Welcome to Latvia! BYOTP!

No that isn't a word in Latvian or Russian... it is Bring your own Toilet Paper! That is if you go to any of the toilets in shopping areas or stations because you pay your 15 or 20 sentimes (Latvian cents) and then the lady points to a roll from which you have to decide ahead of time how much paper you will need and then you get to go into a stall. Luckily I always carry tissues with me and now I am stocking up with more!

So now I am in Riga, Latvia. The look and feel of this city is so different from Tallinn.





People don't smile so much and look like they have had a harder life.



And there is graffiti EVERYWHERE!





You cannot look in any direction at any building and not see some graffiti.



Reminds me Prague away from old town. Tallinn in Estonia had a fair amount of graffiti but Riga just amazes me. I haven't spent time in Old Town yet and am just exploring away from the tourist areas first so it may be different where there is more tourist money.

Today I spent a little time at the HUGE Central Market complex -- each of these rounded buildings houses a different product -- one for meats, one for cheeses, etc.



The fruit and veggies are mostly outside.



I actually didn't get a lot of photographs today and will go back for more in the next few days. I mostly wanted to walk around and get a feel for this new City.

Toto, we are NOT in Kansas anymore!