter the Great, but they decapitated it during the first revolution. During Soviet rule, it was known as the Red Square, then a parking lot in the 90s, and eventually became a freedom monument.

Freedom Monument

- Old Towers: Built in the 14th century, the square Virgin's Tower was used as a jail for prostitutes in medieval times. It was a square tower useful against bows and arrows. The round tower was the Kiek in de Kök (translating to "peep into the kitchen" in German) and provided good defense against cannonfire.

Kiek in de Kök 

- They had a big brother attitude towards Finland, and Estonian is a Finnish-Hungarian language, so they can understand Finnish pretty well. They also adopted the same national anthem tune (but with different lyrics).

- My guide attributed the colors of the Estonian flag to: Blue - blue sky and hope for tomorrow, Black - dirt under fingers from when they were not free, and White - their craving for independence.

- After the Soviet era, people bought land outside the church, and as the city and tourism grew, the city slowly bought back all the land from civilians. Except for one spot where a stubborn citizen refused to sell. In defiance, he placed a Soviet-era grain truck in the middle of the grass as an "eyesore," but to me, it adds a bit of whimsy and a refreshing "fuck-you" attitude.

It's my land and I'll leave a car if I want to...

Food-wise, Tallinn was hit and miss for this pescatarian. I had an amazing plant-based burger (VLND Burger Vanalinn), a fantastic full breakfast with avocado substituted for the meat (Kohvik Must Puudel), aaaannnnd a half bite of chicken dumplings (I assumed "boiled dumplings with grilled vegetables" was vegetarian, but quickly realized it was not). However, even though their food was less than enjoyable, the ambiance of the Headless Chicken Tavern was on point. It was a Lord of the Rings-themed bar, brought to my attention via Instagram reels from my friend Kurt back home. It had a sweet One Ring chandelier and fantastic decor, with soft Howard Shore scores playing in the background. It also turned out to be the meeting place of a group of larpers, which is even more intense than anything dorky I do, but was interesting to eavesdrop on.

And in the darkness bind them

Telliskivi Loomelinnak (Telliskivi Creative City)

As I was pretty old-towned out by this point in the trip, I decided to indulge my other travel passion: finding cool street art. I visited the artsy and hip area of Tallinn called Telliskivi. I may not be cool enough to be here, but I enjoyed it anyway. I snapped some great graffiti, hovered around the Banksy exhibit in town (but refused to go in and pay for a Banksy exhibit, as I believe his work is meant to be enjoyed outside, ideally by happenstance), and checked out some awesome vinyl and vintage shops.

Telliskivi art

I grabbed a coffee and cinnamon bun from a fantastic roastery called The Brick Coffee Roastery, where I met a cute stray dog (or maybe he lives at the coffee shop?). Obviously, I had to share some with him. I also wanted to take him home with me.

Good boy.

Kadriorg Park

I swung through the food and vintage market (Balti Jaama Turg) and grabbed takeaway sushi before leaving this area of the city to head to Kadriorg Park. This was a beautiful area of Tallinn, and I passed by the harbor to get there. The park was originally meant as a summer residence for Peter the Great (Russian Czar). The residence is now an art gallery that I viewed from the outside. I took my takeaway sushi, grabbed a great bench spot, and people-watched in this city park.

Dinner in Kadriog Park

After my bench dinner, I explored some ponds and fountains, a cool sundial, a children's amusement park, and a Japanese Garden (throwback to Summer 2023!). My last evening was spent wandering back through old town with a walking drink. I enjoyed my time here and encourage you to venture outside the old town as well. Also, try to avoid the massive hordes of descending cruise shippers (I was originally confused why it was so much busier than the other old towns, but was reminded of this fact, and indeed, by 5 pm, it was much more chill). See you next time, Estonia. I'd love to explore more.

Last stop on the Baltic Way

Travels through Latvia and Estonia

Jill and I said our early morning goodbyes, and I headed off to meet a small tour van (Traveller Tours) that would take me from Riga to Tallinn, stopping at tourist points along the way. Since I didn't have much time to explore beyond the major cities, this was a great way to see more of Latvia and Estonia.

Instead of a 4-hour bus ride, I took a 12-hour drive with a few interesting stops. My fellow passengers were two middle-aged German couples (very nice and kind enough to take photos of me). As the odd one out, I got to know our tour guide, Kert, a Tallinn native and teacher (brave soul, teaching middle schoolers!). Through our chats, we discovered we had quite a bit in common despite living across the globe.

Our first stop was the Sigulda Bobsled, Luge, and

Skeleton track, a Soviet-era track Latvia gained upon independence. The Ukrainian luge team was practicing on summer luges, which was a treat. I was reminded of a family trip to Calgary when I was a young teen and Jaclyn and I rode down the luge track (from the Calgary Olympics).

