floridatjej

Alla inlägg under juli 2018

Av EvaLena Hallgren - 28 juli 2018 06:56

When I noticed where we were going I stood up in my seat and sang my happy song back to Lotta's house. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out so good this time because Lotta has chickens and they have a very tasty poop and that grosses Mom out so I can't run around loose and I can't come into the house either because Selma has three babies and being a good MOm she's protecting them from me not understanding I will not hurt them. They have very sharp claws which I did get a feel of until my Mom saved me. You can see those sharp knife like claws on the baby, so imagine what Selma's look like..................ouch

 


After Mom got help to fix a booboo on Lucy she created we drove off south..................South???? I thought we were going North to Moms puppy town? What's going on? 

As it turned out Mom had read about this mystical place in the deepest forest and just had to see it.

There is a place in a very small village off the beaten track, where hundreds of old cars are parked in a row. It looks like the owners had just parked them there temporarily, planning to return any minute. That minute never came and the cars were forgotten.

It's a desolated almost ghost-like atmosphere the silence of nature in strong contrast to the footprints of decay that humans had left.

Slowly but surely natures trees and bushes will reclaim the place once again and bury the cars for their final rest.


         

This is a car graveyard where approximately 150cars from the mid-1900s. Each object has its own history and you're free to fantasize and make up your own stories.

         


The most well -known history this place has to offer is about Ake of the peat bog, originator of this unique place. Ake was born in 1914 and worked as a farmhand but in 1935 he bought this peat-bog and a shovel. At the time it was good money in peatery.

Ake built himself a house only 12 square meters that had everything he needed.

 

He dug with his shovel half a meter wide -six divots deep -line after line. The season started late summer when there was no frost in the ground. When spring arrived he turned all the peats toward the sun to dry. Later they were stacked into piles so the summer breeze would finish the job.

When farmers came here to buy peat Ake drove the products from the barn in a specially made wagon with rims rolling on long wooden poles made out of pine trees. Some farmers tore the pet apart with the help of threshing machines at home, others had help from pigs who loved to play with the peat which in the end gave the same result. The shredded peat was either used to keep stables dry or put on the fields as good fertilizer.

       

Ake had great technical skills and he could build almost anything he needed out of practically nothing.The hard work at the peat-bog soon forced him to invent some helpful tools. From an old Chevrolet-engine, he built himself another transport vehicle with a wagon where he could load the turfs.

This vehicle drove at the same speed forward and backward along 340 meters of railway between the barn and the peat-bog

      

Ake soon realized that he could better meet the demand if he sold peat shredded and ready for the stable so he built his own threshing machine followed by a packing machine also powered by old rebuilt engines. This met the demand and a lot more profit for Ake.

After World War II life became better and a few years into the 50s the car became "every man's property".Car maintenance was often bad and many cars were abandoned along the small roads.

Ake saw a business opportunity and started to collect the cars in the area and could be described both as an entrepreneur and a pioneer.



   

Ake bought his last car in 1974 but continued to dismantle them and sell parts for a long time before he retired 1992.

in 2001 the municipality decided to let nature take over the place once again, while we are reminded of the past. The car graveyard has been compared to a self-destructing piece of art, but the interpretations of this place are probably as many as the visitors. I know Mom liked it a lot and I thought it was pretty cool too. Even though I had to watch for sharp things to protect my paws.



"For you are dust, and to dust, you shall return"

 

 











Av EvaLena Hallgren - 25 juli 2018 07:22

So now we're back almost where we started, and it seems like as soon as we get to Lotta's house Mom becomes lazy and refuse to help me with my blog. I'm wondering who's influencing her?

Maybe it has something to do with the fat book she borrowed from Lotta that has completely occupied her time since we got here. Now I heard it's the first book of several where the story starts in 1900 and ends in modern time. Guess we aren't going anywhere for a while.

I don't mind much but the sad part is that I don't get to meet the chickens or the cats. Selma has three babies and she attacked me as soon as I got into the house. Mom saved me and suffered a few scratches from Selma.

I can't really blame her since she's protecting her babies, but I thought she'll know I don't hurt anyone ever.......

 

Aland island was awesome, one day our friends put out nets early in the morning and we were lucky to come along when bringing them up..................wow so many gigantic perch fishes

   


Eric is roving like a pro as Henke is pulling up the net.

 

These islands are a magical place Mom says we'll have to come back here again. It is so dry so the leaves have turned yellow which makes it look like fall

   

On the way out I got to rest on the life vests in the fish bucket..............

