Riga

The last stop of the journey with my parents in the Baltics. The capitol city of Latvia is a gem of Art Nouveau architecture. A very European city with a well preserved historic center. The city's main marketing theme is that Riga, as a former member of the Hanseatic League, is still very much a medieval city. We ate several times in basement restaurants that looked authentic and also only served food, which would have been available 500 years ago. Circled by walls Riga easily translates into modern times. Outdoor cafes are the norm.

My grandma on my mothers side got increasingly sick during the time we were there. My parents were considering heading home early because she was about to die. Because the time difference between the booked flight and the next option was only 2 days we decided that they should stay.
We went to the cinema, visited the market which is housed in the old Zeppelin hangars, the traditional soviet cake and spend some time in the sun along the channel in the city center. We discovered remote parts of the city to see all the beautiful architecture. Rigas art nouveau is among the best in the world.

We also made a day trip to Juermala, which is the beach town of Riga. Foggy and cold is not how I picture a beach. But the locals digged it. And my parents liked it as well, as you can see in the picture.
Eventually we had to say goodbye. Afterwards I checked into a hostel for the night and checked the Internet. My grandma died about the time my parents had left for the airport. Rest in Peace Grossi