thetrainfamilyToday, we went on a trip to the beautiful and fascinating capital of Latvia, Riga. It’s no secret that we are fascinated by Soviet architecture and culture, and now, since we can’t or won’t go to Russia, Riga is a great place to compensate for that. We started the day by buying train tickets to Daugavpils, where we will be traveling to on Sunday. Then we went to the Central Market, which consists of five halls and an outdoor area. It’s huge, and you can really buy everything here – including the drink kvass, which we really enjoy. It reminds us a lot of the markets we have been to in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. The halls were originally built as hangars for airships during World War I!
The Central Market has been located here since 1930. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the introduction of a market economy made the market flourish. We bought some delicious bread, a cap, a pair of sunglasses, a glider, and, of course, kvass. From there, we headed to the old town. We sat on a bench by the fountain called “The Nymph of Riga” and enjoyed the view of both the fountain and the stately National Opera, originally built as a German theatre. The building is classical on the outside and baroque on the inside.
Then we walked a short distance to the Freedom Monument. It was completed in 1935 and represents various aspects of Latvia’s history and culture. The woman on top is called Milda. She holds three stars in her hands, symbolizing the country’s three historical regions. Two soldiers patrolled the monument while we were there. From there, we went to Esplanade Park, where the children played on the playground, and we had an ice cream. Afterwards, we saw the Orthodox Cathedral. It looked brand new, but it was actually built between 1876 and 1884. Its newly restored exterior is due to its restoration after its interior was destroyed during Soviet times, and the church itself was used as a planetarium!
We could have continued exploring the city for hours, but the children had sore feet and were hungry, so we headed back to the apartment, hoping to return another day.
