RigaMapJuly 27–29, 2001 The old town (that’s “the Old Girl” to the locals) isn’t big, but it’s lovely.  There is scant difference between the waterfront in the city centre and a village riverbank.  We went to the TV tower with my business partner. There was only one caretaker there. We went up to the observation deck in a lift that moved up the supporting pillar at an angle (like the one on the Eiffel Tower).  Although the caretaker was wearing tracksuit bottoms, he reminded me of a film character who turns up at just the right moment and changes the course of the hero’s fate by making a few simple inferences.  Here’s a thought: what if we opened an office here? The evening’s fireworks over the Old Girl strengthened my conviction in the fact that this is a great place.  So we did set up an office; it stayed open for over five years. It was a pointless exercise from a financial standpoint. However, it did allow us to hop on a plane at the drop of hat and be looking out over Riga’s ancient rooftops from our attic windows just one hour later. |
