June 26th – The cruise into Riga, Latvia this morning was a pleasant surprise as the temperature had moderated and the sky was a bright blue. I spent a few minutes on the balcony watching as we cruised up the river and turned around into our berth. Amazing how easily the ship seems to be able to manoeuvre. Latvia is the second largest of the Baltic states and Riga is the capital city. The city is known for its buildings of remarkable Gothic, Baroque, Classicism and Art Nouveau architecture. Many of the buildings were damaged or destroyed during the various wars, but attention has been paid to reconstruction in the original style. It appears that they are very proud of a section called Old Town included on the United Nations World Heritage sites listing in 1997. Like the other Baltic States, Latvia became independent in 1918, only to fall under communism after WWII. It gained its independence again in 1991. Today, Latvia is enjoying one of the fastest growth rates in Europe.

Our tour today was a combined bus and walking tour of Riga. The importance of the architecture was very much a highlight of the tour. Like many European cities, Riga has many squares which are used as gathering spots, local markets and usually are decorated with beautiful flower displays.

The Daugava Rivers runs through town and the park along the side of the river was particularly inviting – nice to walk through but don’t walk on the grass, and no picnics allowed.

We attended two lectures this afternoon – one about the Russian tole work (boxes and Matryoska dolls) and the other a continuation of the Russian series. Both were excellent and informative.

GO Next arranged a reception for the ten people travelling through the U of T alumni program. We then enjoyed dinner together in the Grand Dining Room. It’s quite an interesting group of professionals – well-educated and well-travelled.