So before the departure...

Going to Sheremetyevo in a couple of hours. Will check the new express-train going to the airport (works since June). Before there was a bus, and still is, but I think summer heat plus Friday traffic jams in and out of Moscow – just don`t speak for the bus option today, so... Actually that express-train had some trouble recently – saw in the news - and people were late for their flights, but hopefully all will be okay. That`s me right now by the way, looking forward to see some Georgia.

How the Moskva river is cleaned

While walking during my lunch time, not far from the office, for the first time in my life I saw that piece of technique - kind of a cleaning boat.

The city of Moscow takes its name after the Moskva river, and the both names are pronounced the same in Russian - "Moskva"). The river goes through the city center, and together with the bypass channel they make sort of an island - quite a big one - not wide but long - so not everybody realizes it`s actually an island.

The Russian flag

That`s Kremlin on the background, with its cathedrlas and the congress hall.

I need to pass three bridges to go from my office to the French cultural centre. The alternative is undeground but it does not really worth it - I don`t mind a stroll. That`s actually the same boat (on the following photo) but it`s already close to the French centre. The big building on the background is an apartment house (posh!). On the ground floor they have the old cinema named "Illusion" (pronounced "Yllouzyon" or close to that). They mostly show old movies or have some lower budget film festivals there.

That`s some info for today, and tomorrow am going to Georgia, so see you soon, have fun :)

Hey, finishing with Riga today :)

Some final shots and some info below.

St.Peter`s cathedral in the centre (the one which I liked the most).


Other cathedrals changing the scenery.

The Independence statue, built in 1935 or so (the German style lady holding three golden stars)

Older, newer, from wood or stone...









One of my hostels (in the middle)

* Russian citizens need the Shengen visa to enter Latvia, which of course is fair enough as we are different states now, but to be honest I always dream of a more free world. Luckily (for everybody) I still have my French Shengen, so here we are, no consular worries!
* It`s challenging to recommend travelling by bus but anyway that`s it - Ecolines. A little bit of traffic jams while in Moscow and nearby, but survivable sixteen hours (sounds crazy now but I wanted that road experience).
* All my three hostels were booked on hostelbookers and hostelworld.

With all my sympathy to Riga and Latvia, with my great kid`s memories and with a newly experienced reality out of the USSR - need to start speaking about something new so moving further...

Nature and architecture

Still Riga, summer 2008.

People in Riga (sure briefly)

Out of the rain, under the shelter
I've been so long where the Sun don't shine
(c) Tony Joe White

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"
As the smile ran away from his face
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"
(c) Billy Joel - Piano man

On the road again goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
(c) Willie Nelson

I planned each charted course,
Each careful step along the byway,
But more, much more than this, I did it my way.(supposed to be Frank Sinatra`s, but that`s thanks to Claude Francois)

Significance of signs

Hello... still have something about Riga, and signboards are scheduled for today. Even if the signs` choice doesn`t look impressive, however it is possible to see a little bit of Riga (which I`ve liked) on the pictures posted, so enjoy!

Everybody can recognize the respectable lawyers` style.

I was quite confident that was the Ministry of Health etc (was mislead by a snake-like something in the hands of a personage whom I supposed to be an ancient god of medicine or something), but apparently that is the Ministry of Education and Science.

“Haoss” looks very much like “Chaos” for me, but that`s how the Latvians always add two “ss” in the end.

Two more examples: 1 -

2 - Kvass (that`s a drink, made of fermented bread or vegetables)

Actually the “indekss” displays the “ss” theory again.
Rezekne bus station – it was on the way to Riga. And it was the first and only Latvian town I had visited in my childhood. It was the Soviet Union times then, and all I remember – it felt really “foreign” there, like in Western Europe – whatever picture of “foreignness” I had in my mind. They also make a sweet condensed milk there (in Rezekne), and though it is difficult to be described now but it is quite a divine stuff. It was for sure.

My bus by the way. A night in a bus that`s a bit too much, though still possible. Talkative neighbors, movies without proper sound, questionable lavatory, some food for extra money, some time on the frontier and a burning desire to lay down – all was fun, sort of.

Back to signs, no comments












Just a serious way to number the buildings.

The cigars` shop, obviously.

That`s actually my first hostel in Riga – the night-time noisy one. Good but noisy. As for my second one, it had the “Posh” word in its name and was situated on the city market, so I guess no comments or pictures needed.
My third hoStel (and I was changing them everyday to make it more diverse) – is a dodgy one according to the picture, with its ambition to be a hoTel. For the sake of truth – the actual advert was totally honest, so no problem with recommending it.
I admit I need to stop with Riga one day soon, but still enjoy showing it here. Have fun!