Riga invites one to walk without much of a plan, guided less by a map than by whatever catches the eye above street level or just around the corner. Architecture alone would be reason enough – it’s centuries stacked in stone, brick, and ornament.
Statues appear in the middle of squares as if mid-conversation, walls quietly host bursts of modern color and commentary, and rooftops sprout cats with attitude. Strolling becomes a slow drift through styles, stories, and small surprises, best enjoyed slowly.
Today finds me entering the harbor of Riga with its skyline of church spires and bridges. No one is in the terminal and I am unaware I am an illegal alien without a Visa. I ride a bus to city center,and walk to my little B&B Hotel Circus.
Not much English but I understand the landlady wants my Visa; she understands I don’t have one. But, I get my little room. Almost a cell and like being locked in, reminding me Latvia was Communist not long ago. I immediately walked to the old city square….”
