My friend has gone home and I am once again all alone in my little flat. Which begs the question – can a girl ever really be alone with a fridge full of delicious bacon and sausages…? But enough of the philosophical musings, and on with how the weekend went.
I might be a little ‘porky’ after all of this…
Suffice to say, after this weekend, I really need another one to recover. If anyone is looking for a good place to party, I can’t recommend Riga highly enough.
I met my friend at the airport just before 11pm on Friday night and we hopped in a taxi back to my place. After lovingly placing the pork in the fridge, I poured us a couple of glasses of wine and began the (very short) guided tour. My friend just couldn’t get over how clean and tidy the place was. At first I was delighted – my hours of scrubbing and sweeping had paid off. Then I realised that a flat with no kids is always going to look neat and tidy in comparison to a house with two kids. Short of placing a poo in the middle of the living room floor, I really couldn’t have failed to impress on this score.
An hour or so later, we were pretty much ready to go. My friend, still on Irish time, looked crestfallen when I said it was after midnight.
Mule: Oh. Is there any point in going out then? Will anywhere still be open?
Me: Ha ha ha ha ha! This is Riga, baby! The night is but a pup!
Apple pies…
We got to bed at 8am.
Realising that setting the alarm for midday was probably a little ambitious, I wasn’t overly surprised when we woke up at 2pm. I was just happy that it was still bright. It had taken another friend of mine 3 separate visits to see Riga in daylight. Thankfully, my pork mule is a very laidback lady and was happy to just potter around Riga, taking in the Old Town atmosphere and doing a spot of people-watching.
And potter we did. My friend was amazed at how beautiful Riga is and must have taken around 400 photos. It was also really nice for me to act like a tourist again, and as it was a beautiful Autumn afternoon, I may have overdone the photography a bit, too. I’ve recently been told that Putin probably has a better chance of working for the Latvian Tourism Board than I do, so I thought I’d do my bit for Riga tourism here with some gratuitous shots of its loveliness.
The rest of the weekend passed in a blur of food, drink, frogs, friends and Lido, until I saw my friend off last night.
The Flying Frog Cafe
Hopefully I’ve done enough here to persuade some more people to visit my porky palace – oh, and Riga.
If I haven’t, check out these two expat blogs on Latvia for a different perspective:
http://therealriga.wordpress.com/
http://letterfromlatvia.wordpress.com/
Happy reading. I’m off to admire the contents of my fridge… again.
Expat Eye on Latvia 
Hey, I just found a legit Mule site and had to send you the link! I doubt it will be helpful…. but her it is anyway. http://mmmule.com/
What a great idea! And such cute mules 😉
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HI Linda, just wanted to say that your blog really cracks me up 🙂 I’m a Latvian expat living in Ireland and find it very funny (and refreshing) to hear the stories about my homeland from the other side.
Hi Kristine! Glad to hear it! I don’t suppose you’ve got a blog?? I’d love to hear what a Latvian thinks of living in Ireland – I’m sure you’ve got some funny stories! Linda.
No, unfortunately not, i’m too lazy for that 😀 But i’m quite often in Latvia, so we could meet up for a coffee and expat stories.
Kristine
I’d love to! Just drop me a line when you’re next in town!
Wow it really does have some lovely areas. I love that your friend’s name for story-telling purposes was The Mule. Awesome. I’m also jealous that you were out until 8am. I used to be good at that. Now…..I think it would be the death of me (tear).
Try doing it twice in a row! I’m still feeling tired and it’s Wednesday! Squash tonight. Sigh. 🙂
Riga has got to be one of the European cities with the most liberal opening hours, you’ll always find a watering hole somewhere, even if it’s an empty dodgy looking cellar bar. Thanks for the plug by the way!!
No problem! We could have kept going at 8am as well 😉
Are you saying that they don’t got pigs in Latvia, or they just don’t know how to smoke and process them into bacon and sausage? Planning to move to Latvia in December from the Southern United States-Pig and Sausage Heaven in December so should I plan on shipping over a quantity of Pork to survive on. So what does the diet consist of, other than beer and wine, and speaking of the wine is the available supply good, tolerable, or an acquired taste?
Hi Richard! If you really like lard, you’ll be fine with the bacon here! If not, I suggest you stock up at home 😉 You can get most ‘normal’ foods in the supermarkets although the meat, in general, is fattier than I’m used to. You can get pretty much everything though – but might have to pay a bit more for what’s considered ‘foreign’ 🙂 There are some nice restaurants and it’s becoming more international all the time. There’s a pretty good selection of wines as far as I can tell! Latvia doesn’t produce its own so it’s all imported – French, Spanish, American, ‘New World’… I think you’ll probably survive! Are you moving for lurve??? Linda.
Kind of, I love the expat life and have been getting the itch for a move after several years being “home”. Everything I see about Latvia I like and looks to have huge potential, however my “home” city of Mobile, Alabama is known as the city of perpetual potential. I’ve lived in Alaska so the cold won’t bother me, but I love the miles and miles of open beaches I see on Google Earth. Love the blog.
You’ve never been here? It’s a brave move! The cold weather might not bother you so much – the coldness of the people could get you down a bit! But give it a go anyway, nothing ventured nothing gained!
Sounds like Riga is a pretty swinging place. Is your fee for showing people around town a suitcase full of bacon? =)
Normally yes, but my freezer is pretty small so you might get a freebie if you come in the next few weeks! 🙂
Haha, if I were you, I’d start spacing out visitors to maximize bacon deliveries.
