All Around Riga

Trip date: January 2017

After being in Riga for two full days we decided to take a day trip out to Jurmala. This pretty beach resort is just 30-minutes from the city and during the summer I could imagine it is a haven on the Gulf of Riga which connects to the Baltic Sea. During the winter it is a bit different!

We drove thru the small town and found parking near the beach so we could take a short walk around. It was a bit drizzly as we got out of the car, and it was cold! The old soviet-style buildings and hotels were interesting and we even found the bronze turtle statue that stares out to the gulf. 

From here we made a circle walking through more of the town. Some of the beach houses were very old and in need of repair while others were new and quite modern in their architecture. 

The main street is really cute and filled with shops; there was even a small Christmas Market going on. 

It was getting colder and it was also time for lunch so we drove to another part of the town, past very large mansions, to a fantastic little restaurant that sits right on the beach- 36.Line.

I had traditional veal pelmeni (dumplings) served in mushroom broth and sour cream to start, followed by a ridiculously huge pork shank. Everything was delicious and we had a front row seat to watch the snow as it started falling!

The snow continued to fall as we headed back to town, the city was so pretty! We walked past the Laima Chocolate clock (which was suppose to be some big deal but I wasn't impressed), and over the river past the Freedom Monument. We'd mostly been in the old town and now were in City Center.  We made our way to the Corner House, the former headquarters of the KGB where you can walk thru an exhibit which explains the power and activity of this secret organization. There are also tours of the cellars, interrogation rooms, etc. which unfortunately were sold out when we arrived. I had gone to a similar museum in Vilnius. 

The next day we drove out of town again to Birini Palace. It was snowing quite hard when we left town and at one point as I drove through a very thick forested area it was so dark and snowing so hard that I couldn't see a damn thing! Finally it cleared as we neared the palace and we were rewarded with absolutely stunning views of the palace grounds!

The palace, which also is a hotel now, was built in 1860 and has lakes, parks, horses, a restaurant, etc. 

We were shown around a bit by one of the "castle keepers" and then were turned loose to explore on our own. It is very pretty; I wouldn't put it in your "not-to-miss" list but if you are in the area the pink castle is a beautiful site!

We had an average lunch at the on-site restaurant and then got back on the road. Our plan was to hit a few more castles before the end of the day as there were four in the nearby national park. But the snow started falling really hard again and we just didn't want to risk the roads so we headed back home and had a couple of cocktails!

On our last day in Riga we woke up to an actual snow storm! We had booked an Art Nouveau Architectural walking tour and spent 3 hours walking around the city which was freezing but so beautiful!

The buildings in Riga are so interesting, I highly recommend one of these walks which cost us 15 Euro each and included a coffee break (where I chose mulled wine and an apple caramel tart!). 

We all had early flights the next morning and shared a 5:30am taxi to the airport. Ugh. Forest, Thibault and I had an Air Baltic flight to Paris where we said goodbye after traveling around together for 2 weeks. I had a 3 hour layover before my flight to Seattle, so I spent some time duty free shopping before hitting the Delta lounge which is just ok at CdG. Then I had a very nice flight home in business class with multi-course meals, wine pairings, and a lay-flat bed. 

Another wonderful New Year's Eve trip was in the books! I was so charmed by Riga and the surrounding countryside. If you get the chance to visit I would absolutely go. And if you happen to be there during the holidays when there is snow and Christmas markets, then all the better!

Latvia photos are here.

You can also find photos of our trip on Instagram using the hashtag #BalticBash2016

Other posts from this trip:
36 Hour Parisian Birthday Party
Christmas in Beaujolais
Baltic Bash Kick Off
Out and About in Lithuania
Baltic Road Trip
A Very Baltic New Year
Latvian Eats & Drinks

Latvian Eats & Drinks

Trip date: January 2017

We arrived in Riga from Lithuania and spent a very fun New Years Eve celebrating along the banks of the Daugava. We spent a total of six nights in this gorgeous city so we got to do a fair amount of exploring. It's such a beautiful place, I highly recommend the Baltic countries for their scenery, history, and even the food!

On our first night in town we needed a restaurant that was open late. We ended up picking Rozengrals which is medieval-style in a building that dates back to 1293! It was very fun for our first night and the food was quite good despite there not being electricity, real silverware, etc. There were dishes like rabbit stew with prunes, duck with cherry sauce, and a big pork shank served on a skewer meant for two!

