Battle of the Bulge-70th Anniversary visit Dec 2014

Welcome back to my blog everyone...it is nice to see that it has been viewed over 350 times!

This post, albeit a bit delayed, is a return to my initial plan to blog about my travels..that being said, I am hoping to continue my posts on leadership when I get a chance to do some more research (new job don't ya know...have to keep focused).

Okay, back to the 'interesting' stuff. This post is about my latest trip, following the 506th PIR/101st AB during WW2. As the title states, this was to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It was a bit of a last minute decision, given that I missed the 70th Anniversary of D-Day and Market Garden it was lucky that I managed to organise this trip! Those that know me will testify against my organisational skills which, given I am a PM, are diabolical at times.  ;-)

So, started the trip early on the 13th of December with a drive to London Heathrow Terminal 1 which, by the way, was surprisingly quiet compared to the other terminals...a good start to the trip! We arrived in Luxembourg (Never been to Luxembourg before...very small airport but quick to navigate through immigration and customs) at 11am. Here is when my lack of organisational skills started to show...I made a snap decision to drive (Rented an A3 for the trip) to Bastogne to catch my friend Ian Gardner's launch of his latest book 'No Victory in Valhalla'. The drive took less than an hour (only 90kms) but, by the time we got to Bastogne, it had started to snow and the temp had dropped to about -1/-2c. The launch was at the Les Mess museum which, given its size, was pretty good and had a lot of displays.

Given it was a last minute decision to drive to Bastogne, I should not have been surprised by the huge number of people visiting the museum, attending the book launch and meeting with a number of vets. I decided it was best to say hello to Ian, tour the museum and return to Luxembourg city and check-in at the hotel (The Hilton-Double Tree).

After check-in we decided to go to the hotel restaurant for dinner. It was during dinner that a number of Bulge vets walked into the restaurant. It turned out that the hotel was hosting 20 vets who were part of an anniversary tour being run by John Riedy. I decided to approach two of the vets, one of whom was Capt James Morgia who won the Silver Star, Bronze Star and earned the Combat Infrantrymans Badge (CIB) during WW2 in Europe. It was an honor to talk to James and his 'roommate' one that I'll never forget...

On Sunday the 14th we drove back to Bastogne to take part in Ian Gardner's NVIV tour. We met up with Ian and about 20 others at the sports center in Bastogne..just around the corner from the Bastogne barracks. From the sports center we drove to Les Ferme Des Bisons in Recogne.

The farm is slightly Southwest of Recogne and played a pivotal role in the battle. Apparently, the owner managed to save a lot of momentos from the war including an M1 Garand. The main house is beautiful and, despite damaged during the warm, remains impressive especially in the December mist.

Leaving the house, we walked Southwest along the Route Madame. The route was the Main Line of Resistance (MLR) for 502PIR during a large part of the battle. We followed the route Southwest then curving Southeast through the Bois Champay. The woods have been cutback by the land owners so the perspective is much different from 70 years ago. However, you can still get a feeling for the lay of the land while walking the route.

..and there are real bisons!

Walking through the cold and the snow (although still nicer weather than 70 years ago) made me think of the men who fought there...we hiked past the memorial to Native Americans who fought there down to towards the road into Foy.

 On the way we started to see visible signs of where the battle had taken place. Specifically, the remains of fighting positions used by G Company...it still amazes me that the positions survive but they are eroding away and won't be around for much longer.

We walked towards the main road to Foy passing the slight decline that is portrayed in Band of Brothers (The attack on Foy by Easy Company where Lt Dyke is replaced by Lt Spiers). We took a left towards Foy which was approximately 500 meters along the road.

When we reached Foy we had the pleasure of meeting Jean Marie-Koeunes. Jeans' family lived in a house at the crossroads where a group of civilians sheltered during the battle.

The entrance to the basement is the door to the left in the picture...notice the hole in the wall of the out building on the right, that was caused by a shell during the battle and has never been repaired.

We were treated to a tour of the basement and a shot of whisky to help warm us up...! The family were lovely and still appreciate all that the soldiers did during the war.

