For the second half of my spring break week, I was off to Riga, Latvia-a short 4.5 hour bus ride from Vilnius and one of the largest cities in the Baltic States. Much like Vilnius, Riga also has an old town and a tumultuous past, experiencing Nazi and Soviet invasions, but has managed to become a thriving capitol-home to more than 1/3 of Latvia's population. After searching around for tours of the city and things to do before my arrival there, my goal was simple: get there and get cooking. As I had been dying to take a few cooking classes while abroad (to get a better idea of what local cuisine was like in the various places I have visited), I jumped at the chance to learn about Latvia through its menus. During my 3 days there, I wandered the Old Town, ate gloriously delicious meals, toured through the Riga Central Market (which is now one of my favorite places), and was guided in making Latvian Cold Soup, Latvian Stew, and some delicious (yet disastrous-looking) dessert. It was the perfect ending to an amazing week.
Taking in some Old Town sights....
(The Freedom Monument, dedicated to the soldiers killed during the fight for Latvian Independence)
And the Riga Central Market....
The Group...
The Soup...
The Meal...
The Desserts that just didn't want to seal...
My time in Latvia was short, but sweet and delicious for certain. After a night exploring the city and making new friends, I greeted the sunrise and was off to catch my bus back to Saint Pete's. After a looooooong haul on a LuxExpress Bus, a stop through customs, and a few moments of utter bewilderment when I forgot to calculate time change & thought the SPb metro suddenly decided to run at 5:00 am, I was back to reality and ready to hit the decline of the semester.
dream.love.discover (that 1 girl + 1 backpack + 10 days of travel=GREAT SUCCESS!),
Dachelle
No comments:
Post a Comment