Japanese
November 9, 2005: Kyushu - Latvia Snow Club
(No4) Walk a world heritage, Riga
The late Dr. Ukichiro Nakaya was a Japanese snow and ice researcher who created artificial snow crystals for the first time in the world. Mr. Kentarou Nakaya, a nephew of Ukichiro, one day introduced us of a very good tour to Latvia to join an official meeting called "The dialogue of ice and snow exhibition" to be held at National Museum of Natural History in Riga City in November.
I can view apartment complex through the window of Radisson SAS hotel. I wondered when the business activities would start in the morning. It was still dark even the time was almost seven. I went down to the restaurant of the hotel.
There were many kinds of food in the buffet-style restaurant. Milk, bean milk,yogurt, and more on the upper case. On the right were cheeses, hams, and smoked meats.
Breads and salads.
Fruits of sugared and fresh.
Tea corner. I could choose my favorite tea bag. I brought it together with boiling water.
I asked the cock to make an omelet.

From where such abundant food come?
I tried soda water. It was good for me and I took it every day.
I walked out after the breakfast. It was around eight in the morning but the sky was still dark just like before dawn.
Next to the hotel was a construction site. Four tall residential buildings will appear next year, a magazine in the hotel room taught me.
After nine, we visited the Old Riga on foot. This was the hotel we stayed, Radisson SAS Hotel.
On Akmens bridge, trams, trolley buses,cars, and trucks run busily.
Across the bridge was the Old Town of Riga. We found a huge monument of the soldiers who created this country on the independence days in the municipal square.
House of blackheads has two dolls of black people in the front. The building was first constructed in 1334, but destroyed in 1994. Finally it was restored in 2001.
Large wheel wagons were ready for open shopping with many souvenirs on them.
Many colorful flowers were sold at here and there. Male and female hold flowers in hand and in a casual manner. When Latvian visits his or her friend, they make it a rule to present a piece of flower, they said. They love nature very much.
Many beautiful buildings are the feature of the world heritage town. Here and there were square in which people may enjoy relaxed time in summer.
Passing through the old town I came up to a monument tower called Brivivas Piemineklis, guarded by two soldiers. The monument square is a good place to meet lovers, they say. The three stars representing three states of Latvia are supported by a goddess.
The beautiful park along a canal. On the back is National Opera House.
Beautiful ginkgo fallen leaves cover the ground. Two workers were working hard to gather them up.
We then visited the market Centraltirgus. Outdoor shopping stands were filled with all kinds of fruits and greens.
There were four huge domes like gym. Each dome features its kind of food to be sold mainly, such as meat, fish, bread, and candies. The market is the kitchen of Riga citizens.
The sellers in the market wore lovely hair bands like this woman who was selling honey.
The color and shape of the fruits displayed on the open stalls were poor but they looked very natural and tasty.
The huge domes were once used as the hangar for the planes and airships, they say. They were so big and I couldn't look all of them in a half day.

Where we are now? The map may or not may tell us the spot.
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