Coming to Riga

Hello Lewis.Seems you have pushed the right button. We small group of English ex pats living around Riga have a club of old rouges. We meet regular are mostly pensioners some with business some not. To live in the city is not cheap as rates can be more like UK. We live some 34 kilometer out in sticks. Love it as my rates on house I built with six acre garden to cope pays 40 euro in total per year rates and tax on my estate. Rural is cheap to nothing. Best places to look for deals on house is outside Riga either side but north I am and Salacgrivas novads .Novads means district. Around a 2 euro ride on bus or hour and half at 40mph in car. No one risks speeding here. Other than that it is one of the best summer places in Europe but winter means cold so what ever you buy look for insulation. and big log fires. Best if you arrive here have a good luck around first. We have places in our little group of good gentlemen for one more if you wish. I was lucky soon found the best. Been here 6 years, Gary 12 years Martin 20 years and David more than all of us. Once set up here none of us want to go home to UK. Beer is cheap as chips food to but it is rising even as Euro comes up to face our pound. It will crash once the fat sods in EU stop building it up as pound finds grip to climb back. Yes you may contact me. Not safe here to put contact numbers out Email [email protected] if you wish for help even just a chat in good old English helped me when first here. My wife speaks Latvian Russian and almost English now  so slowly we find peace. Im 67 and recycled youth having gone through that hardest learning curve in my life.Building restoring and all that 6 years of Latvia have brought me now can sit back a bit and relax .Until I find something else to do as project. I keep rare breed of Chinese bantam pure bred hens and must build another Cluckingham Palace for them as the flock of garden decorations expands. Good luck old bean and all in or nothing is the way

Naesby,
It is quite impossible to exaggerate the joy and relief it was to read your letter. As one might expect, I was embarking on this expedition with a bit of apprehension. Not much fun to think of arriving in a new country knowing nothing and nobody.  To hear that there is a "club of old rogues" brings a great smile to my face. I am 68, a retired American lawyer, and very recently divorced after 20 years. I am not pining away, and more than ready to rebuild.. The love was lost 6 years ago when she did the dirty.
I will certainly follow your lead and advice on quarters. As you may know, the American pension is pittance.
Have raised chickens myself. Loved it, especially the brooding part. Really miss it.
I guess that is enough for now. I hope we can continue.
All the best,
Lew