Leaving Recogne we drove through Bastogne and then up the main road, Northwest, into Foy turning right at the church across from the location of the Gaspard farm (1 Ptn H Co CP) following the road South through the Bois des Corbeaux to the E/506 memorial which is about 100 meters from 'Halte Station' also known as Detaille farm..The story is that US soldiers when first seeing 'Halte' painted on the building thought that was the name of the station..!

We then walked slightly downhill from Halte Station to the Bois Jacques which is portrayed extensively in 'Band of Brothers'. We walked through the woods finding the fighting positions used by Easy Company still visible along the tree line next to the road to Foy. We were even to find the location estimated to be where Walter Gordon was shot by a sniper on Christmas Eve 1944..you could still see the 'T' shape of the foxhole designed to be home to a gunner and assistant with space behind for extra ammunition. We walked around in the snow for almost an hour...passing re-enactors dressed as soldiers with Wiley Jeeps and a Halftrack. We even located the spot where Major Winters had his CP...approximately 75 yards from the front line. The spot, according to Reg Jans and Ian Gardner was confirmed by the Major on his last visit to Bastogne!

Following the tour we headed back to Luxembourg where I had the chance to meet more vets...kind of icing on the cake for the trip.

Me and James Federheart 95ID

I appreciate that this is a bit of a Readers Digest condensed version of the trip but I hope it was interesting for you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...

Leadership: Sobel and Winters-Part 2

Thank you to everyone who has read my blog lately especially those who have provided feedback (Twitter, Facebook and email).

This is part 2 of my personal view on leadership, focusing on Sobel and Winters of Band of Brothers (BoB) fame.

This part provides a brief intro into the early histories of both men, and how (...IMHO) it may have affected their development as leaders (..or not). As a starter, I have put together a simple table which covers some of the relevant information and shows where there were similarities..

	Winters		Sobel
DoB	21-01-18		26-01-12
Place	Ephrata, PA		Chicago, Il
Religon	Mennonite		Jewish
Military School or equivalent	Lancaster Boys school		Culver M.A, IN
University	Franklin and Marshall		University of Illinois
Served as Enlisted?	Yes		Yes, National Guard
Year	(25-8-41)		(est 1931)
Age entered service	23		19
Means of Commission	OCS		OCS
Married	Yes		Yes
Children	Yes		Yes

 The table shows some areas where both Sobel and Winters had a similar background...areas such as their religious background (Sobel was raised in a strict Jewish household whilst Winters was raised in, what I believe to be, a fairly devout Mennonite family), both attended a form of boarding school (I believe Lancaster Boys school was a boarding school-happy to be corrected), both did well at college/University and both were commissioned via OCS.

The main differences appear to be that Sobel grew up in an Urban environment compared to Winters but I am not sure that has a lot of relevance given he was shipped to Culver Military academy for his formative teenage years whilst Winters spent his at the Lancaster Boys school which was an extension of his Mennonite upbringing. I would think that both offered a rather distorted view of society...What is interesting is that Culver M.A advertises that they 'educate its students for leadership and responsible citizenship in society...'.  I wonder whether Sobel's approach in later life was to try to strictly apply the lessons learned at Culver.

The other notable difference was that Winters 23-24 during his early years with the 506th whilst Sobel was around 30. In normal circumstances I would have given the age difference a bit more emphasis. However, I don't think that it means that much given the personalities and circumstances.

I still believe that social influences have an impact on whether a person becomes a leader or not.

What I am interested in discovering, if it is possible, is why did the two men end up on opposite ends of the leadership matrix. What I have discovered, with a lot of help from a Psychology Doctoral candidate, is that there appears to be some underlying personality issues evident in Sobel that don't appear to be present in Winters. That would include a tendency to control, the lack of empathy, introversion and issues with relationships. What I will say, at this early stage of my blog, is that IMHO those tendencies do not necessarily keep someone from becoming a leader.

In my next post, I will try to dig deeper into the traits of the two men and how they contributed to the events of WW2 and the 506th.

Thanks for reading...

Leadership: Sobel and Winters.

Leadership: Sobel and Winters...

This is the introduction to my next series of posts...apologies if it is a change from my 'normal' theme which is based on either the 101st AB and/or Travel. That being said, it is linked to the 101st AB in that it is focused on two of the principle 'characters' of the popular HBO Mini-series, 'Band of Brothers'.

