A Tale of Three Cities

It's interesting to use three different currencies on a trip, and then to make some comparisons as to how far the dollar goes these days. Although we'd been told that all three cities we were visiting were "expensive" we soon learned that is a relative term even in northern Europe.

A good yardstick of this is in the hotels in which we stayed. While all three accommodations cost roughly the same - about US$200 a night - what we got for our money varied significantly.

In Riga, we lodged at the Hotel Monika. Looking for something quiet, I came across this hotel which was noted in its online reviews for excellent staff, and a location in the same neighborhood as many foreign embassies. Located to the north of Vecriga (Old Town) at the edge of a park, the hotel served breakfast each morning included in the room price.

Here's our room at the Hotel Monika:

We had a small balcony, a private bath with tub and shower, loads of closet space, a safe in the room, and the cleaning staff kept the room clean and neat. It was perfect for the time we spent in Riga, as it gave us plenty of room (there was also a love seat, chair, desk, and free wireless). Within a block there was a grocery store, ATM, convenience store, cafe, and the aforementioned park.

From here it was on to Stockholm. Susan had researched Stockholm and the rumors are true: it's a very expensive city. For about the same price, our room at the Hotel Anno 1647 (yes, built in 1647!) did not have a toilet or shower (those were shared with the other guests on our floor) but did have breakfast included in the cost of the room. No room safe, no true closets, and very small:

Gee, I felt right at home in my dorm room! <G> And we could not find a grocery store anywhere in the near neighborhood (Sodermalm, just south of Old Town) although there were many Seven Elevens.

Finally, in Amsterdam we switched gears a bit and rented a houseboat. We were just outside the Jordaan on Da Costakade, off Kinkerstrasse. Although we'd gotten used to hearty European breakfasts in the dining rooms of the both Monika and Anno 1647, we were fine with cooking our own breakfast in the houseboat, and there were numerous markets in the area, plus the aforementioned herring stand.
Although the bedroom of our houseboat wasn't much, a "short loft" with no windows, it had air conditioning and was quiet. And here's the living room of the houseboat:

We also loved the very modern bathroom, which had a huge sunken tub! Our tiny patio faced the canal and we could sit and watch the geese and other canal life forms. Highly Recommended.

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