Athletes training on Summer Luge

Luckily, the rain cleared up in time for us to explore Cēsis, a charming town with a medieval castle. I decided to explore the castle, whipping through impressive state rooms and a crumbling medieval castle. 45 minutes wasn't enough time, but at least I got a taste of a medieval castle on this trip!

Cēsis Castle

Next up was my favorite part: a mini-hike along sandstone cliffs in Gauja National Park (specifically Sietiņiezis). It was gorgeous and reminded me of Canada. We saw holes in the sandstone where bees have their hives (not honeybees but pollinators nonetheless).

A view of the Gauja River

We stopped for lunch at a local brewery (Valmiermuižas alus darītava), which perfectly catered to my veggie lifestyle (both in hops and vegetables beyond potatoes). We then reached Valga, the town bordering Latvia and Estonia. There was minimal border control (an empty booth for photo ops), but a fun swing allowed us to "swing between both countries."

"Border Crossing"

Our last stop was Viljandi, an Estonian town with a walking tour passing through the ruins of another medieval castle of the Teutonic Order. We saw cute strawberry statues hidden around town (an Estonian painter Paul Kondas painted a famous strawberry-themed painting) and cat statues with adoptable cat signs (QR codes with more information). I'm not a cat person (allergic and holding out for a dog), but this made me want one! 

Sights of Viljandi

We arrived in Tallinn late in the evening, concluding a fantastic little jaunt through these countries and a unique way to see something I wouldn't have without a car. Now, let's see what you have to offer me, Tallinn – the last of my Baltic stops!

Estonian Rainbows.... no pot of gold found

Jūrmala & the Gulf of Riga!

Jill and I decided to take a 2-day mini-break to the seaside town of Jūrmala (pronounced "Yur-moolah"). Located about 45 minutes from Riga, it was an easy 2€ train ride to get there. While it might be better suited as a day trip from Riga, we managed to combine an afternoon of beach time with a day of forest hikes during our stay. 

Jūrmala was once a popular resort town during Soviet times, and its influence is still evident. Russian is the more commonly spoken second language, besides Latvian, and our guesthouse had a distinctly Russian Grandma style. Complete with laminated lace tablecloths and classic grandma couches, it felt like a nostalgic throwback. Our host spoke minimal English, but we communicated well enough for our time there (and I somehow scored some laundry – but left a 5€ tip because I just wanted to know if I could use the machine, not have her do it for me...). There was also this hilarious angry little doggo living there, who protected his house at all costs.

Our Guesthouse

Jūrmala Beach, Jomas Iela & Black Balsam

Our first stop was Jūrmala Beach, as rain was forecasted, and we wanted to squeeze in some beach time. We relaxed, took pictures with the sign, and I dipped my toes in the Gulf of Riga (the beach was a wading beach, requiring a long walk before reaching swimming depth). We timed our exit perfectly, as it started pouring almost immediately after we gathered our belongings. 

Beach time!

We strolled along the pedestrian-only street, Jomas Iela, to find a restaurant for dinner, where we both enjoyed a salmon dish, albeit with mediocre service. We decided to try the Latvian liquor, "Riga Black Balsam," and purchased some from the liquor store. You could enjoy it on the rocks (a long story, but we didn't opt for that), straight, mixed with ice cream (which I tried in Riga!), or diluted with soda water. We sampled two flavors: cherry and black currant, with the former tasting like cough medicine and the latter being the clear winner. The next night, we chose a pre-mixed can of it for our beach sunset, and it was the clear, albeit slightly sweet, winner.

Give me all the black currant flavours 

Forest Hikes in Ragakāpa

Our original plan was to hike in nearby Kemeri National Park on our second day, but unfortunately, it wasn't pedestrian-friendly, and due to a massive storm a few weeks prior, many areas were still closed for debris cleanup. So, we opted for a smaller hike at Ragakāpa (on the northeast point). My eternal "please talk to me" face (I really need to work on my resting bitch face) caused a random late-middle-aged local to strike up a conversation and become our unofficial bus tour guide. He was nice but a bit too friendly ("I promise I'm not a bad guy" made us feel the opposite). We bid him adieu at our stop and chose a longer walk into the forest.

Ragakāpa Forest Hike

The forest was stunning, with giant pine trees in every direction. They've developed a wooden boardwalk with English signs explaining the flora and fauna. I even picked a bunch of wild delicious blueberries to snack on. The hike ended at a free Open-Air Museum showcasing early 19th/20th-century fishing life. Highlights included moss-covered fishing houses, 18th-century shipwreck remnants, traditional saunas, examples of intimidating fish, and a drum made from an old fuel tank. 