Why the subject I hear you ask...simple, it stems from my background as a former USAF officer (Started as an E-1 and left the service as an O-3 after 15 years) and my 'experiences' with Leaders and Managers over 40 years of employment. To be fair, I have a lot of 'Managers' over the years but can honestly say that I have only had a few true 'Leaders'...individuals who inspired me but I will get to the detail of my thinking on that statement in later parts to this post.

NB: I will using quotes from articles in this post, when and where possible I will refer to the source (some actual follow me on Twitter...)

Capt Herbert M. Sobel Sr

Capt Richard Winters

Ever since I first watched 'BoB' back n 2002 (and countless times since...) I have found myself drawn to the character of Captain Sobel. Of course, the series draws viewers to Lt (and eventually Major) Richard Winters and for very obvious reasons and I am no different from that majority. However, I find that I am compelled to try to understand Sobel and to try to figure out what made him the man that he was. The logical approach to this endeavor, for me at least, is to frame this within the context of "leadership'. Therefore, this post will be centered on MY interpretation of what Leadership is and what Management is. Please note my emphasis on 'my' in the previous sentence. That is because there is a lot of information on Leadership available on the web and there are many who make a good living lecturing and training future and current leaders on how to be better at what they do.

This first post, is a brief summary of my thoughts on Leadership and Management which I will expand upon as my research continues.

In today's world, not the world of Sobel and Winters, there is a lot of focus on Leadership in business (and in the military). The following bullet points tend to show the focus on much of the business world as to what 'leadership' entails...

• A clear Vision.
• Sharing of that Vision.
• Providing the information, knowledge and methods to realise that Vision.
• Coordinating, balancing the conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders.
• Leadership stems from social influence and not authority or power.
• Leadership requires others.

Additionally...

• To be able to think and act creatively in a crisis.
• Leaders are born and not taught.
• No 'One size fits all' definition.

Now, for the first contentious point of this post, I don't think that Leadership in business is the same as Leadership in the military. This opinion is not just based on the obvious reasons such as, in most cases, nobody is trying to kill you in business and the fact that the military is not a democracy. That being said, the following points can be applied to both the military and business, perhaps slightly different in scope and breadth of application...

• Leadership is the projection of your expertise in a way that gains confidence.
• Leadership is the use of our own 'Personal' power combined with Strategic influence.
• Leadership involves Character and humility.

What I have noted in my research is that, even with the above basic points, there is contradiction among the experts. Some say that leadership has nothing to do with personal attributes for example...

Having read a number of great articles about leadership and having experiences Leaders and managers..I won't say good leaders or bad leaders, you are either a leader or you are not...I am finding myself drawn to a scale for defining Leadership type. The managerial grid model (1964) is a situational leadership model developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton. The model originally identified five different Leadership styles based on concern for people and concern for production. 

Personally, the 'situational' aspect of the model is what draws me in, further explained in later posts.

The model is important in this series of posts as it is a way to diagram the differences between Sobel and Winters (later posts) within an agreed context. It is important to note that the model is focused on People and/or Task and you can't get much clearer than that. However, there are shades of gray which means most people do not fall into the 5 categories...rather somewhere between them.

A few final comments in this intro post..The above information is only a taster of what Leadership is, I could go on and on about what defines Leadership and, as such, a Leader but I'd rather not. Suffice to say it is a matter of interpretation and, as they say, the 'proof of the pudding is in the eating'.

My points...

Leaders are born not made.

Leaders Evolve based on the situation they are facing.

Leaders Do have specific personality traits.

However, to be able to judge whether a person is a Leader and how effective they have been you must understand the person, their history and the circumstances that they find themselves in...my next blog post will focus on Captain Sobel, his personality and his history.

I hope you join me for the next post and contribute to my understanding of the topic by adding comments.

References:

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3647-leadership-definition.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/04/09/what-is-leadership/
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/leadership.asp

Normandy and the 101st AB visit May 2014-Part 3

Welcome back everyone...118 page views so far! Just figure...if certain family members and those close to me viewed it then I'd have at least another 2.  ;-)

As I am taking a break from reading up on exciting Project Management topics such as 'Work Breakdown Structures'...I figured I'd do something useful and finish my blog on my Normandy visit.

