‘S e baile eachdraidheil brèagha a th’ ann an Riga, prìomh-bhaile Latbhia, fàilteach is goireasach do luchd-turais. Tha iomadachd iongantach ailtireachd aige, bho thogalaichean breige Hanseatigeach gu taighean Art Nouveau mìorbhailteach sgeadaichte, gach stoidhle mar fhianais air an eachdraidh chaochlaideach – eaconamach is poiliteagach – aig Riga agus Latbhia thairis air na linntean. Bha fiù ‘s àrd-bhàillidh le tùsan Albannach aca mu 1900.

Bha mi ann fad 3 làithean anns an Dàmhair còmhla ri buidheann bheag. Dh’fhuirich Hotel Konventa Setasinn san “taigh-òsta” Konventa Seta, seòrsa baile bhig e fhèin ann an cridhe an t-Seann Bhaile. ‘S e clochar a bh’ ann sna Meadhan Aoisean, far an robh mnathan-cràbhaidh agus banntraichean, na “Grey Sisters”, a’ fuireach. Faodaidh mi a mholadh mar àite-fuirich. Tha e fìor thlachdmhor a bhith a’ coiseachd tro Riga. Tha cha mhòr an Seann Bhaile gu lèir na àrainn-choisichean, agus tha mòran phàircean ann, beaga is mòra. Tha e furasda gach àite inntinneach an sin a ruigsinn air chois – a dh‘aindeoin nan clachan-sràide eachdraidheil, àlainn ach neo-chunbhalach.

Black MagicTha cafaidhean agus taighean-bìdh gu leòr ann, gach fear le caractar eadar-dhealaichte agus le prìsean gu math reusanta. Nam measg tha ‘Black Magic‘, àite eadar cafaidh agus poitigeir meadhan-aoiseach, ainmeil airson ‘Riga Black Balsam’, seòrsa dighe dìomhair a tha na leigheas do gach tinneas. A rèir coltais tha blas gu math ìocshlainteach aige, ach cha do dh’fheuch sinn e!

CathedralTha pailteas eaglaisean aig Riga, gu h-àiridh an fheadhainn mheadhan-aoiseach. Chòrd a’ chathair-eaglais leis na clabhsairean bòidheach gu mòr rinn, agus Naomh Peadar le tùr ealanta le trì làir agus lobht-amhairc. Tha eaglaisean ann à gach linn agus de gach seòrsa, bho Lutharach gu Ortadogsach, agus tha mòran dhiubh air an ath-bheothachadh às dèidh do Latbhia a neo-eisimealachd fhaighinn bho na Sovietaich ann an 1991. Bha sinn ann an tòrr dhiubh – agus bha sinn fortanach ceòl a chluinntinn anns a’ mhòrchuid dhiubh.

P1340109Tha na Latbhianaich glè dhèidheil air ceòl is seinn, agus fìor mhoiteil gun do shoirbhich leotha an cultar agus an cànan aca a ghleidhadh fad mòran àmannan tàinisteis chèin. Chuala sinn ceòl tradiseanta Latbhiach aig cuirm ri taobh an Ìmhaigh na Saoirse aca – chuir e nar cuimhne seinn Ghàidhlig, gu h-àiridh leis na seàlaichean breacanach a bha air cuid de na seinneadairean, agus fiù ‘s pìobaire an làthair.

P1340548Aon mhadainn chaidh sinn dhan Mhargadh Mheadhain ana-mhòr, le bùithtean feòla, èisg, càise amssa ann an ochd hangaran àibheiseach, agus air an taobh a-muigh bùithtean gun àireamh de gach seòrsa – flùraichean, measan, aodach, bathar cruaidh is eileagtronaigeach, basgaidean, buill-mhaise is eile. Tha iomadh margadh-ceàirde beag air feadh a’ bhaile cuideachd, le obair-fhighe, obair-ghrèise agus sliopairean peileig annasach air cruth luchan is ainmhidhean eile.

P1340159An latha mu dheireadh againn chaidh sinn air an trèana a Jurmalla, baile spatha air a chosta faisg air Riga, àite tlachdmhor ann an stoidhle eadar Art Nouveau agus ‘dacha’ Ruiseanach, ach le sealladh rud beag fàs, muladach aige às dèidh ràithe shamhraidh. Choisich sinn air a’ phriomh-shràid fhada leis na bùithtean beaga (mòran le adan is aodach spadeil airson mhnathan-uasal aosta) agus cafaidhean seasgair, agus cuideachd air an tràigh ghainmheil fharsaing fhada air cùl sreath chraobhan giuthais. Am Slylinemeasg nan craobhan chunnaic sinn villas fiodha ealanta, agus taighean-samhraidh nas lugha le gàrraidhean beaga – a mhòrchuid fàs san Dàmhair. Tha blas sònraichte, taitneach air an àite – chòrd e rinn. Chòrd a’ chuairt-trèana rinn cuideachd agus nuair a thill sinn air ais thairis air an drochaid gu Riga, fhuair sinn sealladh mu dheireadh air fàire an t-Seann Bhaile, làn tùr uasal.

Barrachd fiosrachaidh an seo: http://www.inyourpocket.com/latvia/riga

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P1340129Riga, the capital of Latvia, is a beautiful historic city, welcoming and accessible for tourists. It has an amazing variety of architecture, from Hanseatic brick to fantastically decorated Art Nouveau, each different style a witness to the changing economic and political fortunes of Riga – and Latvia – over the centuries. They even had a mayor of Scottish extraction around 1900.

P1330685I was there for 3 days in October, with a small group. We stayed in the ‘hotel’ Konventa Seta, a kind of village in its own right in the heart of the Old Town. It was a convent in the Middle Ages, where nuns and widows lived – the ‘Grey Sisters’. I can recommend it as a place to stay. It’s really delightful just to walk around Riga. Almost the whole of the Old Town is a pedestrian zone, and there are lots of green spaces, small and large. It’s very easy to get everywhere interesting on foot – despite the picturesque but uneven historic cobblestones.

P1340080There are plenty of cafés and restaurants there, each one with its own different character, and reasonably priced too. Among them is ‘Black Magic’, something between a café and a mediaeval apothecary, and famous for ‘Riga Black Balsam’, a kind of cure-all secret potion. Apparently it tastes quite medicinal – we didn’t try it!

St Peter'sThere’s a wealth of churches in Riga, especially mediaeval ones. We particularly liked the cathedral with its beautiful cloisters, and St Peter’s with its elegant three-tiered tower with viewing platform. There are churches of every epoch and every kind there, from Lutheran to Orthodox, and many of them have been experiencing a revival since Latvia became independent from the Soviets in 1991. We were in a good many of them, and were lucky enough to hear some kind of music in most of these.

Traditional songThe Latvians are very fond of music and singing, and extremely proud that they have managed to keep their culture and their language alive throughout the many periods of foreign occupation they have suffered. We heard traditional Latvian music at a festival around the foot of their ‘Statue of Liberty’ one night – it reminded us of Gaelic singing, especially given the tartan shawls some of the singers were wearing, and the presence of a bagpiper.

Craft market - felt slippersOne morning we went to the huge Central Market, with shops selling meat, fish, cheese etc inside eight vast hangars, and countless stalls of every kind outside, selling flowers, fruit, clothes, ironmongery, electronics, baskets, ornaments etc. There are also many small craft markets scattered around the city, with knitwear, needlework, embroidery and curious felt slippers in the form of mice and other creatures.

P1340250On our last day we went on the train to Jurmalla, a spa resort on the coast near Riga, an attractive place built in a style somewhere between Art Nouveau and Russian ‘dacha’, but rather deserted and melancholy out-of-season. We walked the length of its long main street lined with little shops (many selling hats and posh outfits for elderly ladies) and cosy cafés, and also along its long wide sandy beach Jurmalla beachbehind a fringe of pine woods. Among the trees we could see elegant wooden villas and smaller summer-houses with little gardens – most of them deserted in October. There’s a very individual, charming atmosphere to the place – we really liked it. We also enjoyed the train-ride, and as we returned over the bridge to Riga, we had a last view of the Old Town skyline, bristling with proud towers.

More information here: http://www.inyourpocket.com/latvia/riga