I’ve been spending a few hours in Riga, and here are a few brief, initial impressions.
Churches – lots of them
There seems to be one around every corner. Churches, chapels, little places of worship. A number of them looked like they were about to fall apart, but signs outside along with a few lights in windows obviously stated they were open for business.
Some areas look really run down
Some buildings look like they haven’t been taken care of for a very long time. Pealing paint, facades that are crumbling and big cracks running down the side of a house tells of some major need for maintenance.
No service
It seems like service with a smile is highly overrated in Riga (or hasn’t reached this part of Europe yet), at least at the few places I went to.
Lack of taste
Maybe I’m totally missing something, but personally I find that the taste level is kinda questionable. Lots of tacky or just right-out bizarre sculptures can be found scattered around, along with what seems to be a fondness for cheap-looking or slightly strange decor in shopping areas.