Open-Air Museum

Our evening ended with a delicious dinner (veggie pizza for me, grilled veggies for Jill, and a homemade cranberry drink) and a sunset on the beach. For the first time on this trip, I wanted to wear my fleece, but it was still a beautiful way to end our time in Jūrmala. 

Riga, Latvia

The next country on my route was Latvia! I'm meeting up with my friend (and work colleague) Jill, who is also on her own European trip. It's lovely to meet up with a friend in the middle of a solo trip, and we had a great 5 days together! We spent 3 full days in Riga and 2 in Jūrmala on the coast. I arrived first at our hotel (Tribe Riga City Center), which was gorgeous and très chic. The hotel featured a funky lounge, delicious free breakfast, and even a sauna, steam room, and hot tub. With the exception of feathers in our bedding (stupid allergy) and almost no pillows to sleep on the first night, I highly recommend this spot if you come to Riga. Jill arrived by 9:30pm, and we had a few beers in our room to catch each other up on our travels so far.

Tribe Riga City Centre - What a vibe!

Our first stop the next morning was the Art Nouveau neighborhood (just beside our hotel), with a huge focus on Alberta Iela (street). Riga has more than 800 different buildings that fit this style of architecture, which is intricate and flamboyant. We saw many mythical beasts, masks, flowers, and classical motifs that began in the early 1900s. We then stumbled across a store with my favorite combination of products, marked by a simple neon sign: "Wine & Flowers." Both feature heavily on my "treat yourself" radar even if we didn't buy either.

Examples of Art Nouveau 

Next, we visited the great Russian Orthodox Cathedral, the Nativity of Christ Cathedral, with its beckoning golden domed rooftops. We gained the ire of the nuns, who wagged their fingers at us for wearing knee-length shorts – scandalous!

Nativity of Christ Cathedral

We walked through a nearby park, where I squealed with hopeful romantic glee at a locks-of-love bridge and some cool statues.

How many 🔒 are still ❤️?

Traveling with someone else is interesting because our photography interests differ: mine lie in statues, history, and street art, while Jill's lie in architectural design, patterns, and nature. Between us, you'll get a good photographic view of the country. We met a fellow traveler, Vince, an Australian engineer on a working holiday, while searching for a bench to eat our convenience store lunches (thank goodness for the Narvesen chain's amazing vegetarian quick lunch options!). We exchanged numbers and planned to meet up after our walking tour.

Facts I remember from the walking tour

- On top of many of their churches is the morning star symbol, rather than a cross, due to churches changing identities whenever the next invader arrived.

- The locals convinced the Nazis not to burn down one synagogue in Old Town because it might catch other houses on fire and destroy this Germanic medieval old town.

Synagogue Peitav Shul

- The House of the Blackheads - a kind of fraternity/guild for unmarried men - while most buildings survived WWII, the original building (built in 1334) did not. They rebuilt it from scratch in 1999 rather than renovating it. Also, the statue in the middle of Market Square outside the Blackheads house is basically a colonial monument of a French military guy.

Market Sq - House of the Blackheads 

- The Cat House is a 1909 Art Nouveau building with a legend that the original owner desperately wanted to belong to the guild house across the street. They refused his membership, so he pointed the cat butts at the house until they eventually granted him access, and he turned them around. Legend or truth, it adds some spice to those cats.

- I heard the Moon Taxi song "Morocco" playing at a Rock Cafe (which we'd visit another night), which kinda blew my mind since that band never got huge back home, but I had seen them at Bonnaroo and SXSW in 2012 and loved that song.

- Three Brothers are three houses with three distinct architectural ages/designs. They're called that because Tallinn has three houses called the Three Sisters; no other reason. 😅

Count em - 1 2 3 Brothers

- A sister city of Riga is Bremen, Germany, and they gifted Riga a bronze sculpture depicting the animals from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale about the Bremen Town Musicians. They say the higher you jump to touch or rub the animals, the better luck you'll have... not fair for us shorties!

Getting (some) luck 

Beer & Lido: A Wonderful combo

After the tour, we found a great people-watching spot attached to a brewery (Two More Beers) and Vince met up with us. 

A chatty British couple gave us some advice about visiting Riga, and we took up their suggestion to try out a restaurant called Lido. Lido hit all our check marks with its variety of food choices and buffet-style service. We enjoyed it and each other's company so much that we basically closed the place down.

City Parks & Military Museums

The next morning, we explored more of the city parks in my hunt for funky art sculptures. We found a disco snail, a lighthouse (Jill's cultural heritage as a Nova Scotian), and some of the nicest-smelling roses we had ever smelled. 

