My dear friends,

I had the pleasure of spending two amazing days in Riga, the beautiful capital of Latvia. 🙂 It is all so wonderfully lit up for this festive season… I felt like walking in a dream, or in a fairy tale… it felt so magical being there 🙂

1. #SOTD  Dzintars – Opera Classic

Dzintars is a Latvian perfume and cosmetics brand, operating since 1849. Since I was a kid, I remember women praising Dzintars for their product quality, especially for the perfume, as during the Soviet occupation times there was nothing else available in the Baltic states. Dzintars have very many stores across Latvia, and they still sell their old original perfumes.

As a treat for myself, I tried their new creation – Opera Classic – and loved it from the first sniff… it felt so light and flowery, little bit sweet and creamy… It is a very gentle skin scent but seems to last all day on me.. I love it and can’t get enough of it 🙂 It’s the third day I am wearing it 😀

2. Little discoveries of the day

Whenever you decide to come visit Riga, and I really hope you do!, please make sure you add these few places in your itinerary 🙂

Kūkotava – a place of heavenly cakes and coffee. They also do light lunches but I only got to try the dessert – the magnificent honey cake. Traditionally in Lithuania we would make this cake quite often, but this was the best honey cake that I have ever had…. it was so light and feathery… melt in your mouth joy… and then the honey kicks in at the back of your tongue and then again you’re experiencing different sensations… oh my… I can still feel it in my mouth 🙂 ❤

Modes Muzejs – a fashion museum in Riga. At the moment they have an exhibition devoted to the fashion house Dior, it is available until the end of April, 2018. It was interesting to see how the face of fashion changes over time and how different countries and traditions inspire the great designers.

Eglu Festivals – or Christmas Tree festival! 🙂 Did you know that according to the legend, the very first Christmas tree was decorated in Riga? 😉 Come visit Riga till 14th January, 2018, and find all the Christmas trees hidden in the open, with the help of a map 🙂 or take a stroll around this beautiful city and try to find them all … Whichever is your favourite, Riga has some 40 different trees to show you this year – and what a lovely way to strengthen this legend 🙂

There are a good few Christmas markets set up around the city, too. They are mainly in the squares in the old town, with hot food and drinks available also. And if you’re there, do try Rigas Balsams – the smooth, velvety, exceptional elixir – it is a real treat on a cold day, or any day 😉

Latvian National Opera – a great evening would not be complete without a visit to the opera 🙂 I had a wonderful time watching Swan Lake. The music and the dance…this art is alive!…

3. Something to be thankful for

Staying in Riga has brought me the wonderful memories from my trip to Vienna few years ago…. The architecture, people, and of course – cakes! 🙂 But the altogether feeling when staying in Riga was as if I’ve been there before… as if I have had a beautiful dream and was reliving it again…. I am quite surprised myself that after living the majority of my life in Lithuania, I have never visited this city properly… I must have been waiting for this magic to happen, so that I could appreciate it even more… Riga, thank you, from the bottom of my heart… ❤

J.

xxx