.Flying from Tallinn to Vienna was a bit of a screw up. The airline attendant at Tallinn airport told us that we'd have no problem making our connecting flight in Riga, but that even if we did, the plane would wait for us because we were four people and that's the way they do things. The attendant was friendly and reassuring. That probably should have been our Murphy's Law tip off. Our flight to Riga left 45 minutes late. When we touched down, Ellen saw what most likely was the arse-end of our plane to Vienna lifting off the not-so-busy runway.
 
The best Riga had to offer us was a flight to Vienna via Helsinki . That meant flying back even further than where we had just come from. And there was yet another problem. Seats were few and we would have to go standby. At the check-in counter we stood while three attendants nattered amongst themselves. Then a group of stewards and pilots arrived with the need for seats to where we were going. Boarding passes were printed and issued to the group. When I suggested loudly that we were perhaps invisible to the attendants, one spoke up and asked how she could help us. I told her of our need and said that the flight was fully booked. There were a lot expletive deletives spoken ove rthe next few moments as people from twenty metres or more watched and wondered.
 
Eventually we went back to the customer service counter to seek an alternative plan. A 9:45 p.m. arrival in Vienna, via Brussels did not work for us, so I suggested to the attendant that they put us up in a hotel in Riga for the night. The next direct flight to Vienna was the following morning. Phone calls were made and finally that is how it went down.

An afternoon and evening in Riga, one of Europe's city gems, was the best that could be made of a bad day. And none of us really complained that the four star hotel that they put us up in had to have had at least one of its star pilfered from another establishment,

(Notes only. Not for mass publication)