As a contrast, and I'm nothing if not random, after visiting beautiful live nature, Jill indulged my love of military history, and we visited the (free) Military Museum. Upon entry, the first thing you see is a bombed shell of a jeep nicknamed "Orlik," from the current war in Ukraine. They said it is here to not only demonstrate the brutality of war but also to remind Latvia of the freedom it enjoys and that the war is still ongoing. There is so much support for Ukraine in these countries that it is quite inspiring.

Flags supporting Ukraine 

The rest of the museum covered Latvian military history from the 1700s (not my jam) through the World Wars (interest piqued) to the modern day. There was an especially moving part in the WWI section, where they showed the duality between glory and destruction, with one side displaying medals that could be won and the other showing destroyed helmets and photos of deceased soldiers. I also noted two interesting things as a history nerd who studied a lot about the World Wars and post-war period from a North American lens during my undergrad degree:

1. They never called it the "Russian Revolution" but rather the "Russian Civil War." I think this word change could be attributed to the fact that the regime that came after was not beneficial for the citizens in this country, but I'm not sure. Either way, it's interesting to me.

2. I learned a lot in university about McCarthyism and the communist blacklists/hunts during the Cold War (they also didn't use that term often). But I never really thought about the Soviets doing the same thing but against capitalist/leftist thinkers. There was an interesting section about people killed or sent to prison camps for daring to think differently in Latvia at the time.

Once we were museumed out, we did some more city wandering, bought some lucky pagan talismans as souvieners, and hit up the spa in our hotel to unwind.

Skyline Bar

Upon that British couple's advice, we decided to be fancy and head on up to the Radison hotel's skybar for the best and tallest view of Old Town. They definitely hit the mark. Bless Vince for saving us a great window view! We all ordered our expensive cocktails, coincidentally in different shades of red, and enjoyed the view. If you don't want to spend any money on a drink, a helpful tip is that the bathroom has a fantastic floor to ceiling view and that's free!

View of the Orthodox church from Skyline Bar

After drinks, we tried to hit up another Lido, but due to some misleading Google title, we ended up at a very different restaurant. But it had a great patio, cool wooden frogs and was a nice way to end the day.

Camper vans, Sad History and Wild Spaniards

Jill and I left for Jūrmala (a seaside beach town) after that, but that will be its own post. So, I'm going to skip ahead to our last full day in Riga. We stayed at the cutest hostel, Urban Van Glamping Riga, which was four renovated camper vans in one big room. Each van was a "room," and there were bathrooms, showers, and a simplistic kitchen in the bigger room. I've never slept in an RV before, so this was a great first try! The idea is so cool and unique that Jill and I are developing our own business plan to bring this to Ontario (first step: win the lottery).

The rooms!

After visiting the Riga Market (where we enjoyed delicious dumplings and mini crepes), we went to the Riga Ghetto and Holocaust Museum (this choice again influenced by my History degree). The Riga Ghetto unfortunately did not last very long, as it was created in the summer of '42 and liquidated by the end of November (via mass graves in a nearby forest or to concentration camps). The museum is not located where the ghetto was, but it does have cobblestones taken from Ludzas St, the ghetto's main alley. They also had a relocated house that would have housed 30 people and a recreation of a deportation train car. There was also a touching artistic display dedicated to the Jews sent from Terezin, Czech Republic, to Riga.

Cobblestones from the Ghetto

After that sobering museum, we decided to go in the opposite direction and hit up a bar. We wandered around until an unassuming staircase to a cellar caught my eye, and we discovered "Secret Event." It had a very cool vibe, but we were the only two there until Vince joined us for espresso martinis (and a beer for Jill). Good thing I had that espresso, because a tornado of fun Spaniards entered the bar. Jill perked up with the ability to use her Spanish, and Vince peaced out with dinner plans. The Spanish guys were on a few hours' leave from their army duty and living it up. They were quite taken with Jill and even more impressed when she passed the bar challenge of standing on a bed of nails for 2 minutes (receiving the honor of her name on the wall and a free shot). I was proud of her since I definitely wasn't trying it with that crowd watching. Jill *is* zen.

Standing on nails for 2 minutes!!!

The hurricane of Spanish army men led us back to that rock cafe, where I tried my best to communicate via Google Translate and slowing down my motor mouth. As quickly as they came in, they left just as fast; they had to catch a certain bus or train. What a whirlwind! After a frustrating adventure trying to find something I could eat on a Sunday at 10 p.m., we finally found a kebab/falafel place (aptly called "HAS KEBABS") and crashed in our van. Riga was absolutely beautiful, and it was so much fun to explore it with one of my great friends. Thanks for sharing in this part of my Baltic adventure, Jill!