Riga - where the cat sits on the roof

In the Latvian capital Riga, we spent two very nice days. First, we were lucky to find a free parking space (this time really free ;) right on the edge of the old town, from which we could start our tours. After Anne drove us there perfectly, we were initially faced with a wall: a huge cruise ship stretching out in front of us at the harbor, which surprised Anne very much. We went to the city center and initially visited the streets without a real plan or goal, passing by three old and beautiful residential buildings (the Three Brothers) next to significant and beautiful churches, and eventually ended up in front of the town hall after the stock exchange (Art Nouveau!!!) and the cathedral square. There was the tourist information, where we could get a city map that told us what we had already seen. Well-informed, we continued to stroll from sight to sight and finally ended up in front of a very tall church. Shortly before it closed, we took the opportunity to go up its tower - mind you, with the church's own elevator!? - and got a magnificent panoramic view. We spent the subsequent dinner time in a small jazz bar 'Zur Blauen Trompete' with good food and live music. It was not the last establishment that evening... Ultimately, a small and embarrassing anecdote on my part proved to be fateful for that night. We returned to the car and I decided to empty the remaining bottle of beer with some guitar playing, when a while later the good friends from the Latvian police came to us with their headlights on. In response to my spontaneous question 'How can I help you?', they kindly offered to help me, because, as I now know thanks to a warning and information brochure, drinking alcohol in public places in Riga is prohibited. Tada! There must be cameras somewhere near the parking lot that directed the officers straight to me. Now I got a story to tell...

The next day, we first explored the city's huge market halls, which offered all kinds of food at a bargain price, flowers, clothing of eastern production, and well-known products from home for purchase. Then we continued our tour of the old town and, lured by good street music, we arrived at the city's mysterious landmark: the black cat of Riga. As we eventually found out, a offended merchant who was not accepted into the guild of the blackheads installed this cat on his roof, right across from the guild house, so that the hunchbacked animal presented its butt to the house. After the merchant was made a blackhead after all, he simply turned the statue and thus eliminated the offense.

Driven by time and filled with impressions, we left beautiful Riga heading south and thus to Lithuania.