 


on the way back, it got a little windy and the bucket was full so I had to sit in Moms lap which isn't all that bad either

 

Back at the house, the fish has to be detangled from the nets and cleaned. I was told they tasted amazing but I wasn't interested I knew there was better stuff in the fridge


     


and with my charm and persistence, I managed to get what I asked for................sausage 

 


Once again we're back on the ferry to cross the Baltic sea to Sweden............we were the first on and MOm worried they'll open the front wall before we are completely at shore....................silly her.. here's a picture of Linnea

 

Here we are driving off the ramp back into Sweden.No custom no passport ....................

 


For a minute Mom was contemplating stopping in Stockholm for a day or two, but I reminded her about "no more big cities" so we continued south on the coastline.

Many of these smaller roads have short ferry rides that are free because they are part of the road system and are usually very short. We thought it'll be cheaper to build a bridge, but that would have to be one of those that you can open since there's so much boat traffic here.

 

here we're waiting for some boats to pass on Gota Channel which is constructed in the early 19th century. It formed the backbone of a waterway stretching some 614 km (382 mi), linking a number of lakes and rivers to provide a route from Gothenburg on the west coast to Soderkoping (which is where we are now) on the Baltic Sea via a river and through two large lakes.

The canal itself is 190 km (120 mi) long, of which 87 km (54 mi) were dug or blasted, with a width varying between 7–14 m (23–46 ft) and a maximum depth of about 3 m (9.8 ft). It has 58 locks and can accommodate vessels up to 32 m (105 ft) long, 7 m (23 ft) wide and 2.8 m (9.2 ft) 


   

I do not know how long Mom will be engulfed in these books, but I'm hoping not for too long. I know we're supposed to drive north to Moms puppy town but we're waiting around until all the forest fires are taken care of. Several 100 of acres are burning and firefighters from Poland and some other countries are here to help. It's a disaster we hope is taken care of real soon.........all is well






Av EvaLena Hallgren - 18 juli 2018 06:12

Sorry, there has been no updates for a few days, but we truly found a paradise where for me it means complete freedom to come and go as I please. First thing this morning I ran down to the dock at full speed, and then up the hill (which is really steep)as fast as I could. Mom is watching me with her mouth open, surprised that I had this much energy at my age?

Talk about old age, SHE is huffing and puffing as she's dragging herself up the hill, and are blaming it on the heat.

Swedes have always talked a lot about the weather and usually complain about it. They say it's too cold, it's raining too much, it's too much snow and so on. Very rarely do you hear them say" it's too sunny" it's too hot", except now

This summer has been unusually hot and no rain so the leaves on the trees are turning yellow and no green grass.

Temperatures have been around 95 for a long time now.............so Mom finally went swimming, and so did I 

   



We are parked at a friends summer house and her "kids" and friends are also visiting so there's BBQing and a lot laughter and fun.

     

The early mornings are gorgeous

 


Mom bought herself a fishing rod in Poland and as she heard fish are most active in the mornings she tried her luck but managed to get the lure stuck on her robe. I think she needs a lot more practice. 

The water is crystal clear 

   

we are having very lazy days and it is awesome doing nothing in great company. We can't get enough of the amazing views as the sun rises. I have no clue when Mom decides to move on? as far as I'm concerned I think we should stay until we get thrown out........

       


Only annoyance are that we are out of propane and have to wait until we get to Sweden since the connection is different here. Another thing that I don't like is the seagulls. I can hear them here but they aren't coming as close to me as they did at the other place we stayed,

This is what I think about the screeching loud mouths.........

 


 

It's 7 am and I had a nice morning jog, and are now snoring away under the table. .............all is better than best




Av EvaLena Hallgren - 15 juli 2018 11:53

So we got on the ferry for a 4 hour crossing to the island. First, we found a very comfortable lounge chair where Mom thougt we could spend the evening on, but it got way to cold and windy.


   

 Going inside to curl up in a chair was so much better for me, but not great for Mom since she couldn't curl up like I do and these chairs aren’t big enough for her anyway. They were very uncomfortable straight high back and a seat that leaned forward? Mom thinks the ferry owner rather have people awake to eat, shop and gamble...........none of which we were interested in

 

Arriving at 1.10 in the morning, Mom pulled over at the first rest stop she could find and it was a great comfort to stretch out on the bed.

We awoke much later than usual and this gorgeous view outside.

