Martins Veidemanis, Riga

Today an interview with Martins Veidemanis, Spotter for our Riga Cityblog.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born in Soviet Latvia and was lucky to see how its cracked. Like many locals I danced through my childhood in the green country side of Latvia. So the summers passed…

I read dozens of books… Fell in love few times…  wrote some poetry and prose… Graduated… Worked as a salesman and sold billions of sweatpants… Moved to Riga… and still live here.

I have a son and a lovely wife and work at an airline company and now there is a spotting thing, for which I am happy like a kid with candy.

Bergs Bazaar, Riga (by Martins Veidemanis)

How do you like being a Spotter?
Becoming a Spotter was a long standing dream of mine. In 2010 I was planning my trip to Barcelona. As I have been there before and already enjoyed the main attractions and places that official tourist sites suggest, this time I searched for something more intimate, more special. Thanks god, there is Google and so my path with Spotted By Locals crossed for the first time.

The articles and spots I found here were extremely useful to me so I contacted Sanne about doing the same great and honorable thing for my city. Unfortunately they were not ready to expand yet.

A year later I had a journey to Belgium and again Spotted By Locals was a great help for planning the trip and ensuring it to be  fantastic. And again I thought that Riga must definitely have this privilege. Without a doubt I sent an e-mail to Sanne to remind her about me and this time the timing was right so I became a Spotter for Riga.

Do I enjoy being one? For sure I do. Not only because I’m able to help fellow travellers get to know this great city better but also for a chance get to know Riga better myself. Oh boy, have I done that.

Muffins and More, Riga (by Martins Veidemanis)

Why Riga?
I explored Riga more thoroughly along with my studies years ago. It seemed a great city but somehow I did not feel those urban vibes completely and rather got out of the city as much as I could.

Then on a warm Autumn afternoon I met a girl sitting on a National Art Museum stairway. This moment changed the majority of my life. Some years have passed since that day. I am now a full time resident of Riga and I adore this city more and more each day.

In Riga you must walk as much as you can, keep your eyes open and look up higher than your nose :-).

Visit the so called Silent centre for some spectacular architecture. Wander down Old Town’s narrow side streets. Wake up early, along with the sun; Riga is so calm and beautiful before the crowds hit the streets. Stay up late and dive into the night with parties, dances and surprises. Be free and respectful and you will have some stories to tell your grandchildren.

Which prejudices about Riga are true? Which ones are not?
Riga has tons of beautiful girls that’s for sure but I would like to think that the absolute majority are not interested in short love with tourists. Some years ago Riga received strong publicity that you can charm a girl by showing a few euros. That’s false.

Riga has stunning architecture. That’s true.

Riga is a kind of underdeveloped capital of post Soviet country. False. In some fields Riga is way ahead of every Western European city.

Ķīpsala, Riga (by Martins Veidemanis)

What do you know about Riga that no tourist will know?
Local pearls! Places where magic happens. Look at my spots!

What is the most popular neighborhood to live in Riga at this moment?
I have always lived in city centre since I moved to Riga and don’t have much to complain about. You can try to do it as well and sure you will have the opportunity to experience most of those goodies Riga can offer to her people. But of course each neighbourhood has it’s charm!

Can you describe a perfect day in your city?
OK, let’s dream about it for a while. It is an early morning, no sleep in your eyes and you are completely awake. The weather seems perfect for a nice walk to check out some of the creative quarters that have evolved over the past years and can be a true inspiration.

A perfect start is to catch the sun rising up over river Daugava. Usually I can’t get up this early so for me this attraction will most probably be a miss. Anyway, buying a nice treat in farmers market at Bergs Bazaar (pictured at beginning) will be a delight no matter if you enjoyed the sunrise or slept through it.

A walk in Riga is a must so visiting Ķīpsala or Miera street usually does the magic for me. A pair of muffins from Muffins and More or a fresh pastry from Pajumte will give you some energy to explore more.

