Packing for winter travel can be super stressful. You want to be prepared for every possible weather condition, but airline baggage restrictions mean you can’t bring your entire wardrobe along. Plus, bulky winter wear takes up all the extra space you’ll need for your souvenirs on the way home. Whether you are chasing the aurora […]
Winter Travel
Tips for Visiting a Traditional Latvian Sauna
Nē, nē, nē, duša ir pirmais! These were the instructions given by a Latvian grandmother in her birthday suit after I entered the bath complex and reached for the steam room door. Never mind that I was already clean. The Latvian sauna ritual always begins with a shower. Perhaps amused by my halting Latvian and my […]
A Dog Sledding Adventure in Latvia
Keen to try out regional winter activities, I found a company, Discover Latvia, that organizes dog sledding tours, and gave them a ring after a particularly snowy week in January. What better place than northern Europe to give this sport a try? And I was in luck – they had a group going out! I eagerly waited […]
40 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Istanbul in Winter
When I first learned that Turkish Airlines offered direct flights between Riga and Istanbul, I started dreaming about a sunny winter getaway. The average temperature for Istanbul in January is 45F/7C, which might not seem super warm, but is an improvement over Riga’s 30F/-1C and near-constant snow cover. Istanbul is also 1,800 kilometers south of Riga, resulting […]
Partying Like a Latvian on Winter Solstice
Before ringing in the New Year, we joined in on Latvia’s winter solstice celebrations at the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, a short distance outside Riga. According to local websites, the event would be marked with singing and dancing Latvians wearing animal masks and culminate with the burning of a yule log. I knew this was not to […]