We were all moving a bit slow on New Years Day so I cooked up a big brunch of potatoes and eggs for everyone, which took entirely too long as the stove had only 2 burners which barely got hot. Luckily we also had mimosas!

Later that evening a friend of Thibault's, who happened to be in town from Paris, came over and we all headed out to Peter's Brewhouse. This brewery serves three beers (light, dark, and red) all made on-site. We had some typical pub grub to go with our beers, including some really good bacon buns!

That night we did as the locals do and went to the buffet at Lido for dinner. Multiple friends with Latvian roots recommended the buffet so we were curious! Sunday night and the place was packed! We squeezed ourselves onto a small table and took turns at the different stations all with traditional Latvian food.

There were so many salads, and kabobs, and roasts, etc. And your meal started at about $10. It was all pretty good too! There are a few of them around the city, check it out!

We just happened upon a random whiskey bar as we left the restaurant so stopped in for a nightcap. Mine was a hot toddy; it's cold in Latvia in January!

One night we met our friend Sarah, who was also visiting, at Mute, an adorable little wine and cocktail bar. Unfortunately the night we came by they didn't have a bartender working (?!?) so only wine was available. I had a lovely glass of rosé champagne served in a gorgeous coup and also these amazing peppery cookies called Piparkukas, similar to gingersnaps.

From here we walked thru the snow to Valmiermuiza, a very cool brewery serving excellent food. We had their charcuterie platter, traditional garlic bread with sour cream sauce, and not so traditional buttermilk fried chicken nuggets. I was coming down with a cold so I tried a couple of their hot mulled beers before ditching my friends and grabbing an uber home to get some rest.

Another very well known and highly recommended tavern that we went to for lunch was Folkklubs. They are known for their traditional live folk music and they have the largest selection of beers in Riga. The subterranean space is really cool, with brick archways and lots of big wooden tables, perfect for having a group of friends trading toasts.

We had a very filling lunch of fried potatoes with a garlicky dipping sauce, a platter of cheeses and toasted bread, and then potato pancakes with bacon and sour cream! Traditional food is definitely a bit heavy!

We also had a chance to check out two restaurants doing modern Lativan cuisine in Riga. The first was Restaurant Forest and it was both beautiful and delicious!

We had a very nice dinner here and really liked how they used traditional ingredients like herring, mushrooms, and game in updated expressions. Dishes were plated artistically and the ingredients were very seasonal.

On our last evening in town Forest, Caitlin, and I went to 3 Pavari Restaurant. The decor is slick and modern and the menu read very well, lots of delicious things like rabbit, foie gras, elk, and lamb. Our cocktails had a lot of ingredients and garnishes in them; they were just ok and unfortunately the meal would echo the cocktails.

Our bread service came á la Jackson Pollock; each of us had a placemat of parchment paper which the server squirted various spreads in an abstract style. It was fun if a bit precious.

The food here was good but it felt like there was more thought put into how many ingredients could be used and how cool the presentation could be vs. the development of flavor. And it was the most expensive of our trip. But it also shows that the chefs in Latvia are exploring new trends and pushing some boundaries which I like.

We had a great time exploring the many food options in Riga!


Latvia photos are here.

You can also find photos of our trip on Instagram using the hashtag #BalticBash2016

Other posts from this trip:
36 Hour Parisian Birthday Party
Christmas in Beaujolais
Baltic Bash Kick Off
Out and About in Lithuania
Baltic Road Trip
A Very Baltic New Year

Baltic Road Trip

Trip date: December 2016

We were leaving Vilnius, heading towards our New Year's Eve destination of Riga, Latvia. With no trains between the two cities we decided to risk the weather and drive. For the most part the roads were good and we all enjoyed the road trip.

Wanting to take advantage of the car we decided to do a little sightseeing along the way. Our first stop, an hour and 30 minutes outside of Vilnius, was the interesting Bistrampolis Manor in the tiny village of Kuciai. The plantation style building was built in 1850 and is now a hotel, restaurant, and conference center. But the history of the land and original buildings goes back 500 years. 

We were definitely in rural Lithuania as we drove 5 miles on a dirt road past nothing but fields to get there. We had a good lunch in the restaurant and as it was really cold, didn't spend a lot of time walking around the grounds, but they were very pretty. 

