Friday, July 16, 2010
A very English Gentleman in Riga
Despite all the bad press that the searches english, mayor and Riga bring up, there is one result that is a little more interesting and it relates to the late Džordžs Armitsteds or George Armistaed - one time mayor of Riga (1901 - 1912) nephew of the founder of the George Armisted shipping company and Baron of Armistead.He is credited with the design of the gardens in the centre of Riga and his statue was unveiled by the Queen on a state visit to Latvia - but now, judging by the dog's polished ears is a well loved climbing frame and child distraction.
Riga - various shots from my latest trip
The waterfront of the old town is absolutely stunning as it makes its way down to the Baltic with some incredible churches and old fortress buildings on the skyline - especially on a calm, clear, bright summer's dayTowards the old town is a pretty monsterous statue which I imagine is a memorial to the Fishermen and those involved with the sea in the city - it is outside the Museum of Occupation but I have not, as yet, been able to discover what it is
There is another one of Stalin's gifts in the city, like the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw and half of the Moscow skyline - designed by Lev Rudnev who also helped with the development of much of post-WW1 and WWII Russia
Sarajevo 84 in Ljubljana - a nostalgia bar
One of the greatest modern achievements of Yugoslavia seems to have been to have hosted the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in 1984 - so much so that in Ljubljana, now a different country, there is a bar that commerates this event and all things Sarajevo - I don't know if this is an indication that the Bosnians are a party people and have exported themed bars, a little like the Irish but if you are ever there and fancy some good Balkan cuisine, then this is the place to be! The black and white tourism videos add a touch of the surreal whilst the fact that it is a cavern bar make it a genuinely great night out.The recommended dish is the Cevapi - small meat sausages served with bread and fresh onions - just make sure you clean your teeth before trying to talk to anyone as the smell is quite pungent!
England vs. Slovenia seemed to be a sensible time to pay a visit to Ljubljana
Sometimes, I think my boss has lost the plot - he felt that the best place for 2 Brits and a German to be in CEE on the night that England played Slovenia and Germany played Serbia was in Slovenia - not only was this an interesting idea given the host country's match that evening but also the large Serb population. (so much so that Mike wore a Slovenia t-shirt to support Germany, as did I - a plan that has one flaw, we dont speak that language so were not very good spies and found out quite quickly). Anyway, where the boss wants to go, we go and had one of the best nights out in the region for a long time - no aggro, despite Rupert jumping up to celebrate in a bar full of over 200 Slovenes to celebrate when England scored to suddenly realise he was on his own.
Ljubljana is a laid back, relaxed and genuinely welcoming city (not that anywhere in CEE isn't) but with it's mix of influences, history and the love of party, it was a great place to spend 48 hrs - given that Slovenia were knocked out of FIFA 2010 that evening, the atmosphere was pretty great - I can only imagine what it would have been like if the USA hadn't ruined things in the last 30 secs of extra time.The Mother in Law bridge (or to name it properly, the Zmajski most) in Ljubljana
With 4 big dragons on the 4 corners of the structure, it is easy to see why it has been given the nickname that it has been given. Built in 1901, it crosses the river between one of the main squares and the castle district in LjubljanaWednesday, July 14, 2010
Storms brewing give the city a beautiful but menacing air
The heavy clouds over the Danube seem to cast some interesting colours and shadows over buildings and make the city appear rather sinister - which is odd due to the fact that the sun makes it rather more beautiful
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