One of my hopes when starting this blog was to bring the 101st AB to the attention of more people...please share with your friends to help me accomplish that.

The final stops...and my thoughts.

The next stop after the museum and shop at 'Deadmans Corner' was Carentan. The town was a major focal point during the days following the D-Day landings (10-15th June). The town was of major strategic importance to both the Germans and the allies being in a prime location to control counter attacks and for the consolidation of the landing beaches. The battle was particularly difficult given that the area was defended by fallshirmjager (German Paratroopers) and the town lies in an area where access was by a causeway across a floodplain using 4 bridges to span the Douve river.

The tour took us to the four bridges allowing us to get a great perspective as to what the challenges were for the 101st AB. Driving into the town, along a small back road, we had the chance to see 'Bloody Gulch' the site of a major German counterattack. The gulch was depicted in BoB, as of course was Carentan. The town has grown outwards since the war so areas that were rural then with only the odd farmhouse are now major industrial areas. The one positive is that farmhouse used by LtCol Cole (CO of 3/506) remains even though it is in the middle of an industrial area. LtCol Cole is known for many heroic deeds, one of which was a bayonet charge against superior forces on the 15th of June at Carentan.

There is a lot of history associated with the town and I could almost sense it when standing in the town square...it still retains almost the same structure as 70 years ago when the battle took place and shortly afterwards when an awards ceremony took place.

The last stop on the tour was to a memorial to the 'filthy 13' ...a group of Combat Engineers assigned to a series of bridges across the Douve at Brevands. I am not going to spend much time on this part of the trip as it was the only real dissappointment of the trip. The memorial is very nice but is located a distance from the actual spot. It doesn't really do justice to the '13'. A small footnote is that the '13' are thought to be the inspiration behind the movie the 'Dirty Dozen'. I, personally, don't see that and think of it as an insult to the original 13.

Hints/Tips/final thoughts...

I really enjoyed my trip to Normandy and hope that I could convey that through this blog. If I were to list the high points they would be...

• The ease of the travel to and from Normandy.
• The airborne museum at SME.
• Deadmans corner.
• Brecourt Manor.
• Carentan

The low point would be...

• The '13' memorial.

A summary of my hints from the blog...

• Book well in advance.
• Book a cabin if taking the ferry.
• Choose the Full day, or multi-day tour.
• Purchase a travel card for the train/bus/tram.

Well that's about it for my trip to Normandy...take care and see you later in another post.

Normandy and the 101st AB visit May 2014-Part 2

Welcome back everyone...I hope that you have been enjoying my blog. It is meant to highlight some of the interesting places that I visit and the things that I do, or try to do in some cases.  ;-)

This is the second part of my blog about my visit to Normandy in May 2014...


....I ended the last post at the visit to the farmhouse adjacent to one of the exit points from Utah beach.

So we jumped back into the people carrier with the rest of the tour group and headed for our next stop which happened to be Brecourt Manor. Given that the tour was aimed at the 101st AB in general, this stop was specifically related to the BoB. Just a quick summary of the history of the site for those of you who have yet to watch, or read about, the BoB. During the early hours of D-Day, US intelligence had thought that there were 4 x  88mm guns located at the site and they were firing on the Utah exit points (3 miles away) as well as St Marie Du Mont. The 101st AB, specifically the 2nd Battalion (as well as parts of other battalions) began to regroup a few kilometers from the farm. Given that Lt Meehan, the original company commander, was missing it fell on Lt Winters to lead the assault on the guns. Lt Winters, along with 12 other men, proceeded to the farm where, by all accounts, Lt Winters conducted an almost perfect example of cover and flanking infantry assault on a fixed position. The actual assault eventually involved other companies but was an easy company lead operation. The tactics used by Lt Winters have been taught at West Point and the Lt was awarded the DSC (Distinguished Service Cross) and had been considered for the CMOH (Medal Of Honor). It is worth stating that most of those involved were decorated but, unfortunately, the awards that most EMs received were often downgraded....

The great thing about the farm/manor is that it has barely changed in 70 years. The same family own the property (Lots of history worth reading on just the family...the De Vallavieille's).