From here we had another hour and 30-minute drive to the Hill of Crosses. Situated in the middle of nowhere in northern Lithuania, this has been a site of pilgrimage since the mid-1800s. 

Approaching the hill is so strange as there are over 100,000 crosses! There are paths around and through the crosses, in some sections hundreds had toppled over (a cross-slide?) and the paths were blocked. 

There are crosses of all sizes, and many made of non-traditional materials like airplane propellers. Some are basic and others are quite artistic. There are very, very old ones and others brand new. If you didn't carry one on your pilgrimage you can buy one in the gift shop or parking lot. 

It's quite a sight!

Back in the car, we drove another hour and a half, crossing into Latvia, on route to Rundale Palace. As we crossed the boarder we noticed that most houses had one or more of the trees in their yard decorated for Christmas. It is said that the tradition of Christmas trees started in Latvia in 1510!

Unfortunately, we arrived just as the palace was closing for the night. We walked around the exterior a bit but weren't able to see much. I was disappointed not to get a chance to explore but it's not my first time being locked out of a palace; there was this one time in Russia...

We had another hour and a half drive before reaching Riga. The road was fine but it was very dark with no streetlights and a two-lane highway for most of the time. 

When we arrived in the city we were all just about speechless! Riga, modern on one side of the river, with an incredible old town on the other, and stunning bridges spanning the two sections, was absolutely beautiful!!

We couldn't wait to see it in the daylight!


All Lithuania photos are here and Latvia photos are here.
You can also find photos of our trip on Instagram using the hashtag #BalticBash2016

Other posts from this trip:
36 Hour Parisian Birthday Party
Christmas in Beaujolais
Baltic Bash Kick Off
Out and About in Lithuania
A Very Baltic New Year
Latvian Eats & Drinks

Out and About in Lithuania

Trip date: December 2016

On our 2nd full day in Lithuania, we picked up our rental car and drove to Trakai Castle. When we left Vilnius it was cold and sunny, which quickly turned to cloudy and snowing. After just a short drive we arrived in the town and walked across the bridge to the castle which sits in the center of the lake; snow falling all around us. When people ask why I travel to these cold-weather destinations in the winter, this is why. It was fantastic!

We spent a few hours going through the palace, towers, casemate, and courtyard. The rooms were filled with a lot of interesting displays of silver, original coins, weaponry, traditional dress, stained glass, and a great photo exhibit of the restoration of the castle.

At one point the four of us were the only ones in the castle's ballroom. That doesn't happen in the summer!

One of the more unique exhibits was a very large collection of smoking pipes in a variety of sizes from as small as a thimble to large water pipes.

When we were done, we walked back across the bridge to the small town and had lunch at Bona Pizzeria. Although you might be able to get pizza here, we chose it because they are known for their traditional Karaite pastries which are similar to empanadas.

A great view of the castle, delicious chicken broth loaded with dill, and a pastry filled with lamb made for a great lunch. Forest's soup came with a roll of bread that was as black as lava! Go here if you're in Trakai!

When we got back to Vilnius Thibault led us on a walking tour around Old Town. We passed so many churches it was almost absurd! I read later that there are 28 churches in the old town; 21 are Roman Catholic, four are Russian Orthodox, and one each of Lutheran, Reformed and Eastern Rite Catholic.

Six of the Catholic churches, such as this beautiful pink one, still haven't reopened since the Soviet occupation.

Some of the churches are almost stacked on top of each other as the old town is only 3.5 square kilometers.

There wasn't time to go into them all but we did duck into a few. This being just after Christmas, one even had a live manger in the entrance!

We ended our tour in the Uzupis Republic. A self designated independent republic, this little neighborhood is filled with artists and cool hangouts. We squeezed into Spunka for beers, a very fun place with lots of locals and more beer choices than I knew what to do with.

We made our way back over the river towards where we were having dinner and stopped into Notre Vie as we had read it was a good wine bar. When we started chatting with the bartender he sold us on his cocktail making skills so we changed our orders only to end up with Negronis made with Sprite. No worries, they were super friendly and happy to have us.

Dinner was right next door at Lokys. The restaurant has various rooms, most looking a bit medieval, ours unfortunately resembled the inside of a business hotel from 1978. But the meal was fantastic! We had sausages made from beaver, venison, and wild boar, local cheeses, a delicious cold beet soup, meatballs, etc. I'd absolutely recommend Lokys for dinner!

