We arrived in Riga last night and checked in to the tallest of the 7 Radisson Hotels in the city.
A 10 minute walk up the street led to a statue, paid for by the citizens of Riga, that commemorates the first liberation from Russia. On the way back, I stopped to admire the ice skating rink and a tree peppered with dozens of birdhouses.
Our hotel is 20 minutes from the Christmas market but we have the requisite walking tour first in the morning.