Day 19 Relaxing in Riga
OK. I left the hotel at 9:00 am. Hehe. 9:00 am EST or 4:00 PM Latvian time! I’m on vacation and it’s up to me to set the rules. And if I wanted to sleep in until 11:30 (missing the breakfast) and read a bit, drank a beer (the only food I had in my room) then take another nap; THAT'S MY RIGHT. I was shaved, showered and out the door by 4:00 pm. (Understand, I'm also just getting over a cold!)

I went directly to get some food as I hadn’t eaten the entire day. I settled upon “Alus Séta,” a Latvian restaurant that was in the Lonely Planet Guide. It was buffet style for the salad bar and a professional chef made your main entrée which you paid together at a rude cashier station. I grabbed a cabbage/pork soup, which I later found to be scrumptious. Oh my God, the salad bar was cold salads and different types of cold fish: smoked salmon, another kind of salmon, herring and two other smoked fish which I could not name. Oh dear, this was so good.

I had a beer, savoring the taste. I was in freaking heaven. Then I had another beer. I hung out a while and talked with a couple of Brits at the next table over.

Then I couldn’t resist. I had another plate full of cold fish and a bit of potato salad. Normally, they expect you to get past the salad bar and get a main entrée… I didn’t. And I have a very good mind to go back there tomorrow! (3 Beers, 2 full plates of fish and salads, $20 USD. Not cheap, but considering the quality of each, and my utter satisfaction…)

I went to a boring bar and hung out a while. Nobody appeared. I wrote in my travel journal. I doodled a bit. I got even more bored. I left and took the 19 bus home. No problems this time.

I got back to the hotel and had the munchies. I drank some water, listened to some music and went to bed, hoping the next day I’d get up earlier and see more.
- posted by Matt @ 5:39 PM