Our uber home cost 3 Euro! Caitlin, Forest, and I had nightcaps and some musical sing-alongs before turning in.

On our last day in Vilnius Thibault, Forest, and Caitlin took the car and headed out of town to the open-air sculpture garden, Europos. They showed me lots of awesome photos, and all of them really enjoyed it, so I'd say if you have time and a car that would be a good day trip. I decided to stay and see more of the old town.

I loved my day exploring the twisty cobblestone streets of Vilnius. As I was walking towards one of the old gates of the city, I happened upon the main market which was very busy. Pork seemed to be the main attraction featured both in raw cuts and various cured sausages, and there were lots of interesting spices, vegetables, assorted clothing and household items.

Right outside of the market I spotted a small group of locals selling their own homemade items, no tables needed for them!

At the very south end of the city is the Gate of Dawn. Above the gate is the tiny Chapel of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. The icon of the Virgin Mary here is said to have special powers and as I sat for a moment, observing people in prayer while watching pedestrians in the streets below, I could see how special of a place it is for them. As I walked up the stairs to the chapel I even witnessed one woman who climbed up on her knees in an act of veneration.

Old Town Vilnius is gorgeous, it reminded me a bit of Bratislava with the pastel colored buildings and narrow pedestrian only streets. But nowhere have I seen this number of beautiful churches.

It was lunchtime so I made my way to Gabi, which was recommended to me by some friends, for traditional zeppelins; potato dumplings filled with meat and topped with bacon and sour cream. I wish I had a chance to try zeppelins at more than one place as these had a strange texture which I didn't really enjoy. I'm not sure if that is how they are normally or just here.

It was a clear and sunny day and I returned back to Cathedral Square in the hopes of taking the funicular up to the castle tower for sunset. Unfortunately it was closed as there had been a landslide, so I opted to climb up the bell tower instead. The views of the city were just beautiful from here!

When you climb the tower you are on your own and can go all the way up into the rafters. They warn you that you will be right next to the bells so you aren't shellshocked when they ring!

From here I walked to the Genocide Museum which is housed in the old KGB offices. Wow, what a unique museum! The main exhibit focuses on the effects of WWII on Lithuania and includes a lot of information on the Secret Service and Soviet powers.

In the basement of the building are the old KGB prison cells. You self-guide yourself from the entrance where they processed people, holding them in claustrophobia inducing tiny dark closets, to small cells where 4 to 8 men would have been held.

There are a few different isolation cells and a torture cell where the prisoner was forced to stand on the small raised circle platform or they would fall into ice water.

You pass through the exercise yard, where neighbors have a view into, on the way to the execution chamber, complete with bullet-riddled wall. A single shot to the back of the skull was the preferred method at the time.

Grim yes, but historical and interesting for sure. This museum was unlike anything I'd been in before and I'd recommend it without a doubt.

We all regrouped back at the apartment and shared our stories of the day over aperos and baked Mont d'Or cheese we had purchased in Beaujolais.

It was our last night so Forest, Thibault and I headed out for a little cocktail crawl. First up was King & Mouse Whiskey Bar. They are very proud of their whiskey selection here, and I have to say for being in a small town in the Baltics I was impressed too. I had a nice flight made up of whiskies from Japan, Taiwan, and India.

The bartender told us about another bar called Apoteka so we called an Uber and made our way there. This super cute, subterranean feeling bar is all about craft cocktails and we loved it. Especially charming was when we ordered round two of martinis and the bartender found the bottle of vermouth to be empty! Vilnius doesn't have a bottle store on every corner so we were almost out of luck, happily he found a backup!

I really loved Vilnius, much more than I had expected to! It is small and quaint and pretty; interesting architecture and a nice mix of new and old. Less medieval than Tallinn, Estonia and impressive in its number of churches for sure!

We were saying sudie to Vilnius and driving to Latvia in the morning, which I was very excited about as well!

All Lithuania photos are here, you can also find photos of our trip on Instagram using the hashtag #BalticBash2016

Other posts from this trip:
36 Hour Parisian Birthday Party
Christmas in Beaujolais
Baltic Bash Kick Off
A Very Baltic New Year