   

 

After breakfast, we continued on and stopped at a bridge which opened for some sailboats......

 

   

The water is green and clear, and the sun hitting the water makes it sparkle like thousands of giant diamond chandeliers.


   


Driving along we notice the police having a roadblock checking the sobriety of everyone going the other direction. It is early on a Saturday morning, so we suppose it's the day after drinkers they're looking for. 

Mom would have been fine since the beer is too expensive here, so she hasn't had one for many days. 8 Euro is not worth it, she says......and I tend to agree

 


Åland comprises of Fasta Aland on which 90% of the population resides and a further 6,500 skerries and islands to its east. Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden by 38 kilometers (24mi) of open water to the west. In the east, the Åland archipelago is contiguous with the Finnish Archipelago Sea. Åland's only land border is located on the uninhabited skerry of Market. which it shares with Sweden.

Åland's autonomous status means that those provincial powers normally exercised by representatives of the central Finnish government are largely exercised by its own government.

We stopped at a shopping center where a friend of ours met up and we got guided around Mariestad which is the capital.

 

Then we drove to look at an old castle that was built on a small island to strengthen the Swedish presence on Åland. The island was surrounded by natural water and moats filled with several lines of poles, while the castle is surrounded by a 3-meter (10 ft) wall

     

 

Other attractions nearby include the Outdoor Museum Jan Karlsgården


 


 

 

During the summer, among other activity days organized here and since the 1940s it is a tradition to erect a maypole here on Midsummer Eve. The annual Little Christmas market, the first weekend in December, is Åland’s largest Christmas market.

 

   


everywhere you look there are water and sailboats, such a gorgeous island, unfortunately, they have not had any rain at all for several months so the leaves are turning yellow like it's fall. Everybody is now begging for rain especially the farmers since they can't grow enough crop for their animals.

Maybe that's why they now use fake animals I'm wondering?

 

 


Waiting for her friend to return from a remote island she decided to stay and relax at the campsite located right on the beach. Gorgeous place............Mom says she has been here a midsummer when she was a puppy ..........but that's old news. This was the view this moring

   


this man from Vienna had a lot of interesting things on his car and trailer. Mom loved his shoe-bumper


   


We found a twin to Lucy


 


 sunrise is at 4.44 AM and sunset at 10.45PM


 

Lucy is getting new decorations almost every day.


 


we are having a great day of napping, relaxing and walking ................no swimming? but I did hear Mom mentioning a bike ride? It's 2 pm and Mom is still not dressed, so I don't know what she's thinking...but I don't mind doing nothing so all is fine.

life is great






 

Av EvaLena Hallgren - 12 juli 2018 17:27

So we didn't make to Abo in one day, Mom felt tired so we stopped and spent the night halfway there.

Up early again and continuing on. I'm trying to tell Mom if she stopped getting up so early we would make it much further during the day. But the response to that is "who's in a hurry?" and I guess I couldn't argue

When we arrived in Abo we parked right at the dock 


   


Turku, as the city is called in Finnish is a city on the southwest coast of Finland, sitting at the Aura River. Dating from the 13th century, it's known for Turku Castle, a medieval fortress with a history museum, perched at the river mouth. There were many Pubs and restaurants that lined the cobbled riverside streets.

and there was a Motorcycle meeting there and again Mom decided to skip my carriage again so after ca.5 min. I sat down and demanded her to get it, and I won.

     

 

When Mom saw these she was grinning from ear to ear..............I think she had memories from puppyhood.......

 

   

Most everyone speaks English here so the communication difficulties are over. 89.4% of Turku's population speak Finnish as their native language, while 5.2% speak Swedish. The next most widely spoken languages are Russian (1.3%),

The dock went on forever and I'm glad I'm not walking. Mom gets a little annoyed when I bark on every big dog we meet which I don't do when I'm walking......(I'm not stupid) I don't bark at small dogs it's not as much fun

     

At the end of the dock was a car meeting, and everybody seemed most impressed by this rusty heap that once was a car. Mom liked this Edsel painted like it belonged in the airforce.

       


 King Bore is the God of Winter in the Nordic mythology so I'm pretty sure that's who the ship got her name from or is it possible a ship can be a bore?

 

 

gorgeous schooner, she had been a schoolship but now she sits still on the dock as a museum

 

   

 

A giant must have dropped a daisy............