  
Walking around the field, in the photo above, gave me a real sense of the battle and what Winters was able to accomplish..it was a special moment where you could stand in the middle of history

Following the visit to Brecourt, the next stop was St Marie Du Mont. The village is set between Utah Beach and Carentan and has the distinction of being the first village liberated on D-Day. For BoB fans, it is depicted in episode 2 where the men of easy company are in the back of a truck eating. The village is very pretty and is dominated by a large church who steeple was destroyed during the battle. Some say it was the US Army who destroyed the steeple and there's a copy of a letter of apology from the US commander.

As with most places in Normandy, little has changed in 70 years...yes, the roads are paved now but the layout is pretty much the same and the buildings, although converted to other uses, remain as they were.

...the bottom picture shows bullet holes in the confessional. A stark reminder that people died on the spots being depicted.

The next stop was Dead Mans Corner, where there is a nice little museum with many airborne artifacts. The nice thing about the museum is that it has both Allied and German items. Additionally, there is a fantastic shop on the ground floor where you can get original WW2 kit as well as reproductions. This is a must see...

I, particularly, enjoyed the Major Winters display being the BoB fan that I am.


Dead Mans Corner Museum

Tips/Hints:
Take the full day tour, there's too much to see in a half day. If you have the cash then opt for a two day tour. Make a list of any WW2 gear you want to buy beforehand so you are prepared for the selection at the shop. Best hint...do your research, read a few books and ask questions....


I am going to end things here for the day...the next, and final post will be a wrap up to include Carentan. I hope you enjoyed this and will keep reading and share with your friends.

Best wishes...

Normandy and the 101st AB visit May 2014-Part 1

Welcome back to my blog...it's been a while since I last posted anything. I guess it is easier to say that you are going to commit to doing something than actually doing it!!!

One thing that I did mention previously is that I am very interested in the 101st AB (Probably gave that away a bit by the title of this post eh). To be fair, my interest lies in the period between 1943 and the end of the war. My interest began with the mini series 'Band of Brothers' but continued beyond that after doing some research...I have to personally thank, and recommend, my friend Ian Gardner for his help in learning more about the 101st AB. Ian is an excellent author with three fantastic books which detail the 3/506 from D-Day to the end of the war. I would recommend looking him up and buying his books..

Ian Gardner Bio...

Enough of the waffling...on to the blog.

This blog is a reflection on my trip to Normandy during May 2014. I had tried to plan the trip to coincide with the 70th anniversary but, due to a significant lack of planning on my part, could not get a place to stay within 100 miles! Amazing to think that I've been a Project Manager for almost a quarter of a century and struggle with planning!

Travel:

There are a number of points of entry to Normandy...

1. Cherbourg which is on the Northern tip of the Cotentin peninsula.

2. Caen which is further east and slightly inland and is served by a ferry port which is approximately 10kms North.

3. Dieppe.

4. Calais.

All of the above are serviced by Ferries from ports such as Portsmouth and Dover. We decided to use Portsmouth for this trip and took the ferry directly to Caen. The prices vary depending on how far in advance you book, what time of day you travel and the accommodation. The trip itself was very easy...the ferry terminal at Portsmouth has long stay parking within a 5 minutes walk of the actual terminal. There isn't much to do in the terminal, a Costa and pretty much that's all. The ferry trip itself was nice, approximately 5 hours with nice weather. Arrival at the port in Caen was, again, easy with the only downside being a 15 minute wait to get a bus from the ship to the immigration/customs. Nevertheless, once at the terminal it took literally minutes to pass through. Once you get through immigration then it is a short walk to the bus stop and then it's a 15 minute ride into Caen.

Caen, itself, has some very nice areas, unfortunately, none are around the bus/train station. If you get a chance then do walk, or better yet get a cab, into the city where there's a nice castle and many great places to eat but that's for another blog!. I took the train to Bayeux which is located about 30 kms west of Caen. It is central for sightseeing and is only 10 kms from the D-Day beaches but, more importantly, it is where our tour started from...

Tips/Hints:
As with most things, book well in advance to get the cheapest fares. I would also suggest that, for the longer ferry trips, you consider booking a cabin. It costs approximately 20 GBP but gives you a place to sleep and have a shower. The alternative is to try to find a seat among the gazillion Brits who started drinking before boarding or are use the deck as a creche for their kids! Final tip...take the train in France. They are cheap (or at least cheaper than the UK) and generally reliable. I remember our trains arriving early...something you don't see in good ole England!

