Travels with Kathryn

Well, hello, 2024 and my 40s – QUELLE HORREUR! No, really, it’s fine. I promise.

So, I did go out and experience some Riga New Year merriment, and you know what, it is all rather delightful. At 6 squares around the Old Town from 9pm, there was live music or DJing and/or light shows. So entertaining, and also with a great atmosphere as there was none of this needing to stake out your spot mid-afternoon, but rather you amble between the squares until you find the one to your taste – mine was a live band alternating between Latvian and English pop classics (mostly from the 90s). The only downside was that the Latvians are tall people (tallest women in the world apparently), so every now and then, I did get stuck behind a group that made me feel rather gnome like!). At about 11pm I decided that rather than wait for the Riga firework display, I would return to my hotel room to warm up, put on my pyjamas and watch the multitude of fireworks being set off all over the city (still going on 30 minutes later). A great way to see in the New Year!

As I woke up on 1 January 2024, the moment had come – yes, I am now in my 40s. Turns out it feels very similar to being 39, but if I notice any key changes having taken place overnight I’ll let you all know!

Down to breakfast, which was something of a bun fight. I am so pleased I was not peer pressured into attending the “gala evening” being offered by my hotel last night if breakfast was anything to go by – I had a much nicer evening wandering around rather than enforced formal jolity. Is this another sign that I am getting old?

Anyway, I understand one needs to keep moving as one gets older, so I went for a walk. Nothing is open today, but there were plenty of other people obviously walking off the night before… A few photos from my walkies:

I also found this rather odd statue which tells the story of the legend of how the city was founded: Once upon a time, before the city of Riga was founded, a tall strong man named Lielais Kristaps (which translates as Big Christopher) who carried people across the river Daugava and lived in a cabin on the right bank of the river. While sleeping one night, Kristaps heard a small child crying on the other side of the river. He rose to fetch the child and began to carry it across the river. Halfway across, the child became so heavy that Kristaps barely managed to get to the other side. Exhausted, he laid the child down to sleep in his house and then fell asleep himself. The next morning, Kristaps awoke to find a large chest of gold coins where the child had been. On his death, the money was used to found the city of Riga, and the first building built was the spot where his house had stood. I am sure there is a moral somewhere about being nice to children, but I am not quite sure I am seeing it…

After my walk, I returned to my hotel room to put my pyjamas on, watch a movie, and eat cake. That is my idea of a birthday! I was also very touched by the hotel delivering me a platter of birthday cake – its like they know me so well:

All in all, it was a very successful birthday.

Today (Tuesday), it was an early start (in the bitter cold) to catch my last international bus of the trip to Vilnius. Unfortunately, I was wedged into a window seat next to a rather large lady (wearing a large puffa coat) which rather curtailed my ability to either type (this) or cross stitch as I did not have any use of my right elbow/arm. There was no border crossing or really any sign that we had left Latvia and entered Lithuania – I only noticed when I saw my first Lithuanian flag some 30 minutes after border. Oops.

I arrived into Vilnius, stretched, and walked the short distance to my AirBnB (also the last one of this trip) where I shall be staying for the next 3 nights. So far, I have done 2 loads of laundry and stocked up from the supermarket. It’s a lovely looking appartment, however, it’s not particularly well equipped, and I feel that 1 dishwasher tablet and no laundry detergent is a little stingy. Luckily, my laundry sheets will see me out.

Tomorrow I will be doing my usual walking tour wearing lots of clothes as its forcast to be -10, but this is fine as there should also be snow which I am very much looking forward to seeing again so fingers crossed!