 

 

 

This is how the lighthouse looked before electricity. they made a fire in the basket and raised up so the ship captain could find his way home

 

 

we had a very nice walk and so many cool things to look at from the statue of the mermaid who lost her tail to the many cranes at shipyards. The racecar guy that lost everything from his waist down...............maybe we could have stuck him on the mermaid to complement each other?

 

 

     

 


a nice evening like this it would have been nice to sit down with a beer and people watch but at 8 Euros a glass Mom didn't think it was worth it.

   

 

An amazing thing about these bikes is that they are for everyone, you use your phone (of course) pay and get a code to unlock the bike. When you put it back at any of these racks that are all over the town, you get charged accordingly. If you get a monthly bus ticket you get a code so you can use them free of charge.

 

 

I think Mom has gotten a little obsessed with bathrooms, noooono she says, just curious about different customs in different places she says like here in Finland they all have this little hose next to the bowl?  They do have paper too so it must be a choice Mom Thought. Well "when in Rome" and she tried it, and said it was like getting an enema.............guess it was a first and a last.

 

 

 

this is going to become Moms favorite expression when she doesn't like something.Maybe there's a bumpersticker?

 

 

These guys were twins, one the head of Police the other Head of firedepartment.............and how can we miss out on a photo opportunity like that ?

 

We slept very well, and in the morning we went to the dock to buy another ferry-ticket to an island in the Baltic sea called Aland. Least expensive is sailing in the middle of the night and we arrive at 1.20 am Saturday morning.

Since we're spending one more night in Abo we were going to investigate the castle which is a medieval building in the city. Together with the Cathedral, the castle is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Finland. it is the largest surviving medieval building and. It was founded in the late 13th century and stands on the banks of the Aura river.

       

 Our timing was perfect since there was a medieval festival going on. I have been to that several times before in America so I didn't think it'll be anything different but it was. This was a Championship in jousting and we cheered for the girl from Canada even though she was last. Actually, I think she did amazing against the men, the lance was super heavy said Mom who of course had to ask to hold one

 

 The announcer was loud and the cheering, clapping and shouting became too much for me so Mom walked me back to Lucy to rest.

       


I met this cute girl and I could tll she really liked me


 


This pig does look like he's laughing but that must be an illusion since he's cooked which means he's dead.

 


eewwww , can dogs be vegetarians ?


 

This cooked little fishes looked like bait, and the guy let Mom have one to taste. They were salty and not bad at all, but I'm sure they are made that way so people buy lots of 8 Euro beers.  


   




The salmon and the fried herring looked amazing though but Mom wasn't hungry, and she wasn't about to buy me a hot dog 

 



There were rules in this game, they have to hit on the opponents' shield only and the tip of the lance breaks off in sections. I think they got points on how many sections?


 

this is by far the cutest jouster in the entire place


 


Little bit too early for a drink, but a 3 Euro water had to be bought because MOm forgot to bring some.

 

This lady made chocolate covered strawberries and apples, Mom resisted even though I could see she would have liked to dip her finger in that bowl a few times.

 


how gruesome is this game? I say we're not staying for that, Mom agreed 

   

Finns are winning so far and the Swedes right behind...........


this vendor was selling knives and stones to sharpen them.

 

and a future model maybe?

 
 

This was to go on several days and it was other parts of this riding too, but Mom thought of me sitting alone so we left driving to this old village and parked at the campsite right next to it and we both took a nap.

We'll have all day tomorrow to look at the village.

All is well, Lucy is behaving, Linnea doesn't have to work as hard anymore, roadsigns are big and easier to read, roads are smooth as a,,,,,well, you know......weather is perfect...... life is good










 

 

 



Av EvaLena Hallgren - 11 juli 2018 00:18

We got up at 4.30 am in Tallinn for a reason I didn't understand"ferry isn't leaving until 8am I know Mom likes early mornings, but this is ridiculous ..............So Mom tried the "it's a good thing to be on time youneverknow thing. HA, I knew she couldn't sleep because she's worried about getting seasick.........but Mom I got this, you be fine just put on those bracelets that worked so well last time........(the mind over matter thing?)

