Blog Archive: July 2018

Ventspils is a city situated on the western coast of Latvia, on the Baltic Sea. Ventspils is one of Europe's busiest ports. It is also the city that honours the past, thinks of the future, and never stops working!  In today's Piece of Life…

You can have a look at the city from the bird’s eye view from the 19 meters high viewing tower located next to the Ventspils Southern quay. When visiting a new place for the first time I'm always looking for some observation desk to make…

The Castle of the Livonian Order, which houses Ventspils Museum since September 2001, is the oldest preserved building in Ventspils, built in the second half of the 13th century (first mentioned in 1290). The castle was built as a convent-…

Rāmkalni is a popular recreational area near Murjāņi (some 60km from Riga), this place features a traditional Latvian Cusine restaurant/bistro The venue is on the edge of the Murjāņi-Valka road (A3) and in the Gauja River Valley. It offers…

Miciņi has a very special place in my heart. I spent a good time in my early teenage years living here together with my dear granny. In fact, she was born here in 1929. Back in these days, a life buzzed in this area. Now, little has left…

Valmiera market is another market I've visited latelty in Latvia (See: Riga Central Market, Liepāja market and Kuldiga market).  Though I believe some could buy here goodies grown by local farmers, last time I visited this market (July…

Mazais Ansis is a popular roadside cafeteria/restaurant located some 15 km from Valmiera town (if driving from Riga). This place serves a traditional Latvian cuisine. When traveling to the Vidzeme region in Latvia, I love to take a stop…

When thinking about bathhouses the first thing that arrives in my head is the sulphur bathhouses located in Tbilisi, should they be located in the Abanotubani district or the old and neglected Kiev's bath.  Turns out there is not less…

Ķīšezers is a lake in Riga, Latvia, with a primary inflow of the Jugla River. The lake is 1,730 ha (4,300 acres) large, it has 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in) of average depth and reaches 4.2 metres (14 ft) at the deepest point. Lake Ķīšezers is a…

Valletta is the capital of the island nation of Malta. A harbor city, Valletta preserves much of its 16th-century architectural heritage built under the Hospitallers. With its large array of shops, catering establishments, entertainment…