As the day passes I would grab some lunch at Andalūzijas Suns and then decide where to meet the night. If I am tired then a movie at Splendid Palace would be just fine and afterwards I’d order a drink or two at Chomsky or if the mood somehow goes on the naughty side, then Old Riga it is. Hello – Leningrad! Goodbye – clear head! … Oh, its morning again:)

Leningrad, Riga (by Martins Veidemanis)

Is there something else you want to share?
Fellow Riga citizens, it would be superb, if some of you could find the will and join with Riga Spotters to share our love of this beautiful city.

Fellow travelers, hope to meet you in Riga soon but if we somehow we miss each other, please, leave a feedback to the spots you have visited.

Cheers! Martins

Check out all articles by Martins Veidemanis and our other Spotter interviews.

Related posts:

1. We launched our 39th city: Riga by locals!
2. Lisbon! Interview with Katy!
3. Vilnius! Interview with Gabija!

Krakowski Tramwaj Wodny, Krakow (by www.ziskrakow.pl)

Public transport could well be the number one reason for anxiety, stress and racing hearts for most people. We depend on them heavily to get us from A to B and when they’re late to get to A, or don’t go all the way to B, it’s us that’s duped and left by the side of the road.

To point out that it’s not all bad, some cities have great public transportation, we thought we’d give you a selection of transports that our Locals love to use!

Mouettes Genevoises, Geneva (by Peter Clayburn)

1. Mouettes Genevoises, Geneva (by Peter Clayburn)
Local Peter is such a fan of this relaxing way of traveling he tries to indulge in it at every opportunity! “The trip is always worthwhile in its own right, but I also love finding ways to work the Mouettes into my daily travel arrangements”

Krakowski Tramwaj Wodny, Krakow (by www.ziskrakow.pl)

2. Krakowski Tramwaj Wodny, Krakow (by Ewelina Tłuczek)
This other watery way of travel is in Krakow. Local Ewelina recommends using these tram lines to discover Krakow from the water!

Lavra Funicular, Lisbon (by Claudio Carneiro)

3. Lavra Funicular, Lisbon (by Claudio Carneiro)
Local Claudio reckons these are his favorite spot. If you can count this moving funicular as a spot that is! “The Lavra funicular may be not so fun to ride, but it is the most charming, and certainly it is the most quiet (often private!) public transport in Lisbon. [...] This is the oldest transport in Lisbon, with more than 120 years and also considered a national monument.”

Free Manchester bus, Manchester (by Nicole Cooley)

4. Free Manchester bus, Manchester (by Nicole Cooley)
Why is there a normal bus included in this list? It’s not unusual for a city to have hop on hop off buses busing tourists round. But this one is different because it’s a free bus ride, not meant especially for tourists. Use this little gem if you’re tired of walking or have too many shopping bags for just two hands and ten fingers!

Funky Ride, Athens (by Sofia Skioti)

5. Funky Ride, Athens (by Sofia Skioti)
Okay it’s not exactly public transport, but still the bicycles from Funky ride will get you from A to B without raising your stress levels! No need to share a seat with foul smelling people. And getting somewhere on time or fashionably late is entirely in your  hands!

Oslo Mini Cruise, Oslo (by Andrea Chirulescu)

6. Oslo Mini Cruise, Oslo (by Andrea Chirulescu)
Always wanted to go on a cruise but can’t afford it? Or do you just want to get around Oslo hassle free? While this Oslo Mini Cruise might also not exactly be public transport, again…it gets you from A to B and even along some great Oslo highlights! You can get off anywhere you like and thus it becomes transport!

So that’s a small sampling of transport options in a couple of our 41 European cities. What’s your favorite type of transport, which is hassle-free?

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1. Unique & Weird – Spotted by Locals!
2. Lisbon! Interview with Katy!
3. Spring is coming to town!

Urban decay Amsterdam - by country_boy_shane

Europe’s cities are full of abandoned and crumbling buildings. Sometimes it’s painful to see how much they’re “suffering” from a neglect of maintenance, but it can be a very beautiful sight too!

We found some amazing urban decay pictures on Flickr, and have “curated” the “Urban decay in Europe” gallery on Flickr for your viewing pleasure!

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1. Urban decay
2. 10 Europe cities most photographed by tourists
3. 10 ugly and pretty snowmen in Europe cities!

