Riga, Latvia

Oct. 2, 2018-Riga, Latvia

Our brains were challenged and stimulated at an after-breakfast lecture by a professor of political science. He described the pullout of the Soviets in 1991, and establishment of a free Latvia saying, "Be careful what you wish for." 

Latvia was ill prepared to set up a government and ancillary services after 50 years of having been "taken care of" by the USSR. The youth who were the primary freedom fighters took control and behaved as if they were dividing a birthday cake. They were 20-somethings who decided "you can be Secretary of State, and I’ll be in charge of the military." The language changed, there were no institutions in place (eg, medical, educational, utilities, etc.). Property was privatized and returned to the original family owners except for the Jewish community where they were either dead or had fled. In buildings that had been made into apartments, tenants were kicked out, and original owners staked their claims. Somehow, they figured out hybrid socialized and private health care, a unicameral parliament that elects the president, universities that are pay as you go for a nominal fee, and have adapted to several currencies on the way to the Euro.

Being a citizen is complex. If you lived in Latvia before 1940, you were automatically a citizen. If you weren’t Latvian and qualified under the 1940 rule, your children weren’t citizens. Russians have to learn Latvian and take a test to gain citizenship as do their children yet to be born. Several Russians prefer not to be citizens and not vote in order to hold a "non citizen" passport and be able to freely visit relatives in Russia. A fear of Latvians is that too many Russians will gain citizenship and Latvians will become a minority in their own country. Skilled workers are needed, but refugees aren’t welcome. Latvians say they have enough trouble figuring out their own destiny let alone taking care of displaced people with a host of unique problems.　

Latvians are primarily Lutheran due to their Germanic roots. With that, they struggle with their complicity with Nazis in WWII, their identity as victims, and their own singular extermination of Jews. Rumbale Cemetery was too far from town for us to visit. It is the only Soviet site mentioning Jews who died in WWII. We did not walk past the memorial to the synagogue that was burned down with 200 Jews inside three days before the Nazis entered Riga. We did, however, see the one that survived and is in use. Built in 1903, it sat between Nazi occupied buildings. It was thought too dangerous to burn the synagogue lest the German buildings caught fire.　

The future is uncertain. There was an economic collapse in 1998, and 2009. The Russians are licking their lips hoping the Russian minority residents will ultimately fall into line or be brought into line as in Crimea and Ukraine.

Our local guide met us for a taste of Riga on our own. We rode to the old city on a trolley (electric bus). The route was along the river and past manicured parks linked by bridges and paths. We spent time in the sprawling market and were introduced to Black Balsam (good for what ails you) which is only tolerable when flavored with black currants. We walked around squares and old buildings trying to absorb which was what.

Lunch was pork cutlets (chicken for us) and some strawberry gelatin dessert (ick). The "on our own part" came after lunch. Bob abandoned us. We split up for wandering time. Using actual paper city maps, we navigated our way back to the hotel. We found a modern multi-story mall and ducked in looking for toilets. We failed. Toilets were found at the stylish Grand Hotel Kempinski where we walked through the lobby and to the bar.

We joined Bob at Singh’s Indian Restaurant across from the hotel. Excellent. Bedtime is early. We leave for a day of exploring villages and meals with local hosts.

The story of the cat in the photo below is: the owner of the building had a feud with a nearby guild. He placed sculptures of a cat on each of two turrets. To give the guild his version of the finger, he placed the cats with their rear ends facing the guild hall. Over time, the cats have been rotated so the more acceptable end faces the guild. 　

Toby

Beautiful old architecture

Synagogue

Black Cat

Central Market Bra Stall