In my wanderings, I came across the Digital Art house.
I couldn’t quite tell what it was, at first glance, and got the impression that maybe it was a museum of digital art? Or that it was a working studio, maybe something akin to Industrial Light and Magic who does special effects for movies? It was interesting and noteworthy enough to stick in my mind, in either way, and so I made a point to include it in my wanderings as a stop for myself.
In the end, I swung by after visiting the post office, and found myself somewhere I hadn’t quite expected. Of all the options, I hadn’t expected “Bar, restaurant, and pseudo movie theater” to be the option… but here I was, sipping a latte and waiting for the current movie to end, and mine to begin.
They didn’t have blockbuster movies, or really even traditional movies, though… instead, this was a whole experience with art. I… can’t really say that I enjoyed it more than just looking at art, but it was definitely a really interesting experience.
In short, there were something like 25 projectors putting up video on every wall, ceiling, and floor around me. I lay out on a comfy beanbag chair, and watched the film play out all around me. Music accompanied it, and… yeah, it was visual and audio. I’d gotten a ticket to the next showing, which happened to be Impressionist Art, and so I was surrounded by Van Gogh and his peers, with the film building each painting up piece by piece around me.
It was… interesting. A fun experience in a fun city.
Various days, from Monday, 10-June-2024, through Saturday, 15-June-2024
I adored the riverfront parks in Riga.
And, as June kicked into gear, the flowers seemed to love them too – so many flowers adding color to so many beautifully solid sculptures… I don’t know exactly what style of art these sculptures are (Soviet realism? Brutalist? Modern Classical?), but I know that they’re solid, and that they look really cool when contrasted with bright flowers and beautiful growing things.
I took these photos over the course of my wanderings around Riga – I didn’t set out to see any specific pieces, and simply found them as I explored and meandered my way around the city. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was another cool statue of sculpture to see, and they definitely helped me add more than a few miles to my sneakers.
Monday, 10-June-2024, through Saturday, 15-June-2024
I liked Riga.
It felt a bit smaller than Tallinn, and didn’t have the strongly-defined (and walled off) old town, but the old town was definitely there, and was absolutely lovely to wander around. Whereas Tallinn was built around the walls of the old town, Riga seemed to be built around the river – beautiful parks running along both banks, with amazing sculptures throughout.
Lots of beautiful buildings, and I definitely spent quite a bit of time just wandering and appreciating the architecture that surrounded me. It definitely felt like it was newer than Tallinn’s old town, with buildings that seemed a bit more… sculptural? Maybe? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely a subtly different feel to the city. Neither good nor bad, but definitely interesting.
In all candor, I was also starting to burn out while I was in Riga. This marked my halfway point for the trip – it was my sixth week traveling, and I was starting to feel it. Museums became a bit more monotonous, and I didn’t quite have the endurance to see multiple galleries in a single day. I was still walking a ton (between 5 and 10 miles a day), but I was taking it a bit more slowly… and needing a bit more down time in the hotel in the mornings and evenings.
There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s part of anything – six weeks of vacation and museums and walking can wear on a soul similarly to six weeks of work… it’s a better type of wear, and I’d choose it every day over going back to the chaos of work, but it’s still there.
I took some days lighter than I normally would have. I rested a bit more, watched a bit more cartoons, and finished the book I was reading. I did laundry at a laundromat downtown, and relaxed at a cafe while the machine tumbled. I didn’t take a hard-rest, but I definitely slowed down a bit… I can’t tell you if it would have been better to fully stop, but I can say that slowing down definitely helped quite a bit.
Ohh! One extra fun part!
I found an archery range! By “range” I mean “a few cloths draped between trees, with some targets set up and a very overworked guy trying to keep the kids from shooting each other”. Like… seriously, how was this legal? I had fun plonking a few arrows into a target… but dear god it was concerning being around there.
Now, the part that everyone loves – Food! Where did I eat while adventuring around Latvia?
LIDO – A sort of cafeteria-style place, grab your tray and pick your food. Interesting, and I believe it was fairly authentic Latvian fare?
Rozengrals Vinarium Civitatis Rigensis – Very fancy spot, in an old wine cellar, with a strong medieval theme. Fun, but… I don’t know. I went on a Tuesday, and I think it’s more of a “go on the weekend” kind of place.
Big Bad Bagels – Awesome and simple. The bagels were great.
Portofino – Delicious italian spot… though their website was out of date, which meant that the meatballs that I was craving weren’t on the menu. But still, good food!
Caffeine – Awesome and simple coffee shop, beautifully welcoming for me to spend some time blogging.
This Place Doesn’t Need a Name – Ehh. This was okay. Wouldn’t really recommend, though the decor was really cool.
Cherry Fix – I spent an evening purging my system of this dinner, and then three more days recovering. Do not recommend. This’ll get its own blog post soon enough.
