🌎📍Riga
Business
Our tour in Riga began with 3 business meetings.
The first took place at Riga Business School, where we met with a group of MBA students to discuss how entrepreneurship has contributed to the advancement of Latvian society, and how they see this industry changing in the next years.
The second meeting was with the Editor In Chief of Meduza, the largest independent news outlet in Russia. Personally, this was my favorite meeting. I was so intrigued to hear about how accessing information has changed over the last decade, with the rise of social media and advancements in technology, and discussing how news outlets are able to compete in a dying industry.
The third meeting was with LICAA, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia. Essentially, the goal of the LIAA is to promote a competitive position for Latvia in the international market, as to, ultimately, promote the growth of foreign investments in the country. This meeting was especially interesting, as to understand the role of business in the Baltic region, and to better comprehend how business is executed in the region.
Food
Definitely, my favorite meal was at the Riga Central Market. The quality and variety of the food were spectacular, and the experience of trying typical Latvian food was a great gourmet experience. The widest varieties of berries, meats, cheeses, breads, drinks, and even seeds could be found in abundance at this market. We decided to have lunch there, following our food tasting activity, where our group split up according to their tastes and preferences: sushi, pizza, pasta, barbeque, crèpes, salads, dumplings… the Market suits all!
Below are some photos of the Market:
Latvian Architecture
The aspect I most enjoyed from our tour was the guide’s constant allusions to the unique architectural characteristics in Riga. I noticed that the buildings in the center of town are quite brightly colored and full of life —colors like red, blue, and gold are used abundantly on buildings' façades.
In fact, few of the prominent antique buildings in Riga are a dull color, such as simply white or grey — in fact, on our tour, we passed by a completely grey building, and the tour guide pointed out that this is an exception — and the color is supposed to symbolize the color of mud and earth, as to praise Mother Earth, instead of conveying a sad atmosphere.
The photo on the left was taken at Rundale Palace, a breathtaking sight from the 18th century. It is very reminiscent of Versaille — lavish gardens, beautiful fountains, and classical architecture, with abundant gold and art. Once again, the lively colors on the façade make an appearance (bright yellow).
