We got up and did a run along the Daugava River to the large Riga radio tower. All Eastern European cities seen to have these large radio towers. The weather has been fantastic, so the morning runs have been enjoyable. I might even be back in some kind of running shape after this trip as I have run 3 days in a row and ran Saturday before I left. Liam is the main proponent of the morning runs but Tom and I join as it is a good way to wake up and also see the cities. Liam is the running champ as he does 10 every morning while Tom and I usually hit between five and six miles.

After the run and getting ready to head out for our day of travel, we went to a breakfast place that is called “This Place Doesn’t Need A Name.” We had some great breakfasts and I had a glass of fresh orange juice. The breakfast place had been recommended by our waitress from Osta. It seemed very popular with both locals and tourists.

After breakfast we wondered over to Old Town Riga. We saw a very ornate Orthodox Church. There was a statue of a Marshal from the Russian army who was involved in defeating Napoleon and was the strategist for the Russian withdrawal back to Moscow during the Napoleonic war which in the end saved Russia from Napoleon’s invasion. The statute was put up right before WWI but was immediately taken down as the metal of the statute was needed to make ammunition. It did not get put back up until 1992 but the plinth of the statue had remained in place.

We then walked by the Statue of Freedom which commemorates the freedom from Soviet Occupation. It seems that it might be similar to our Tomb of the Unknown Solider as there are two Latvian soldiers who stand guard there.

There is a lovely park with canals that is on the border of Old Town which is on the list of things to visit tomorrow.

The highlight of the day’s sightseeing was climbing (and taking an elevator) to the top of the tower of St. Peter’s Church. The elevator was an experience as I am not sure it is designed for the weight of the people who they allow in. There is an elevator operator who determines how many people are allowed on; our operator seemed completely bored (who would not be bored just taking people up and down all day long?). The elevator shook considerably on the ride up and when we got to the top floor there was a lot of springing up and down before the elevator finally settled and people were allowed off.

The view from the tower gives a fantastic panorama view of Riga and its surroundings.

The next item on the agenda was a beverage break. We headed to a rooftop bar called Herbary that was recommended by Krisjana, the waitress from Osta. We found it and when we entered, I did a double take as I thought Krisjana was the bar tender but was confused how she would be there. It turned out it was Krisjana. She had just started working at the Herbary that day. We could only have one cocktail each as the Herbary was closing because it was too hot – 80 degrees. That is a definite change from Washington DC.

We wandered back to the AirBNB and stopped at Rimi, a Latvian grocery store chain, to try to find local beers as most of the places we have eaten did not serve just a standard local beer (also, we drank wine with dinners). We found three different beers – Uzavas, Aldaris, and Valmiermuiza. The Valmieruiza was recommended by Krisjana and was the best of the three. The Uzavas was a honey beer and it must be half hops and half honey as it really tasted like honey.

We decided to try the national liquor of Latvia, Riga Black Balsam. It is not particularly tasty. It started out as a medicine and has about 30 botanicals. It became famous as it supposedly saved Catherine the Great when she fell ill while traveling and taking a rest stop in Riga. Definitely tastes medicinal.

After some relaxation we headed out to dinner. We had found a restaurant called Tails whose speciality is dry aged fish. They dry age the fish for 15-20 days before cooking it. This supposedly allows it to be preserved without using salt.

It does not look very appetizing while aging but the finished dishes were very good.

Prior to the main dishes, we ordered grilled octopus and seafood tartare. Both of the starters were excellent. I need practice as a blogger as I started eating the octopus prior to taking a photograph so you do not get the full extent of the artistry of the restaurant in the picture of the octopus.

The octopus was served with chestnut purée and the flavor combinations really made for a good dish.

The seafood tartare was again beautifully presented and very good.

The whole restaurant was tastefully decorated in a Nordic minimalist decor. The tables were cuts slabs of raw wood that had been sealed. You could see the grain and knots in the wood. The color palate was muted beiges with metal mirrors, recessed windows, and other elements that made for a calm and sophisticated atmosphere.

The final activity of the evening was stopping for cocktails on the walk back to the AirBNB at Gimlet, a cocktail bar that specializes in gin drinks. Liam and I had “Under the Bushes,” which was a Norwegian gin, with blueberry syrup and dry tonic. Tom opted for a Sorrel gimlet. I am not sure I could have consumed it as it was very green.

All in all a fun day in Riga.