I’ll be going home at Christmas so I can just about last til then. I need another visitor in February/March… 😉
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmh… Tasty tip! To make the porky experience last longer, I recommend freezing in twos. (Got this from the “Ireland’s Own”, so you know it works! 😉 )
I just bought an extra roll of tinfoil for this exact purpose 😉 Great minds!
Thank you so much for sharing these pictures! Latvia is especially lovely in the fall. I’m happy that you and your porky friend enjoyed the weekend together. 🙂
Me and pork are always happy together 😉 I should really post more nice pictures of Riga – I don’t think people realise how nice it is. My friend just couldn’t get over it! Thanks for the comment Vika! Linda.
Rather lovely pictures, I must say. Thanks for the link (and apologies for the Putin comparison).
Ha, no apology necessary! It tickled me! 🙂 Glad you like the pics!
More Latvian blogs, so cool! Thanks!!!!! 🙂
PS: If not for you and your funny words, I would know absolutely nothing about Latvia. You rock.
Back at ya! I’m joining the first guy on his beer quest next weekend – should make for good blog fodder!! 🙂
8am??? I’d need a year (and a lot more bacon) to recover from that!
I’m still getting over it. Working 12-14 hour days isn’t helping!! Quiet one next weekend I think… 😉
Aaargh, you posted that first pic on purpose to make us poor pork-less soluls jealous!!
Riga does look lovely though.
My photos don’t really do it justice either!
Ah, I love giving other people pork-envy! 🙂
Wow, I’d never last a night out in Riga. 8am on a Saturday and I’m up and at ’em.
Also, I’ve found that walking around town with a tourist gives you a totally new perspective. Enjoy!
We could go for a nice cup of tea or something instead if you came to visit 😉
Such a beautiful place!
It is, isn’t it?! 😉
1-Love the post title
2-You should pitch the Latvian Tourism Board job to Mr. Putin for when he retires
3-This write-up made me wonder more about Ireland rather than Latvia: what is that land where everything is closed by 11? What about pubs and ale houses with funny lads?
2-Retires??!!
Do you know something we don’t? Spill!! 😉
Maaaaaaybe? http://gohomeandaway.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/i-met-the-president/
In case I haven’t been effusive enough?? 🙂
Gaaaah! Was so excited that I closed all my pages! What a fine specimen of manhood! (Is this the part where the Russian NSA equivalent swoop on me and take me away??)
Do we have a reason to?
THEY. I meant THEY. Do THEY have a reason to?
Ha ha ha – you scare me sometimes!! 🙂
I have no idea why! O_O
1. It was a toss up between that and ‘Pork and Party’
2. I can be very persuasive 😉
3. During the week ‘normal’ pubs close at 11.30. Some have late licences until 2ish. Then there are clubs etc. And some illegal places where you have to know someone who knows someone to get in! Plenty of funny lads though!!
Ok, I am going for that one where you have to know someone who knows someone. Those are the most fun!
You’ll probably also pay around 40 euro for a bottle of wine/vinegar though!
This breaking news just in from Canada, Bacon fixes everything. Sounds like a fantastic weekend! All the best Andy
I’ll be on the hitlist of women everywhere – guys will be putting their wallets away, not bothering to buy minks and diamonds – just stocking the fridge with bacon 😉
Canada has the best bacon I have ever eaten after latvian home smoked. Wish it would be available in Ireland. I am not that mad about the irish one. Like the Clonakilty black pudding 🙂
Sacrilege woman! 🙂 You should get your Irish bacon now because when I’m home, I’m going to eat ALL of it 😉 You can have the black pudding though 🙂
Ha ha I will get my latvian bacon, sausages and sauerkraut in easter European shops 🙂 🙂
Enjoy your irish bacon and sausages and toast with chips (weirdest stuff ever seen) and Christmas pudding, mince pies and the huge turkey and all of the treats your family will have on Christmas. Get spoilt properly and go back to Latvia even more enthusiastic. Latvians needs you and your hilariously funny stories.
Have lots of fun back in Ireland and lots of hugs and kisses to your family.
Thanks very much! Same to you and yours! My dad will be busy in the kitchen for sure! Toast with chips I can live without though 😉
Glad you had a good time. Sometimes it’s easier to appreciate where we are through the eyes of a friend. And a frig full of pork 😉
That always puts me in a good mood! 🙂
🙂
From what I heard, pork is a staple of Eastern European cuisine. So is it specific Irish pork brands that you are homesick for? Or is Irish pork better tasting?
Awesome pictures btw. The city looks beautiful.
Thanks! It’s pretty hard to take a bad photo of Riga really – it’s lovely! Pork is a staple here but it’s so fatty I can hardly look at it! The Irish stuff has more meat than lard – that’s what I miss! 🙂 Thanks for the comment! Linda.
That Flying Frog Caf looks like just my place…
It’s great! I thought you’d be commenting on the leaves and the grass though… 😉
So excited to be the porky friend and mule. I feel famous!! Nxt time I will bring ypu a hot water bottle too! Loved Riga. Such a stunning city. I’ve convinced my mam and my in laws to go over next year!!
Mulie! There you are! And people say I do nothing for tourism here – that’s you, your mum, and your in-laws, none of whom would have come here if it hadn’t been for little old me 😉