On The Streets

One thing you notice straight away in Riga is the number of people driving around in big, shiny, brand new cars. Unlike other parts of the old Eastern Bloc, you don't see any clapped-out Skoda Favorits trundling about the streets, or knocked-up Ladas with their bonnets open on the pavement. With a bit of extra money, other nationalities might splash out on a bathroom extension or a 32-inch, HD ready monster for the living room wall; evidently, Latvians prefer to to put their wealth on more mobile display.