Not every Latvian summer day is above thirty degrees, and not every day off do you feel like heading out on a trip or a hike along nature trails - on those days there are options right here in central Riga. A small but clean and cosy spa complex at Vingruma Klubs on Elijas iela 17, which we visited one overcast Saturday afternoon.
Since 2007, every year we make a photo yearbook - a kind of family photo CV: what good things happened to us that year, what people we met, where we were, how we've changed. There's something therapeutic, even philosophical, about it, because flipping through these yearbooks you realise everything is transient and people change not just outwardly but inwardly too. This year I decided to try something new - the Myprint.lv story album.
All five human senses are satisfied, and the mind rests too. Most importantly, the story told on the company's website with visual and textual elements is equally true in real life. The principle observed here is: if something isn't here, it simply isn't - but if it is, it's been brought to perfection.
If you are one of those people for whom it matters to have beautiful, well-thought-out and cleverly designed things to hand, then this overview of next year's planners might be useful to you. I searched for a long time and have finally found my own - a businesslike one, pleasant to the touch, very slim, lightweight and with plenty of space for notes.
On 18 November from 18:00, residents are invited to jointly light up the central streets of the neighbourhoods with candles - Tilta iela and Čiekurkalna 2. līnija - creating a light promenade along their full length. Residents are invited to bring homemade candleholders with a wish attached, creating a festive sense of community. During the festive week - from 16 November - we invite you to decorate your home windows and take part in a competition: photograph your creation and share it on social media using the hashtags #gaismasziņa and #sarkandaugava or #čiekurkalns. The authors of the most patriotic decoration will receive a prize from the Aldaris Beer Museum. On 19 November at 20:00 in the Aldaris Beer Museum hall, a festive concert will take place featuring The Coco'Nuts and Future Folk Orchestra. At 21:00 the Aldaris Beer Museum will award the authors of the most patriotic light installations. Admission to the concert is free.
Since my office is near the Domina shopping centre, I often pop into the shops there in the evenings. A month ago a new little shop opened there with a rather eye-catching and cosy interior and interesting locally produced goods - Lauku Bauda (meat products made in Latvia). We walked past for a while before finally deciding to go in and treat ourselves to something tastier for Friday evening. The selection looked so appetising that we ended up leaving with a fairly substantial shopping bag. The friendly, relaxed service was a pleasant surprise, and later at home over dinner the quality of the products confirmed the first impression. Honestly, until now I've only encountered this level of service and meat product quality at the Sky shop in Sky&More shopping centre. It's a pleasure to see such lovely places opening in Riga. I recommend stopping by!
In preparation for the winter season and planning further work in the neighbourhood - with hopes of submitting some ideas to the municipality within next year's budget and more - we invite you to the Sarkandaugava neighbourhood residents' forum, taking place this year on 31 October, Saturday, at BJC Laimīte's main hall, Sarkandaugavas iela 24.
I was preparing for the Spīķeri market, but unfortunately due to a sudden cold I had to stay home today. So I'm offering my handmade items to you, iinuu.lv visitor. The coasters are handmade. The base is a painted ceramic tile with a transferred image, coated with 2–3 layers of varnish. Soft pads on the bottom so the coaster won't scratch the table surface. Not recommended for washing, but can safely be wiped with a damp towel or cloth. 20 different coasters available. Images and motifs are unique (that would be boring otherwise, wouldn't it?), but there are thematic groups - sea theme (pirate, seagull, seal, penguin); patterned tile theme (4 coasters); Frida theme (3 coasters); retro theme (typewriter, Vespa, coffee, Andy Warhol) etc. Size 9.7x9.7 cm. Price per coaster: €5/piece. Pick-up in Riga; if you prefer by post, add shipping costs for a small parcel. Interested? Write to – [email protected]
Both for those who would love nothing more than to free up a shelf at home by selling things they no longer need, and for those who hunt for original, vintage and non-commercial items - on one Saturday each month there is a chance to visit the Avotu iela flea market. Starting in May, the market takes place in the open air - in the square of St Paul's Church - giving you a chance to spend almost the whole day in fresh air, "detoxing" from television, computer and phone screens. If you haven't figured out what to do this weekend, join in!
From 27 March until the end of June in Riga at the Sports Manege on Maskavas iela 160, every day from 11:00 to 20:00, a travelling exhibition dedicated to the ill-fated ship Titanic can be viewed. After positive reviews on social media and by now many photographs of smiling exhibition visitors in the ship's luxurious corridors, it seems worth going. The exhibition comprises more than 375 historical objects that were on board the Titanic or its sister ship the Olympic, making this a rare opportunity to experience life on the great ship before it sank to the ocean floor. Among the exhibits are items removed from the ship shortly before its departure for New York, found at sea immediately after the disaster, items taken with them by surviving passengers, as well as props from James Cameron's 1997 film, including a replica of the legendary diamond Heart of the Ocean, as well as costumes worn by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Admission price per adult - €13.95 (weekdays) and €16.95 (weekends).