Our hotel was next to the Cathedral. The Christmas market was being set up in the 'Doma laukums', or square.	The central market was just outside  the city center. It is made up of five old zeppelin hangars- really!	Animal, vegetable, or mineral, you could find it all at the market. Especially animal.
Speaking of which. Don bought  a lovely fur hat. Not sure what fur- perhaps seal or muskrat. Maybe dog.	All that shopping makes one thirsty! Fortunately beverages were available at 20% the London cost.	Here are two of the '3 Brothers', old homes which have been restored to their former glory.
From the sublime to the ridiculous: The Academy of Science, better known as 'Stalin's birthday cake'.	The Latvian Opera House, not at all Soviet in its structure.	Don supervised the erection of the big tree in the Christmas market.
Sooz in the lovely city park, or 'Pilsētas parks'. The remnants of Riga's moat winds through it.	Luckily, Lats were freely available for additional beverage purchases.	St. Peter's church, at 137 meters, was once the highest in Europe.
We went to the top (in an elevator though) and were rewarded with this lovely view!	Yet another lovely view.	The Daugava river is on the right, and the hangars of the central market are visible, too.
The 'House of the Blackheads', first built in 1344 but destroyed in 1945. recently rebuilt to its former glory.	We visited the Occupation Museum. Suffice to say nobody has done Latvia any favors the past century.	The Freedom Monument in the park, completed in 1935 and a rallying point for independence in late 80's.
Sooz missed Ollie terribly, so she left graffiti of him around the city.	In the market, Sooz bought a lovely hat with a squirrel motif.	Wagner Hall, named for the composer who performed there. It's still a concert venue today.
Throw out the Soviets, gain your freedom... and Big Macs are part of your reward!!	A view of the Cathedral from our hotel. Pretty nice.	A good view of the Christmas market and the Cathedral behind.
Besides squirrel hats, one market stall sold gluwein, which Sooz sampled on a number of occasions.	Here are Sooz' mulled wine purveyors. She got to know them well.	The Freedom Monument at night. The Latvian people have been through a lot (to say the least) and they are grabbing their new freedom with both hands.
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