Sightseeing and History:

Obviously, the main focus of the trip was to see where a lot of the scenes depicted in BoB's, The Longest Day, and other movies were suppose to have taken place and to try to get a feel for the history. As this was a short trip of only a few days, it was decided to go with an organised tour...something that I usually try to avoid. In this instance it was the perfect decision...! The tour group that we decided upon was Overlord tours. The company provide many tours specifically for those interested in WW2 history. The tours range from 1/2 day tours up to multi-day tours. They have many choices so do your research and make sure you pick the one best suited for what your interests are. For me it had to be Tour 5 which was a full day tour which focused on the 101st AB.

D-Day Tour

The tour started with meeting our guide, Dominique, at the center of Bayeux. There were 8 of us on the tour in a people carrier which was fine for the day. The first stop was at one of the locks used to control the flooding of the fields across Normandy (Just inland from the beaches). The locks were used as a deterrent by the Germans to try to dissuade the use of airborne troops.

                                                            Normandy Lock...

The next stop was St Mere Eglise (SME). The town is well known to WW2 history buffs and hs been well represented in movies such as the Longest Day. To be fair, it is a fantastic place...it, obviously, is now well focused on the tourist trade so you can expect a lot of tourist shops. However, they have a wonderful museum dedicated to the Airborne Troops and have many nice shops which cater to those who follow the 101st and 82nd ABs. It is worth noting that, despite what is portrayed in BoB, SME was an 82nd objective and most of the soldiers engaged there were, in fact 82nd AB.

There is so much history in SME that I cannot do it justice in one short blog...take my word for it, it was worth the visit.

You will notice that, in the top picture, you can see the representation of John Steele who got caught on the steeple and then proceeded to spend the next couple of hours pretending to be dead while the battle took place below him (He was captured later then escaped...pretty much a folk hero in SME where they celebrated him). The bottom picture shows battle damage to the chimney incurred during the fighting the 6th of June, 1944.

NB: Major Winters landed just west of the town..follow the road under the La Fiere bridge to get to the actual location which is near the N-13 which goes around SME.

After lunch in SME (try the baguettes, excellent!) the next stop was to a farm house just back from Utah beach. There were a number of 'exit' points from the beach. These exit points were of huge strategic importance as they were the routes for troops exiting the landing areas and, as such, were objectives of the 101st AB on D-Day. The farmhouse was special as there are a number of pictures associated with the 101st and this farmhouse. Specifically, there is a picture of a group of soldiers with one wearing a German helmet..that was Forrest Guth. The picture below was taken on the same spot and shows how little thins have changed in 70 years.

I am going to end this post here and pickup the remainder of the trip later...there's too much to tell in one post and I don't want to bore people.

Parting comment...personally, it means a lot to me to be able to stand where so much took place. I can, honestly, say that I feel something when I visit such places. I am not sure whether it is just me or the fact that, even after 70 years, the history is still not so far in the past that we cannot almost touch it. In some cases we can touch history and celebrate those that gave so much in such a different time..the following picture is of two heroes. The man on the left is Bob Noody who was one of the faces of the 101st AB having had the distinction of his picture taken whilst on the plane heading for D-Day (second picture). I had the pleasure of meeting this man, spending an afternoon with him...drinking whisky and singing Irish songs. I will never forget that experience...

See you next time.....

Latvia-Part 2

Hi, welcome back to my blog. This is the second part of my blog detailing my recent visit to Latvia.

Quick editorial comment for my US friends...As an Orioles (That's baseball to those outside of the USA) fan, I am anxiously waiting  for them to clinch the AL East. After many years in the darkness, it is good to see the team being competitive again...Thanks Buck!

As for my other favorite team, the Redskins...oh well, there is always next year. That being said, I'd have to say that RG3 doesn't look like he is the future of the franchise which is a comment that should generate some heated debate.  ;-)

Back to travel now..

