Christmas 2025 saw us on an Adventure – Andrea’s friend was working at a 3-star Michelin restaurant in Slovenia, Hiša Franko, and we had the opportunity to join her for a dinner and some adventuring. We jumped at the chance, hopping a flight into Northern Italy before the drive out into Slovenia itself… with a few exciting adventures along the way.
25-December-2025
Christmas day was spent recovering from the amazing meal we’d gorged ourselves on the evening before – a bit of walking, a bit of relaxing, and a bit of good (but sometimes tough) conversation about the future, our lives, and everything in between.
And let me tell you – we had some good views for that conversation.
The mountains of Slovenia. The River Soča (Pronounced Socha). Soaring peaks. Bright blue water. Beautiful canyons, and one rather impressive waterfall. And then, an absolutely stunning drive home through the trees and sunset…
While I really loved the hike out in Glendalough, it was a bit far outside of town… since I don’t have a car here in Ireland, I’d need to rent something, or get a bus, and… man, it’s just a lot of work. I was missing the park near my apartment back in Wilsonville, and needed a replacement.
Bushy Park was perfect – I can’t quite walk to it, but it was a nice and easy bike ride… which makes it kind of special, you know? It’s got a river running through, some ruins scattered around… and seriously. Just look at the lighting through those trees.
There was even a farmers market! Granted, it didn’t have any veggies or other produce, but… great grilled cheese, and a cool book vendor whose shop I absolutely adores exploring.
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.