We took an early walk on a deserted dock and I have to agree, this time in the morning isn't bad, Mom is slow so I get ample time to carefully sniff and read everything that's happening in the hood. We are so far North now so it stays light most of the 24 hours,

   


Here we're ready to drive into the belly of the ferry for a 2 hour sailing to Helsinki


 

Early on we got to choose the best seat in the house, top deck couch at the stern..................it's windy and cold we can't stay here for two hours


 

japp japp, Much better Mom

 

for a while, we took a window seat to look out on the ocean 

 

we met a sweet adorable little boy who played with a ladybug and stroked me very gently 


 

So goodbye Estonia


 


and hello Finland................Finland is a Northern European nation bordering Sweden, Norway, and Russia. Its capital, Helsinki, occupies a peninsula and surrounding islands in the Baltic Sea

 

 

so we parked Lucy very close to town and Mom planned to stay here for the night and checked the parking meter that it'll be possible. Sure it's free from 9pm to 9am. Perfect........

Mom said it was so close I could walk and left my buggy.................I say a HUGE mistake....

 

 

Not that it was very far, but so many legs to dodge everywhere, the noise and worst of all the F@#$#ing seagulls, there are hundreds, no thousands of millions of them, and they're constantly divebombing me..............I don't like it.

 

   

 

Mom had to use the ladies room and was quite surprised to see this..............I don't even know what it means? A hole for what now? and a button to push for the seat to go up and down? high tech stuff ..............Mom was very tempted to push the alarm button just to see what will happen..............I warned her that it could result in a fine........she understood that and since everything is MUCH more expensive here then other countries we came from she refrained.

 

 

 


The market was full of people so Mom carried me, and took a quick look around while she's moaning about how expensive everything is. This is not Poland anymore...

     


this lady is selling her fish that she cooked directly off her boat. I wanted to wait and see how she hands the customers her fish. Would she toss it to them? how do you pay? like a coin toss?

 

Helsinki has one of the highest urban standards of living in the world. In the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2016 liveability survey, Helsinki was ranked ninth among 140 cities.

It' is a nice city I only have one complaint................enough of these cobblestone streets. It's a pain in the a$$ to drive on, walk on, ride on........

     

 

 The Helsinki Cathedral is the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki located in the center of the city. The church was originally built from 1830-1852 as a tribute to the Grand-duke of Finland, Tsar Nicholas the first of Russia. It was also known as St, Nicholas Church until the independence of Finland in 1917.

   

The stone man is Emperor AlexanderII of Russia

 

 

 


and here's the government palace

 

 

dam seagulls everywhere ...............help

 

 

Uspenski Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos. Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition.

I have no clue what all that means ?? Mom copied it from the web...................but it's about the building for sure

 

 

there goes the ferry to Sweden ...I wish we were on it, because this is not fun.............dam seagulls

 

forgot what this fancy building was 

 

 

nor do I know who the guy on the horse is

 

 

we could have seen the entire town from this wheel and avoided the seagulls, but Mom................nooooo she is afraid of heights

 

  

Mom wanted to stop and listen to this guy because according to her he was very good, but I got wind of the direction of Lucy so I'm hauling legs......and all of a sudden Mom sees a clock on a wall and noticed she forgot to change timezone on hers.................sh## the parking meter.... a parking ticket here is 75 Euro ($88)

 

 

This is not a very uncommon sight here in the north. The making of that bike started in Christiania Freetown located in Copenhagen(One of Moms favorite places)

 

So I got my way and we're back in Lucy and Mom decided we might as well find a quieter spot to sleep and off we went. Nothing bad about Helsinki but I'm really tired of big cities, and I think Mom is too............it's time for a little country air

so goodbye Helsinki 

 

 

I think this says "have a good day" if it doesn't I think it should,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, we had no parking ticket

 

 

It's now 2.30 am ................good night 

 

 

 

 

 

 




Av EvaLena Hallgren - 9 juli 2018 18:03

This kitty had found a home behind Lucy and I was planning to share my breakfast with her, but she ran as soon as mOm opened the door.............WHo am I kidding I do NOT share food unless Mom makes me.


 


So we said goodbye to Riga and heading north we soon reached the next border and this is the remnants from the old custom and passport control at the border.


 


Just like I predicted we didn't make it to Tallinn Mom saw an article that went like this..................................Pärnu is a resort city in southwestern Estonia, overlooking Pärnu Bay. The city is bisected by the Pärnu River, which has paths on both banks, both of which end in stone jetties in the bay. The city is known for its 19th-century timber villas and for sandy Pärnu Beach, with its shallow waters and promenade. Behind the beach, Pärnu Beach Park has fountains, trails, and neoclassical spa buildings..............................and it's on our way .......... let's stop in and check it out and we did

 

 

we parked Lucy and we went bike riding all around this little village. Nice with a small town feel to wind down, and I think we pretty much covered every single bike path there was.