1) More sightseeing (In Riga)...I ended my last blog with some comments about the sights and food/drink in Riga. The beauty of Riga is that it is fairly small and easy to get around in. There are a number of specific sights that should be included on your list if you visit. The outdoor attractions are free, those that are indoors generally run in the 3-5 Euro per person range. I'd check out the following, take the tour bus first to get an idea of where everything is then walk to the sights at your convenience.

-House of Blackheads.
-St Peter's Church (Photo in last blog).
-Freedom Monument (Located in main park next to canal).
-National library (across the river, very nice brand new building).
-National Opera.
-Presidential palace.

All of the above, with the exception of the library, are located in, or near, the old town. There is a nice park that is to the east of the old town...you can take a tour on the canal that runs through the park (cost is approximately 10 Euros).

There is also a very odd and macabre museum, the KGB museum, which is at the eastern end on Brivibas Bulvaris. It has some very disturbing history and is privately run. Unfortunately, the museum has seen better times and is expected to close mid October 2014. It is a shame as it does provide an insight to what the Nazi's and the Communists were capable of doing.

Hints/Tips:
Take in the sights in old town first then work your way east...the old town should take a couple of hours max. Grab a coffee and some lunch at Double Coffee (waitress) or Lido (cafeteria style) across from the park (15 Euros for two people including beer) then swing Northeast to visit the Orthodox Cathedral. After the cathedral you can walk east to the KGB museum (if it is still open) and grab a nice muffin at 'Muffins and more' before heading back west through the embassy district.

2) Shooting in Riga...Okay, I hinted that I do like to go shooting in my last blog.

                                          Me firing an AK-47 in Sofia...

                                          Me with the lead character from 'the hills have eyes' in Riga...

We tend to use 'King of Shooting' which is company that specializes in shooting packages. It is worth noting that they cater to Stag parties and their approach to range safety is a bit suspect (see the web site). It is a bit more expensive than shooting in, say, Las Vegas, but it is one of the few options that you have to shoot in Europe. The selection of weapons is okay with the focus, for some odd reason, being on ex-Soviet equipment...heck, you can even throw a grenade for 60 Euros....!

King of Shooting-Main site..

The company uses a large building on the West side of the Daugava river, about 10 minutes from the old town district. It was pretty hurried which I attest to us not being a large stag party. If you are interested in a stag event then they offer all kinds of add-ons (I'm talking steak dinners, strippers and even purpose built 'stag hotels').

Hints/Tips:
Definitely worth a try for those who have never fired a gun. It is a worthwhile experience...

The next, and final blog on Latvia will cover trips outside of Riga to Sigulda and Jelgava. I hope that you're finding these blogs useful..

love you all,
Ian

Visit to Latvia....part 1

Welcome to my second blog....this is my first attempt at writing something related to traveling with the hope that it can help and entertain. My plan is to organise the blog into chunks with a summary or hints/tips section at the end of each bit. Let me know if you think it works and if it helps...

This whole organisation and structure thingy is a relic of years of being a Project Manager...I am not really OCD, well maybe just a little. ;-)

1) Rationale for the trip and background...None really, unless you consider being broke and not being able to afford Vegas this year. Okay, that isn't really being honest...yes I am broke but I do try to visit a new country every year so it did fit into the way I do things.

Why Latvia...why not? I had never been before and did have some knowledge of the area from my USAF days (cold war and all that stuff). There was, also, the added bonuses of being close (2 hours 15 mins by air), relatively cheap (240 GBP per person for flights and 5 nights in a hotel) and having the opportunity to go shooting. Did I forget to mention that shooting is something that I try to do at least once a year. Based on that premise it was decided that Latvia was the place to go...

Hints/Tips:
Don't rush in to a quick decision based on costs...I decided to go with Ryanair based on the cheapness of the flights. Those of you who live in Europe would have heard of Ryanair. It is a 'budget' airline based in Ireland which competes with other such airlines (Easyjet, Flybe). Please note here, for translation purposes, that Ryanair is Latin for 'Total Crap'...okay, I made the Latin bit up but they are crap. Please be aware of 'additional' costs that accompany using Ryanair. This includes a huge cost (70 GBP) if you fail to check-in online, an additional cost for each checked bag (50 GBP) and, to our surprise as it wasn't made clear when booking, a 7 Euro charge to be allowed to go through security at Riga. Seriously, not sure what that covers....probably coffee for the 2 people actually working at the time.

