Summer weather in Latvia can be surprisingly warm given its Northern European location. Come July, locals flock to the Baltic Sea shore in droves. One of Latvia’s best beaches, Jurmala, features thirty-two kilometers of pristine white sand and tranquil blue water. What began as a collection of humble farming villages has become the premier beach […]
Destinations
Riga by Water: A Sunset Cruise Down the Daugava
One of the things that has most surprised me about life in Riga is the reality of the long summer days. In the U.S., we’re taught to seek protection during the “peak sun” hours of 11 am – 3 pm; here that period is probably twice as long. The sun is blazing well before I get up […]
Riga, Latvia: First Impressions
It’s been two weeks since I moved to Riga, Latvia and some days it still feels like a dream. The place is mind-boggling gorgeous and almost defies description. Riga’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a medieval beauty filled with candy-colored buildings and a maze of narrow, winding lanes. Beer gardens are set up […]
7 Reasons You Should Visit Cleveland Right Now
Cleveland, Ohio has a bit of a bad rap. In 1969, the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River running through downtown Cleveland caught fire and Time Magazine published a photo of the flames engulfing a ship. This was followed by a major economic recession in the 1970s and 1980s. The factories closed, unemployment rates soared and there […]
Snapshot: Cleveland’s West Side Market
Whenever I travel to a new city, I like to visit the market to get a taste of the local culture. This is easy enough in Europe and Asia, where nearly every town has a market. I’ve sampled fresh honey in Portugal, cured meats in Madrid and langos in Budapest; bahn mi in Vietnam, miso katsu […]