Darn Good Digs Review - Editors' Choice

Riga, Latvia: Homestay
Nominated By: Allison and Michael of Darn Good Digs, Brooklyn, NY, October '11

Price Range: (includes breakfast) # of Rooms: 4 Kid-Friendly: Yes

What makes Homestay so Darn Good? Our stay at Diga and Ric's fabulous all-timber home in Riga's Mezaparks neighborhood was a true highlight of our three week trip to the Baltics. When normally we would be rushing out to see the sites, here we lingered, enjoying Ric's huge, delicious breakfasts and the good company of hosts and guests alike.

Location: Homestay is on a quiet street in Mezaparks, Riga's historic neighborhood of art nouveau and bauhuas mansions dating back to the early 20th century when the city's high society decided to move to the ‘burbs. While fifty years of Soviet rule took its toll on many homes, Mezaparks is still Riga's poshest neighborhood, and Ric will take you on a tour if you want to know more. While the zoo and song stadium make the neighborhood a destination unto itself, most visitors come to see Riga's captivating old town and striking art nouveau district, a thirty or twenty minute tram ride away respectively.

Rooms: Homestay has four rooms, a large double on the ground floor, and two doubles and a two-room suite on the second floor. The two bathrooms are shared but we were lucky enough to have the ground floor one to ourselves. Common spaces include a comfortable living room with a television and movies to watch and a lovely garden. What we really found most extraordinary about the house though is Diga's eclectic sense of style with a colorful mix of antiques, quilts, curtains, and paintings of all sizes (many by Diga herself) filling Homestay's every nook.

Food: Breakfast is a wonderful and fun affair at Homestay. Ric bakes multi-grain bread every morning which he serves with fresh rhubarb and home-made jam, followed by potato pancakes, bacon, eggs, and as many pancakes as you can possibly eat. You'll have a hard time saying "no thank you" to the next helping, so sit back, relax, joke with the other guests, and loosen your belt.

Vibe: Both Diga and Ric are excellent and generous hosts. Ric has many hilarious stories to tell, and even better, he told them to us while plying us with beer and home-made ice cream. Diga is lovely - she helped us with our laundry when it rained and even let our six year old take the dog for a walk.

Keep in Mind: We enjoyed the daily tram rides to the old town, but the commute may not be for everybody. Also, be aware that Diga and Ric have cats and a very friendly dog.