 2) Travelling to Latvia...arrived at noon on a Saturday, this was based on a 0730 departure from Stansted (see Hints/Tips at end of this section). The airport at Riga is very small considering it is the main airport for the country. There is a quick bus ride from the plane to the terminal. The trip through passport control was pretty quick considering they only had 2 security staff working. It is important to note that visitors from the US and EU countries do not require a visa. This is also true of Estonia and Lithuania in case you want to visit all 3 Baltic states.

Hints/Tips:
I would avoid Stanstead..it should be renamed Chav International. It is, currently, undergoing renovation so it's a bit of a mess. If you combine that with the normal plethora of Brits getting completely wasted at 6am then it isn't the nicest place to be. I would pay a little more and go from another airport. The only drawback is that it is becoming difficult to fly to Riga from anywhere else in Southern England due to the monopoly that budget airlines have...possibly try Baltic air from Aberdeen.

Another Tip...book the airport shuttle which costs 5 Euros per person, a taxi will be 12 Euros each.

3) Hotel and places to stay...We decided to stay at the Radi Un Dragu which, apparently, translates to 'Friends and Family'...I actually think it is 'Really very noisy'. ;-)

The hotel was chosen based on it's Expedia ranking and cost (see Hints/Tips). It is located in 'Old Town Riga which is a UNESCO site located on the right bank of the Daugava River. It has been around for eight centuries and contains quite a few of the main sightseeing attractions to be found in Riga. Unfortunately, it also contains a majority of the clubs and bars in Riga. That's great if you are on a stag/hen night or you are the typical Brit tourist (Not sure if there's much difference TBH). It isn't so great if you are there to relax and see the sights.

                                                   St Peter's Church

                                      View of Old Town From across the river

Hints/Tips:
Pay a little extra and stay at one of the bigger upscale hotels such as the Radisson (the Blu is located in the city centre). If you insist on the Radi or on staying in Old Town then please be advised that when people say that the rooms are relatively quiet, they are lying! Of course the ear plugs in each room should have been a sign. Also, some of the smaller hotels do not have a concierge so you will get little more than cursory assistance with any sightseeing or info (the will point you to the local tour bus company and that's about it).

4) Riga tourism and eating/drinking...Decided to use the Riga by bus tour. The tour starts outside 'Golden Coffee' next to St Peter's church (see picture above) and travels around Riga for about an hour...costs 15 Euros low season or 18 Euros high season per person. It is a good opportunity to see all the main sights as quickly as possible. It is a hop on/hop off service but you will have to wait up to an hour for the next bus in off-peak times. There are a number of pretty churches to see, cobblestone roads and typical Eastern European architecture.The city made it through WW2 relatively in-tact so it maintains a lot of its charm.Ended up following the tour with a walk around the city...it isn't huge so you can cover a lot in a short period of time. Suggest the market which is near the main railway station and uses old WW1 German hangers. It is full of fresh fruit, veg and lots of fresh fish.

                                                     Riga City Market

As for eating and drinking....Latvians love there meat and potatoes. The food is typical of Eastern Europe with specialties such as dumplings and sausage. They love their sausage...! I made the mistake of having an appertiser, at 'Peter's Brewhouse' in Old Riga, which was sausage, dried meat and garlic rye bread. I had also ordered what I call the 'sausage challenge' which is abut a gazillion pounds of more sausage. I am sad to say that  could not man up to the challenge. :-(

Surprisingly, there are a number of really good places to eat in Riga. There is a pretty wide variety of choices from Japanese (They seem to really like Japanese food???), to pizza, to authentic Latvian and even Subway. What you won't find is a Starbucks...they have Costa Coffee and MacDonalds but no Starbucks...I didn't miss it!

The Latvians also like their beer...as with most European countries, you can get it in 2 main sizes (.25L and .50L). Generally, a large beer will cost 3.5 Euros but you can get some good deals at places such as 'Double Coffee'. The beer is primarily lager but I found it to be very good, especially after 2 of the .50L ones. ;-)


Okay..enough for today...I'm boring myself now. I will post part 2 later this week. It will cover more things to do both inside and outside of Riga. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings...

Love you all,
Ian