I wish love to you in New Year and in every moment of your life.

The year will be over in few days. I want to show you few of my best work of 2010 in these last days. One of my own favorites of the year is this one - a scene of rainy day of Riga's 809 years celebration. It looks like that people is hiding under umbrellas because of the fountain's squirts, not the rain.

Elizabetes street with decorated trees. It's good to see that the "culture of trees decoration" has improved in Riga in last years. It used to be very superficial - light bulb strings were set up so chaotically that they looked like just "throwed" into the branches. I think there should be either a) such cupola-shaped design like in the first picture b) such harmonization with the branches design like in the second picture (still far from perfect though) c) some creative solution - original ornaments. Although still not as elegant as in some European metropolis in this facet, but the progress in decoration of trees in Riga is noticeable.

When I went to Christmas market at Doma square last week I saw something which surprised me a lot. They have finished the renovation of Riga Stock Exchange building (to the right) and now it looks like all made of bronze. Impressive. Although it didn't look bad also before - here you see the picture of it in 2008:

Pre-festivity atmosphere in Riga centre. Tērbatas street is one of those always lively streets, full of people and cars. Now the city will return into a brief working regime, but already with the pre-New Year's feeling. Btw, it looks in this pic that Riga hasn't experienced too much snow in this winter. It's not true - we have got loads of snow. The thickness of mantle of snow has reached 35 cm in Riga when I took this pic last Thursday. But Riga is coping with the snow very good this year, I would say even too good (maybe sounds weird, but I like to see much snow in the streets). The reason is that this is the first year when Riga city is paying for the amount of brought-out snow, thus the snow carriers are interested to bring out of the city as much snow as possible.

This is the pavement between the two sides of Brīvības boulevard - only such kind of place in Riga when there is walking path and avenue of trees in the middle of street (you can find many such boulevards in Barcelona). It is beautifully decorated, imo - ascetic, but beautiful. On the end of the boulevard (there it becomes united in single street - Brīvības iela) you see another one of city's Christmas trees. This one with the symbol of Riga - rooster - on top.

Here you see 3 of Riga centre shopping centres - Origo, Stockmann and Galleria Riga. Christmas after all, is a very mercantile festivity in modern days. ;) Origo is the most splendid here - they use the same ornamentation every year (with Latvian folk motives) but it's one of the most impressive decoration in the city. Galleria Riga has put some nice minimalistic decorations but Stockmann have placed a Christmas tree at the building.

Snowmans and light decorations in Bastejkalna park.

Laima Clock tower, Freedom monument behind it and in the background Radisson Latvia hotel. "Laima" is famous Latvian chocolate factory which produces many kinds of chocolate candies, assorts and other snacks. "Laima" clock was built already back in 1924 and since that time is a popular place where to arrange rendezvous.
And here from the other side. Building to the left is Hotel De Rome, with chic restaurant (I suppose, although have never been up there) on 7th floor.

Riga Circus is only one circus in Baltic states and it has got some Christmas decorations as well. Right in front of the circus a public transport stop is located and people awaiting for some bus or trolley to go to their homes in one or another part of this 307 square kilometers large city.

We return to Christmas market in Dom church square. A bit farther there on stage - Latvian folk collective "Suiti Women" (Suitu sievas). It's always pleasure to see these vigorous, humorous, mostly old ladies from Suiti region in Western Latvia. that evening was cold and the public was smaller than the artists collective on stage. :) At the moment, Suiti womens asked to squat in their singing rythm, and here you see spectatresses doing that.

From cosy Old Town to more urban scene - this is the traffic junction at Riga Central station building which has got it's own Christmas decorations... Like this fake tree on the Clock Tower where the number 500, of course, means the anniversary of the birth of Christmas tree which happened in Riga:

Continuing to show you pre-Christmas Riga, this is Riga's Dom Cathedral square where the main Christmas market is placed. It may look not so lively in this pic, but in the pre-Christmas days it becomes quite a bustling place.

Of course, one of city's Christmas trees is also here. And a small, stylish kiosk where one can buy mulled wine or hot blackcurrant drink (as I also did as I was frozen very much that evening). And to the left you see Santa Claus sitting on the chair - he was a real (I mean, real man)! How did the hell did he survived the coldness just sitting there hours?? I guess, maybe some electric warmer was connected to his chair?

