I'm always amazed with how much can be fit into one day on a Lindblad expedition. It is even more impressive when you consider that we spent the morning at sea, sailing through the Baltic on our way to Riga, the capital and largest city of Latvia. While you would think a morning at sea would be an opportunity for napping and relaxation, there's no time for that given the fascinating talks provided by the ship's knowledgeable staff.
Historian Stephen Fisher got the day started with an in-depth look at the political contortions of the Baltics in the 20th Century. A time of war, political intrigue, and shifting borders, it was a fascinating introduction to this region's tumultuous backstory. National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson followed with a lecture on landscape and travel photography in which he revealed some of the tricks and techniques he uses to create his stellar, awe-inspiring photographs.
We arrived in Riga around lunchtime and broke off into groups to explore different aspects of the city. Some of our guests headed off to marvel at Riga's well-preserved Art Nouveau architecture. Others took a guided walking tour to the old city and a dip into the history of this beautiful city. I was lucky enough to join the tour of Riga's immense Central Market, which involved ample tastings of Latvia's culinary delights. Our palates were challenged by salty dried fish, which we struggled to chew, bones, head and all, accompanied with a shot of Latvia's potent, medicinal herbal liqueur, Black Balsam. As we wandered through the relocated German dirigible hangars, now filled wall to wall with food vendors, we enjoyed bread, cheese, blood sausage and other local delicacies.
Our evening in Riga involved a special dinner at the Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs, a popular folk music venue located in a medieval wine cellar. The cozy venue offered a step back in time, with vaulted ceilings and a large raging fire surrounded by comfy couches. Massive amounts of food were brought to our tables, plates overflowing with huge stacks of potatoes, baked zucchini, pork belly, fried fish, stuffed chicken and more. It was a feast for the ages. During the meal, the fantastic local music ensemble Skandi roamed the tables, serenading us with ancient Latvian folk songs.
Our bellies bursting, we moved to the stage area where Laima Jansone, a virtuoso on the Latvian kokle, an 11-string box zither, demonstrated the range of this deceptively simple-looking instrument. Her fingers danced over the strings, strumming out haunting melodies that transported us to a mystical state. Skandi then jumped onstage with an energetic performance using a range of local and international instruments including violins, drums, flutes, kokle, upright bass, mandolin and an impressive traditional bagpipe made of a hairy goat carcass (or maybe it was dog, asserted bagpiper Jumis Ločmelis, he wasn't sure). The night ended with a rousing folk dance session in which traditionally-dressed members of the Riga Dance Club taught us the steps. Filled with food and locally brewed beer, we ended our epic day in Riga spinning joyfully around the dance floor.