The Barcelona apartment. (Click the image to view an interactive panorama.) Photo by the author.

[This is the second part of a series of posts looking at online ‘rental community’ websites from the point of view of the solo traveller. Part one here.]

My previous post looked at the booking process in the build up to a recent trip I took to Barcelona. Now that Barcelona seems like a distant memory, how did the experiment work out?

The apartment I chose was a garret-like room on a rooftop in the Barri Gòtic area of the city. Incredible location, surrounded by the winding medieval lanes of the old town, just minutes from the waterfront and the beach.

Hats off to the Airbnb website: they go out of their way to make you feel reassured. Moments after making payment on the website I received a comprehensive itinerary with all essential details of my booking, including contact details (phone numbers, email address) of my host. After exchanging a few text messages with him the final arrangements were made, and any fears I had of being stranded without digs in an unfamiliar city were put to rest.

At this stage it’s worth putting in a bit more effort than you would with a hotel or other traditional travel accommodation. Arrange with your host your exact arrival and departure times, particularly if they’re at antisocial hours. If you need to be at the airport at 5.00am, it’s unlikely your host will be happy to check you out at 3.00am. If they can’t work around your plans, you may need to start your accommodation search all over again.

Happily my host had no such problems. I arrived on a sunny afternoon in early May and made my way (thanks to comprehensive directions emailed by my host) from the airport shuttle stop on Plaça Catalunya and through the tourist bustle of Barri Gòtic. Without much difficulty I found the road and the scruffy apartment door, and pushed the buzzer.

No reply. For some reason that I still don’t understand, there had been a confusion with building numbers. The website had said number 52, but my host had told me this was wrong and the number was in fact 54. I continued to push the buzzer at 54, all the while wondering if I shouldn’t hedge my bets and push the one at 52 as well. Of course this is where having my host’s mobile phone number came in handy. A quick phone call sorted it out: the apartment buzzer is very soft and my host just hadn’t heard it.

The apartment was exactly what I expected. For around 40 Euros per night I knew it wasn’t going to be luxurious. It was small, a little rough round the edges, a bit scruffy, but it had everything I needed. And the main feature was the large roof terrace with fantastic views over the rooftops of central Barcelona (pictured above). My host gave me a rushed tour of the place (to be fair, it was so tiny a lengthy tour would’ve been pointless) handed over the keys and darted out the door. I had the impression he needed to be somewhere – perhaps at work; after all, it was 3.30 on a Wednesday afternoon. He’d been very friendly and charming, but I did have the nagging feeling he must’ve forgotten to give me some essential bit of information.

I needn’t have worried. My stay went smoothly, and I enjoyed Barcelona immensely. Come Sunday and the check-out process went off without much trouble. My host was a bit late (and looked quite hung over) but not so late that I was worried about getting to the airport late. I made sure I’d left the apartment as clean as I’d found it, but my host seemed to trust me and didn’t even bother with an inspection. A simple hand-over of keys and I was on my way.

The online rental community – Airbnb, Roomorama – has really impressed me. I’ve come away feeling completely positive about the experience. I suppose if I use their services enough there’s a good chance there may be cock-ups and frustrations along the way, but I’m prepared to take that chance and treat any mishaps as part of the adventure. Not only was the price right (an important consideration if you’re traveling alone) but the informality of the experience was refreshing, having stayed in countless soulless chain hotels and grim budget hostels. And there’s a personal touch: although I never needed to call on him, it was comforting to know my host was on the other end of the phone with help or advice should I need it.

Our guest blogger Roger Christian is a London based graphic designer, blogger and fiction writer. In his bi-weekly articles for Spotted by Locals Roger explores the pleasures and occasional challenges of solo traveling in Europe.

Related posts:

1. An accommodation alternative for solo travellers
2. Women traveling solo: send us your experiences
3. Solo dining: tips for eating alone

Benczúr köz playground, Budapest (by András Nagy)

So without further ado, here are some great Spotted by Locals’ spots where all you adults can ‘chill out and let your inner small person come out and play!