Today I start the photo series of Riga Christmas decorations. Here you see Townhall square where traditionally one of city's main trees is installed. This is a very important place because exactly 500 years ago the first Christmas tree in the world was set up here. So, yes, Riga is the birthplace of this Christmas tree decoration tradition which is beloved in all Christian world. Don't believe me? :) Then check out the official page of American Christmas Tree Association: http://www.christmastreeassociation.org/Article%20Pages/christmas_tree_500th_birthday

More about the first Christmas trees: http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html and http://www.firstchristmastree.com/.

Riga streets has the same snow mess as last year. Evertyhing moves slower now. Winter in pre-Christmas time is teaching people patience and unhurried attitude.

Akmens (Stone) bridge is one of 4 bridges connecting Riga's right and left bank, only one with tram way. It's built in 1957. On the left side you see construction site of Latvian National Library.

While walking around Old Town and observing how city is decorated for Christmas, I decided to warm up with some soup and went into this "French" cafe - everything here is of French cuisine (bagettes, other breads, cakes and soups mainly), inscriptions on the wall in French and even French music. Cafe was very lonely, as I was the only one who ate there at the moment.

Oldest real highrise of Riga - Science academy tops over the city's perimetral built-up rooftops and silhouettes on starlit night sky.

It's snowing in Riga almost a day in non-stop now. And metereologists says, it will continue to snow also tomorrow. And I'm very happy with this! Real, thick snow - real winter feeling.

Yesterday stumbled upon this model of Riga made of gingernuts which is exhibited in shopping centre Galleria Riga. Several of Riga's landmark buildings are made there - some with easily recognizable designs! Very nice work - another piece of pre-Christmas atmosphere in the city.

Today attended another public interview in newspaper "Diena" open office. Man on the right side (Andris Šķēle) is one of key figures in Latvia's political-economical processes since 90ies. He is triple PM and also one of 3 so-called oligarchs in Latvia. Man in the center (Jānis Urbanovičs) is the leader of pro-Russian and second most popular party "Harmony centre". Both of them are in opposition now and this interview was about what government should do better with next year's budget which will be in parliament's voting soon. Both politicians were so upset that current government and PM Valdis Dombrovskis is still popular between people, that the interview became rather as a parade of their egos than a constructive talk.

I think one hot & sunny summer picture will do good in this winter time. Here you see the square of Liberty monument - always lively and full of people. Green trees are part of Boulevard Ring parks but behind it 19th/20th century historical centre starts.

Read between the lines... And when you did that you could read the word "Rīga". Here the music was very light and optimistic, colours changed.

"Skanstes Virsotnes" - appartment highrises in Skanstes district changed colours in quite many regimes. Here you can see also that first 2 buildings from left are sold out or rented but third (newest) has still dark windows. Real estate property market in Riga hasn't recovered fully yet and there are quite many empty new buildings.

Return to some "Staro Riga" objects and then it'll be already time for Christmas decorations in the city! "Diamonds and stars" was one of the nicest installations - was located on Laipu street, Old Town. Notice Art Nouveau style window on background end of street - I like how it fits in here.

On Twitter there is joke going around that Riga is one crazy city - in summer it sets up Christmas tree but in winter - ferris wheel (in June, there was an installation which was created to attract attention of Riga's Christmas tree celebration of 500 year anniversary). This ferris wheel is really more like a visual addition, like a big decoration which helps to create a festivity feeling but in this cold weather, of course, there aren't many "mad" people who would go on ride with it. In this picture you see also, how some summer street restaurants have adopted to this time of year and can continue to take guests.

Today I was finally lucky enough to see the new low floor tram in Riga streets. Recently 4 another of those new trams were delivered from Škoda factory and this is apparently one of them - because it's riding on the test regime, without passengers. Someday I will find time to wait for one of these trams and get a ride with it although it's not my route - and then I will try to take interior pictures.

Time is today's monthly theme on City Daily Photo. I'm posting this collage of my city clocks (these are clocks from most different periods of history - medieval, soviet, modern) because I sincerely believe - there wouldn't be time without the clocks (and without the people's imagination). Because, really, what else is time apart from being fruit of human mind's imagination which arises from subjective feeling of intervals between different experiences? It just results as an attempt to make it "objective" by dividing a cyclic phenomenons like the earth's revolution around it's terrestrial axis or the sun into identical periods (hours, minutes, seconds) and then calling it "time".

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants