Tuesday 11 September – Churches, castles and the central market.

A cooler day today, we headed off to see the major sights in the old town of Riga.  The site of the current Riga has been occupied for about two and a half thousand years, but the current town/city only dates back to the 13^th century.  It is a very pleasant town; parks, canals, the usual narrow streets and lanes (but without the uneven cobbles that plagued us in Tallinn) – and lots of churches.  We are just on the fringe of the old town and it is a pleasant walk on the way in, through gardens, past statues (which prompted the girls to strike questionable simulatory gymnastic poses), across a bridge over the canal for another photo op., past the Powder Tower, constructed as part of the fortifications in 1330 and so named because – perhaps obviously – it was used to store gunpowder; to the nearby Swedish Gate, also part of the medieval fortifications and over which the local executioner lived (he would lay a rose on his window ledge the evening before he had work to do, tipping off the locals that they had some entertainment in store the next day); then past the Three Brothers – three adjoining houses dating back to the late 15^th century reputedly built by three brothers and each having its own architectural style; to Riga Castle, originally constructed about 1330 but, because of its vulnerable position, destroyed and rebuilt several times – even now it is closed for renovation.

We fitted in visits to several churches (as we do).  The Baltic churches are mostly Lutheran and, as we have already noted, fairly austere compared to Roman and Orthodox churches – no ornate statuary or frescoes, just a couple of paintings.  However each has its own attraction and several have huge vaulted ceilings and high towers.  The Dome Cathedral dates back to 1311 and is considered the largest medieval church in Latvia and the Baltic states.  St Peters goes back to 1209 and its tower is just over one hundred and twenty three metres high.  The great aspect of so many of these churches is that they are used for multiple purposes - concerts, recitals.  St Peters is currently displaying a wonderful crafts exhibition, with some truly beautiful displays of weaving, tapestry, ceramics and woodwork.

We spent some time in the House of Blackheads, a building that housed a society of young merchants, not dissimilar to a merchants guild or even the masons. The original building was constructed in 1334 but over the centuries it has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, most recently after its bombing by the Germans in World War II and subsequent occupation of Latvia by the Soviets, who simply knocked it down. It has now been restored to what is believed to be its original glory and is a truly magnificent building.  Much of the original substructure remains below ground, and we were able to walk through a very well restored and illustrated display of what it would have been like in centuries past.  The higher floors also contain artworks and ceiling frescoes that brought its past back to life.

After lunch we made our way to the Central Market, comprising seven old zeppelin hangars, constructed in the 1920s as a statement of how Latvia was thriving after finally achieving independence from the Russians Empire.  Collectively, it is huge, with one large pavilion alone devoted to seafood (much of it smoked) and another to fruit and vegetables, so we took the opportunity to purchase some seafood and fruit for our dinner.  Then a walk back to our apartment, pausing to rest in yet another beautiful park.