1. Benczúr Köz playground, Budapest (by András Nagy)
Pictured above

The Red Square, Copenhagen (by Cindy Fonvig)

Climbing on Flakturm, Vienna (by Julia Heiligenbrunner)

Parc del Laberint, Barcelona (by Anna Boluda)

Unterer Letten, Zurich (by www.badiquartett.ch)

5. Unterer Letten, Zurich (by Sabine Schweizer)
This is adults (and skilled swimmers) only because the current is way to strong for the wee ones. Add to that, the fence at the end that’s there to keep you being swept away, has gaps big enough for children to slip through ;-).

Biķernieku forest, Riga (by Antra Sloka)

Kart'in Club Helsinki, Helsinki (by Nea Barman)

Eisbach-Welle, Munich (by Andreas Eder)

Megazone, Oslo (by Andrea Chirulescu)

Bike Punk Fest, Warsaw (by Ola Synowiec)

So there you have it! A couple of cities with spots that are perfect for an adult to play in. But there’s more! Let’s not forget the various football stadiums spread across the 41 cityblogs, or the several interactive museums. There’s always room for playing, no matter where you are or how old you are!

Related posts:

1. Count the trees in your city
2. 10 great dive bars in Europe
3. We launched our 39th city: Riga by locals!

In my recent visit to Tel Aviv (on April) I couldn’t ignore but noticing a common trend. Vintage! Or was it because I was visiting the old port in Jaffa the other day, where a busy, colorful vintage and flea market scene was taking place. I guess Tel Aviv is getting Vintage, and the more I saw it, the more I liked it. After a long shooting day in Jaffa, I met few friends for an early dinner. We were at that great restaurant, that holds a variety of old furniture, plates and kitchen ware. So eclectic!  When I got my mint tea with the check, the waiter got it with a Nancy Reagan image! We couldn’t help but laughing how vintage can you go! Food was great, by the way :-)

Our guest blogger Sivan Askayo is a travel photographer and writer based in New York. In this series of guest articles for Spotted by Locals she exhibits her ongoing project “On the table” – a shot of different tables she’s using in different locations around Europe.

Related posts:

1. On the Table (2): When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
2. On the Table (1): Café pour deux
3. On the table (3): Pausa caffè a Venezia

This year we launched a new website, new Facebook page (Timeline), new iPhone app and now also a new Spotters Network. That’s lots of new!

We think it’s very important for Spotted by Locals and its Spotters to be cohesive and friendly.We’ve had an online Spotters community ever since we started Spotted by Locals, but this one is better than ever!

With this newly launched network Spotters can connect and communicate with all Spotters, talk to fellow city Spotters in groups, arrange meetings, read about visitors statistics and much more.

Nothing beats meeting Spotters in person, but until November (when more than 110 Spotters are coming to Amsterdam!) the online Spotters network is the best place to meet other Spotters!

Related posts:

1. Our real life social network of 180 Spotters!
2. Many potential Spotters!
3. New Spotters Network!

Alex Olteanu, Bucharest

Today an interview with Alex Olteanu, Spotter for our Bucharest cityblog.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I will start by saying that I’m very much interested in sports and for this reason I train myself on a daily basis. I’m very passionate about mountain biking and I’m actually buying a new bike these days for the new season. I love travelling and especially visiting places which aren’t that touristy. On a professional level, I am a ‘Business Studies’ teacher.

The Harbour, Bucharest (by Alex Olteanu)

How do you like being a Spotter?
I enjoy it very much even if I often find myself wanting to write about very nice spots which are outside the city. While travelling in the country I find many nice places which are worth mentioning but I must stick to writing about Bucharest. At first it was very difficult and I had a slow start but once my articles were uploaded everything got a lot easier. Now I just keep my articles updated and I upload a new article once in a while. I just had to take one spot offline as ‘Miss Deya Pastry Shop’ changed the menu fundamentally and I cannot recommend it any more.

