Latvia by www.born2travel.it

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20. 12. 1999 Riga (LATVIA)

After an hour and a half of flight we arrive at our destination. Riga from above is beautiful: it looks like Venice with icing sugar. At the airport I meet the great Krists. We go straight to his house where he introduces me to his family. Leo (the father, a friendly man who loves pipes and antiques), Anda (an English teacher, I didn't understand where) and his brother Martins, very sociable and friendly. After dinner I'm already shattered! I stay a while watching TV with Martins: Nikita in English with Latvian commentary and Russian subtitles. Outside there's snow everywhere!

21. 12. 1999 Riga (LATVIA)

Today we went to the Old Riga. First of all we had a wander round the market; it looked like the Russian version of Carnaby Street in London. The prices were very low; they sold copies of every brand on the market. Krists bought a leather jacket, I a cassette of Russian rap. I noticed that cigarettes cost very little, only 60 santims (about 1,800 Italian lire) for Marlboros. It's all very characteristic. Right afterwards we went up to the top of St. Peter's Tower, where we could admire the whole city of Riga. What cold, though! Tonight we're going to a very important party.

Everyone will be in jacket and tie and Krists is trying in vain to convince me to dress like that! Wasted effort! The party was in a school; really everyone was very elegant — me: baggy trousers, a sweatshirt and a hat! At first they didn't want to let me in, but when my friends explained that I was Italian and didn't have the right clothes because I was there on holiday, all the doors immediately opened for me! Krists is right when he says Italians are much admired here! Our evening continued in one of the most beautiful discos I've ever been to: the Vernisaza! So many wonderful girls! How do they manage to be so beautiful here?

24. 12. 1999 Ogre (LATVIA)

What a lovely evening! We celebrated Christmas at Krists's relatives in a village 40 km from Riga. Ogre is its name, a small country village very close to the border with Russia. We go to this town inland on board a very old or ancient train!?! It had wooden seats, all the signs written in Cyrillic, all very picturesque! The temperature outside keeps dropping, we're several degrees below zero! Arriving at the grandmother's house, after the usual greetings, Japanese-style, we take off our shoes and, barefoot, go into the living room where the table was laid! There were many relatives at the house of Silvja, Krists's grandmother; sixty-five years old, very sprightly, friendly and playful, dressed in a typical 1930s Russian dress.

She was sweet when she tried to communicate with me speaking only Latvian, and when she proudly showed me her bookcase! After dinner we opened the presents that were under the tree. There were even some for me! I received a teacup depicting the most important monuments of Riga and a pack of 'Laimas' chocolates, the most typical of the area. Krists got toothpaste and some skin pills; Martins a silver bracelet; Anda a Japanese tea set and Leo some little objects for his beloved pipe. The most common gifts were: pairs of socks, washing-machine detergent, candles, plastic carnival masks, etc. In those moments I admired them enormously; I thought of the Christmases spent at my home, dozens of very expensive presents and no one ever satisfied or happy, myself first of all. Here they seemed to have discovered the essence of things.

Even with poor objects such as a tube of toothpaste they were happy! They gave me a great life lesson: you can have fun even with nothing, and they confirmed it again afterwards when, all together, we started playing games I hadn't played for years! The poet Giovanni Pascoli was right when he spoke of the 'fanciullino' (the inner child) that is in each of us. How I admired that sweet old lady when, all cheerful, she sang and played with us young folk! Around one o'clock we go to a disco pub: 'Policijas Academija', because until a few years ago the police station was there. We danced to that lively Russian disco music until late! It was really nice, I adore Russian disco music! Around three we go, on foot, to another disco: 'Opus Pro'; the streets were icy and I've never felt such cold in my life as that day! So much so that I learned the Latvian phrase: 'Man ir auksti' (I'm freezing).

I noticed that here, in Latvia, drugs are not very widespread; on the other hand they make up for it with alcohol, which flows like rivers! Around 5.30, after a long, cold walk, we arrive at Krists's grandmother's house. We were dead tired; I lie down on an armchair to relax a bit, and what do they do? Noooo! They're having lunch! The whole family gathered. It's incredible! How do they do it? It's 5.30 in the morning! From my room I could see those bowls of beans and plates of Russian salad being devoured while I tried to have breakfast elsewhere! A little later we catch the train again and return to Riga! At 7.30 I'm under the covers in my bed! Merry Christmas!

26. 12. 1999 Riga (LATVIA)

It's five in the afternoon and I've just woken up! Life here is all very strange! I've lost all sense of time! I haven't seen the sun for six days since I go out at night and then in the morning I sleep until late afternoon, when it's already dark! Generally the sun rises at 10 and sets at 14!