Latvia by www.born2travel.it

The story

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29. 07. 2002 Riga (LATVIA)

"You have to see what you haven't seen, see again what you have already seen, see in spring what you saw in summer, see by day what you saw by night, with the sun where it rained the first time, see the green harvests, the ripe fruit, the stone that has changed place, the shadow that wasn't there. You have to return along the steps already taken, to repeat them, and to trace new paths beside them. You have to begin the journey again. Always." - José Saramago - [Agos]: I called Krists's girlfriend for the umpteenth time: Agnese, and she, with a polite smile, replied: "I'm Signe. Signe, try to remember...!" Let's hope she didn't take offence...

31. 07. 2002 Riga (LATVIA)

Today we spent a very pleasant evening! First a pit stop with Agos and Martins (Krists's brother) at the "Pulkvedis", then at the new club in the old town: the "Roxy" (formerly "Pepsi Forum"). By now I'm a great connoisseur of the city's nightlife! Around 4.30 in the morning we began the saga of the "Prussiana". Let me explain better: the "Prussiana" is a cake typical of the area, and a very good one at that; Agos and I made a pact — every day that one of us "went home empty-handed", on returning he had to buy and eat this "Prussiana"! It's dawn when we enter our room and, remembering the old times in Latvia, the sun was beginning to open its eyes timidly... we, gently, closed ours...

01. 08. 2002 Riga (LATVIA)

In the afternoon we visited St Peter's tower. I had already been three years ago, but now the view was completely different for two reasons: on the one hand because there was no snow, and then because they are completely renovating the whole city; it's the third time I've come here and I find it more and more different, more modern, more European, it seems to me as if it's losing its true identity, the one that painted it as one of the most beautiful Baltic cities. 03. 08. 2002 Riga (LATVIA) Riga's market is immense. There are hundreds and hundreds of stalls selling the most varied things at really low prices! I bought a CD by a rapper we're going to hear tonight! Back in the centre, by chance I catch a glimpse of the beautiful Agnese Are. Or rather, someone who looked like her, seeing as it had been three years since we last said goodbye... I immediately send Martins to reconnoitre.

I was right, it was really her! She's changed a lot; I would have so much liked to say hello but... who knows... By text, when she found out I was there, she wrote that I had given her a dream but then I destroyed it! Now she was happy, but she had suffered a great deal because of me. A little later we met two German guys from Berlin who, with three others, had set off on a wonderful cycling trip (one of my dreams!) from Finland to Berlin following these stages: Helsinki-St Petersburg-Tallinn-Riga-Kaliningrad-Warsaw-Budapest-Venice-Riva del Garda-Berlin. It will take them about three months and they're even making a website: (ed. note: as I later learned from one of them, their trip, from too much exhaustion, ended shortly afterwards! But bravo for the attempt and the idea! Maximum respect!) Today the ship of the Italian Navy, the "San Giusto", docked.

This training ship of the academy is touring Northern Europe and made a brief stop here, unloading hundreds of penguins in white uniforms who crowd all the streets of the capital! Tonight at the "Roxy" "Ozols" performed, according to my friends the greatest Latvian rapper.