Nē, nē, nē, duša ir pirmais! These were the instructions given by a Latvian grandmother in her birthday suit after I entered the bath complex and reached for the steam room door. Never mind that I was already clean. The Latvian sauna ritual always begins with a shower. Perhaps amused by my halting Latvian and my […]
Winter Travel
A Dog Sledding Adventure in Latvia
Keen to try out regional winter activities, I found a company, Discover Latvia, that organizes dog sledding tours, and gave them a ring after a particularly snowy week in January. What better place than northern Europe to give this sport a try? And I was in luck – they had a group going out! I eagerly waited […]
40 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Istanbul in Winter
When I first learned that Turkish Airlines offered direct flights between Riga and Istanbul, I started dreaming about a sunny winter getaway. The average temperature for Istanbul in January is 45F/7C, which might not seem super warm, but is an improvement over Riga’s 30F/-1C and near-constant snow cover. Istanbul is also 1,800 kilometers south of Riga, resulting […]
Partying Like a Latvian on Winter Solstice
Before ringing in the New Year, we joined in on Latvia’s winter solstice celebrations at the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, a short distance outside Riga. According to local websites, the event would be marked with singing and dancing Latvians wearing animal masks and culminate with the burning of a yule log. I knew this was not to […]
The Ultimate Riga Christmas Market Guide
One of the things I was most excited about when I moved to Europe was getting to celebrate Christmas on the continent most known for its holiday markets and festive atmosphere. I had especially high hopes for Riga given its claim to be the birthplace of the decorated Christmas tree, and fortunately the city has delivered […]