The good thing about having friends with different interests to you is that they expose you to experiences that you wouldn’t normally see for yourself.

Liga is a foodie, and on my last day in Latvia, she booked us a table at her friend’s Green Michelin Starred restaurant. There were 4 of us at the table. James was flying back to Ireland after this, and Liga, from the Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip last year, was joining us too.

This is something that I’d never do on my own, but it was definitely a highlight of my trip. The food was amazing.

They really are beautiful birds, aren’t they?

As we were driving towards the lovely little village where the restaurant is, Liga remembered that there was a huge Pagan festival scheduled for that night. Bonfires, dancing, it was all going to happen. Shame that we had to get James to the airport…

We parked the car and walked over a little bridge over a stream. There was Liga, waiting for us in the garden. I realised when we were driving home that we didn’t take any photos of people – it was all about the food!
Oops.

There was a kitchen garden to wander around in. The restaurant takes great pride in sourcing locally grown ingredients.
This didn’t include the wines. They came from France, Portugal and Italy.

Remember the Michelin star pho restaurant I went to in Hanoi? There were decor here is a lot classier!

We went for the full experience – paired wines with each course and extra caviar and wagyu beef. Why not?

A little snack for starters, which wasn’t on the menu.

Unlike Australia, Latvia is very dog-friendly. I wasn’t sure about a dog being in such an expensive place, but of course, it’s a Cavalier. That’s perfectly ok. She was underneath the table next to us and she was a good girl.

Fish, with the extra fresh caviar.

Some bread with a mushroom spread that was so tasty.

You don’t want to overcook the wagyu.

This was absolutely delicious.

Duck. The beetroot was fabulous.

And finally, dessert. Again, so flavoursome. This meal was definitely a treat.

We dropped James off, then came back for a chilled last night. This is the silk carpet Liga brought home from Afghanistan. It’s stunning.

I’m hastily writing this on the first leg of my trip home, on the plane from Riga to Helsinki. WHAT a trip this has been! I’ve been so lucky.

But now my nose is pointing towards home. It’s going to be a long two days’ travel.

Dad joke of the day: