Not sleeping too well, we get up around 8am and have coffees with the film Rocketman on

There’s some leftover pizza from last night’s dinner so we heat it up in the apartment’s microwave oven with another coffee followed by getting ready for the day

We wander down to our local tram stop to get the number 11 down to the centre; needing lunch, we pop to McDonald’s for two McRoyal meals

After, we walk around the outside of Vērmane Gardens, trying to find a way in as there seems to be an event happening

We notice the Riga Nativity of Christ Orthodox Cathedral so go and take a closer look

On our way to try to enter Vērmane Garden again, we’re crossed by a PRIDE parade

It passes after about 10 minutes where we decide to go to the Riga Canal where we can have a ride on it

The Annabella canal boat is ready to take us on a 6.6km round trip of Riga Canal and onto the Daugava River (see the featured image)

We first pass the Central Markets; the pavilions opened in 1930 and instantly became the largest and most modern market in Europe and totals two hectares in area

Previously, the buildings were military zeppelin hangers during the wars, rather than train storage, and they’re now part of the UNESCO heritage

On the river, we get a view of the Island Bridge on the left – the longest of all the bridges over this river at more than 3km long – and the Riga Radio Tower – the 3rd largest tower in Europe at 360m

We are driven beneath the Railway Bridge as a train goes over too

It was originally built in 1940 and the previous one was converted to a car bridge; sadly, only the railway one was rebuilt when destroyed

The tower of St Peter’s Church is one of the tallest points of Riga – due to fires and wars, it’s had to be rebuilt more than a few times, with the most recent time being 1970!

The currently standing Riga Castle has been under rule by other nations: Lithuania, Sweden and then Russia – there were previously two others but these have been removed or destroyed due to wars

It was originally built in 1515 and since 1919, the castle has been the Latvian president’s residence

The canal is the remnants of a moat that surrounded the citadel that defended Riga Old Town many years ago

It’s 3.2km long and crossed by 16 bridges with most of the banks along it are no older than 160 years

Once back on land, we walk by the Latvian National Opera before heading to Hesburger for a snack of a large cheeseburger meal between us

Then, we go to the Vērmane Garden where a PRIDE celebration party is being held with live music

Sadly, it seems to have ended at 5pm – we had to wait 40 minutes at Hesburger for food and miss it so we’re calling it “Slow Burger” ????

We decide to pop back to LIDO Alus Sēta as it served us well last time; we have a perry each

Dave discovers there’s something along the lines of a PRIDE festival after party in the area of the Labietis Brewery so we venture that way

It’s a shame but the place is ticketed for €20 a pop… instead, we go to the supermarket just beside to grab some supplies and head back for Daisy to cook fettuccine Bolognese

We have the evening in watching a film and call it a night