Why Bucharest?
Well, I am a genuine Bucharest inhabitant. I was born here and I lived all my life in Bucharest, except the period where I went abroad to Switzerland to finish my MBA. I truly believe that each city has powerful meanings to its natives. Bucharest is the city where I first fell in love…

It is a must to visit a few of the landmarks that the city has, like the Houses of Parliament, The Arch of Triumph or the old city centre. On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend visiting the outskirts as nothing can be seen besides grey blocks of flats

Which prejudices about Bucharest are true? Which ones are not?
I can honestly say that it is true that it has some grey parts, especially the outskirts, as mentioned before. This is an outcome following the long communist era. What isn’t true is the fact that it is dangerous. One can have a walk in the middle of the night almost everywhere in Bucharest without being afraid of getting mugged. The city is full of light and a safe feeling accompanies you everywhere.

La Taifas, Bucharest (by Alex Olteanu)

What do you know about Bucharest which no tourist will know?
It is funny you ask. Obviously I know many things about Bucharest which can’t be known by a tourist. But, the first to mention is that I can easily get from one point to another without any difficulty. I know all the subway stations and all the connections by heart.

Thinking of something else that no tourist will know, I can say that some spots in the city which meant a lot to many of us have been demolished to make space for new office buildings or hotels. For instance, ‘Berlin’ restaurant was a place where former communists had fancy dinners and parties. The restaurant had a correspondent in Berlin which was called ‘Bucharest’, also very luxurious and intended for communists. No matter who were benefiting the place before 1989, the building was a very beautiful one and shouldn’t have been demolished. This is something that I know and no tourist will know; not even many Romanians know.

What is the most popular neighborhood to live in Bucharest at this moment?
It is a trend these days to move to new residential neighbourhoods. Even so, I must say that the ‘Cotroceni‘ neighbourhood is still one of the most expensive areas in the city and also the one which hosts the ‘Cotroceni’ Palace, the residence of the Romanian President. In regards of popularity, many people move to the centre of the city where cheap rent can be found in very old buildings with inter-war atmosphere.

Can you describe a perfect day in your city?
Wednesday is one of my favorite days because I go to the cinema and take advantage of ‘Orange Wednesdays’. So I would start with a great movie at ‘Studio’ Cinema followed by a late lunch at The Harbour. Later that day I would walk towards Bistro La Taifas to enjoy a cup of tea or a coffee together with a cake. Needless to say the area where all the above mentioned spots are located is beautiful and nice architecture can be observed and obviously I would delight myself with the view.

Is there something else you want to share?
I’ll be sharing what seems interesting to me through Spotted by Locals. ;-)

Check out all articles by Alex Olteanu and our other Spotter interviews.

Related posts:

1. Our 33rd cityblog – Bucharest by locals!
2. Bucharest! Interview with Raluca Gavris
3. Meeting our Bucharest, Helsinki and Istanbul Spotters

Blinde Kuh, Zurich (by Blinde Kuh)

This is Blinde Kuh in Zurich. This spot by our local Christine Syrad starts off this list of weird & unique spots among our 41 cities in Europe.
Enjoy!

1. Blinde Kuh, Zurich (by Christine Syrad)
A very special way to enjoy your meal to its potential. With your sense of sight cut off you’ll have nothing to rely on but your tongue! This is also the perfect option when your significant other is one of those unfortunates who always has spinach stuck in their teeth or likes to eat with their mouth open.

Madame Claude, Berlin (by Herrmann Königs)

Cafe Laundromat, Oslo (by Elin Reitehaug)

C-Base Spacestation Berlin (by Ciarán Fahey)

Tot Zover, Amsterdam (by G.J. Broens)

These are just a few examples of unique, weird and funny spots throughout Europe that our Spotters love to visit. We’d love to hear about your favorite unique spot!

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1. Trend Spotted by Europe locals: Table football
2. 10 great dive bars in Europe
3. Fabulous Flea Markets in Europe – Spotted by locals!

As you have probably noticed, we completely upgraded our design a few months ago. One of the new features: rotating header pictures. Our Spotters have sent us some amazing picture of their cities, but there’s room for more!

Do you have a nice “Spotted by Locals” pic that you think would work well as a header picture for one of our websites? Please send Sanne (sanne@spottedbylocals.com) your pic, and we’d love to see if we can use it! Of course we attribute you as the photographer in the picture!

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2. This is not local travel (5)
3. Zurich Spotters meeting