Large Men's Ice Skates

October - Part Four: Riga and Pärnu

RIGA!

the best for last: I was in Riga ... and I do not know where to start to tell. Riga is just wonderful and worth seeing. After a few weeks in our small but cozy Viljandi, you can not you just imagine in such a city (feels after all the largest in the Baltics). I was the first time after my departure from Germany really the feeling of being in a big city: Riga is yes, then again a lot bigger than Tallinn. The idea to go to Riga, we were on a Thursday evening: Mareike (another German volunteer) called us and asked us if we do not feel like the next day with Valentina (Italian volunteers from Viljandi), Thomas (French volunteers from Viljandi), had Celie (French volunteers from Tallinn), Caroline (Belgian Volunteers from Voru - go to South Estonia, www.viva-estonia.blogspot.com) to Riga - South Estonia) and Leonie (German volunteers from Voru. A few minutes later we were sitting in the bus and came to clock against 23 in Riga. And I say to you: Riga at night is an absolute dream. At one of the bridges is a blue light chain, which then reflected in the Daugava (river) and the city has to simply only flair. We then made a 12-bed room in a hostel (hostel) in the old town and our bags are then first in the "French Bar" ("French Bar") gone. And it was I think by now the most beautiful evening and the most beautiful and vibrant night ^ ^ I had been here ... there have been many wonderful evenings, but that night in Riga, I will not soon forget. And this night was the best proof that you can have fun without alcohol, if you're with the right people at the right time and right place. I drink that is still no alcohol (except wine in the church), even though the Estonians and the Latvians probably very happy to ensue. The next morning I wanted
then to the synagogue. But has since been renovated and now I am once wandered across town to the Talmud school (where the service was then held) (passing the Freedom Monument, the German Embassy, Russian Orthodox Church photos ... see below). After a few quarters of an hour, I then saw on the road four Orthodox Jews. In Germany, I was actually always in the liberal Jewish community, but hardly "orthodox" Jews know. I've been with them then talked a bit about the first Jews in Latvia and let me explain that the Jewish community and Jewish community life in Latvia (Which is mainly concentrated in Riga) is well developed and much of the Chabad movement (Hasidic Orthodox form of Judaism) coined ... in short, I here make me more diligent!  At the church service, I then also met someone whose son is a rabbi in Dusseldorf. I just had to soon return again, because I with the other volunteers also wanted to see the city. The photos you see below. The weather has also played it yet. In the evening we went went to a (very) small Latvian-Lithuanian-Estonian Folk Dance Festival in the building of the Technical University of Riga ... there dancing until 1 am and had of course a lot of fun (see Video below) and the next morning then went back to Viljandi. Since we are our connection in Pärnu a few hours later, we are there briefly went to the Baltic Sea to our feet into the ice cold water and make us even after the (quite extinct on Sunday, although fourth-largest city in Estonia) to look old. Pärnu, the summer capital of Estonia and has the typical seaside architecture works in the fall ... but not so attractive.