We left our hotel and drove northwards towards Latvia. Our first stop was just over the border at the Palace of Rundale. This palace was the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland (one of the areas of the Baltics) and was designed by the same guy who did the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. The tour of the palace revealed many amazing rooms with decadent wallpaper, floorboards and trim. You had to pay to get into the gardens so afterwards I strolled around the front (also nice) and watched the ducks on the canal that ran through the property.
Upon reaching Riga, the grand capital of Latvia, we drove through amazing buildings, past triumphant squares and stunning boulevards we pulled up in front of our hotel (the Raddison Latvia). It was a very nice hotel and the rooms were modern (if a bit small). After seeing all the splendour that surrounding me I automatically made a priority list. First, laundry; second, drinks in the bar and thirdly, dinner. I found the Laundromat a short distance from the hotel and managed to get what I wanted to accomplish across to the attendant though sign language and a smattering of Latvian that I had read in my guidebook. She answered me in broken English so I can only assume it was that my newness tot he language was obvious.
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