Snow falling thick and fast drove us indoors to the movies in Riga. The last time we'd seen a film in the theater was in the magnificent Raj Mandir in Jaipur, India. The first flick we picked after two years - knowing nothing beyond what we could gleam from the posters and that it was in English - just happened to be set in... Jaipur! The Best Exotic Magnolia Hotel was a pleasant time-killer with some of Britain's best older folks (Billy Nighy and faces from Downton Abbey) moving to India in their golden years. For only 2 Lats (2.80 €/ 3.70 USD), the assigned seats in the theater were cushy, and the drinks weren't overpriced or over-iced. Striped pork rinds seemed to be a popular cinema snack, but we had already stocked up on provisions in the bulk candy section.
Other great hidey holes from the elements were the tea/coffee houses. We found a heavenly pagoda-shaped one whose glass walls afforded a 360 degree view of the Riga Canal and surrounding park. People-watching is so much cosier from the comfort of bright floor pillows and a steaming pot of rooiboos.
Last but not least, the refuge of many Northern Europeans from the cold weather is the spa. Riga has several. We settled on a smaller one with pools of different temperatures, a dry sauna, and a steam bath. Should you over-exert yourself in making those rounds, you can retreat to the "quiet room" where an attendant will cocoon you in a warm blanket, and light snacks and herbal teas await you. A couple of hours of that kind of treatment (with a massage thrown in for good measure) is a great way to beat the cold.
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