How about this cool idea for a bike parking?

 

 


this is a great looking surface of this house Mom thought would make a perfect backdrop in a fashion photo....... It's falling apart I say.....

.  


We met a little Yorkie which I took one whiff of and than turned my back to mark my uninterest. Mom, on the other hand, was being cutsie cutsie with her..............and her dad seemed to think she was the most amazing thing in the world...............like I am to Mom


   


just like the article said there were many cool wooden houses.


 


and doors

 

Coolest looking lady in town,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, without a doubt


 

we spent some time in the park that was very clean and quiet...................nice to do nothing but sit around and listen to the birds chirping and leaves razzling in the wind 



   

riding home along the river Mom cracked up at this graffiti. I know it's wrong to do it, but sometimes they're so good

you just have to give credit to the artist.   




 

this is a real pro on murals

 


Following morning, as usual, no rush to get going but by 10 am we were on the road to Tallinn 13 mil (80miles) north.

We got to the ferry terminal and bought tickets. Best price is early tomorrow morning so we'll wait. 

I also had to get a stamp in my passport that I was dewormed ??? I beg your pardon? I do not have worms.............Mom says she knows that but we still need a veterinarian to sign the passport.

We got a buggy ride to the vet and Daniel pedaled through the city streets like he has done that all his life.....zigzagged sometimes on the sidewalk and sometimes in the streets, beating the cablecars ......it was a great ride.

   


after the vet. he took us around the town to show the pretty parks and statues and churches and..............well you know the usual stuff.

I think the lady in pink is stalking us ?

   


this is the parliament building

 


the library

 


another tourist ride,not as cool as ours though

 


cobblestone streets are eally popular here, and yes they are cool looking, but a pain in the a$$ to ride on


         


here is a very interesting tree, the trunk looks like a person and the leaves wings


 


Daniel pedaled us back to Lucy and Mom chatted with him about his future (Mom is very nosy) he was a studying business and dreamed about starting his own company someday. They also compared notes about world news and solved many problems while at it...............haha

now we're ready to call it a night to make sure we're up ready for the ferry early 


 


all is good





Av EvaLena Hallgren - 8 juli 2018 07:14

So we started to explore the city by the freedom tower and after a few pictures, Mom discovered that the SDcard wasn't in the camera (still sitting in the PC) so the pictures she had taken was stored in the cameras internal memory and that was now full. Ok no big deal, we just buy a new card and continue on. Now she can't find the first pictures so she "stole" the following 2 photos from the net. Can't find who the photographer was so she can't give credit.

The Freedom Monument is a memorial located in Riga, Latvia, honoring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence. It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia.

 

   


Latvia is a sovereign state in between Estonia and Lithuania and to the east is Russia.


The Republic of Latvia was established on 18 November 1918 when it broke away and declared independence from Russia in the aftermath of world war I, however, by the 1930s, the country became increasingly autocratic after the coup in 1934 establishing an authoritarian regime. The country's de facto independence was interrupted at the outset of World War II, beginning with Latvia's forcible incorporation into the Soviet Union followed by the invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941, and the re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944 which formed the Latvian SSR for the next fifty years.


The peaceful Singing Revolution, starting in 1987, called for Baltic emancipation from Soviet rule and condemning the "Stalinist" regime's illegal takeover. It ended with the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence on May 4, 1990

 


 


Latvia is a democratic republic and a very highly developed country. People seem educated and happy We haven't seen so many smiling people in a long time..............maybe it has something to do with their ongoing festival with so many street performers and people in traditional costumes dancing.


     


This MUST be the cutest kid we ever have seen said Mom, 

 

The house of the Blackheads is a building situated in the old town. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads a guild for unmarried merchants, shipowners, and foreigners in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornamentations. 

The building was bombed to a ruin by the Germans on June 28, 1941 and the remains were demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999

   

 

We truly enjoyed the atmosphere of Riga, it felt very different from other big cities we visited..............


 

Street vendors selling their goods and it was a little more than the typical tourist souvenir stuff, Lots of knitted homemade good quality stuff.

 

I'm wondering if this is lady works as a scarecrow on her regular job...........Naah says Mom she looks too happy to have a job, she must be retired......

 

 

 

Soccer game Sweden England is on every big screen in every bar, and it seems like most are cheering for England, and maybe that's why Sweden lost and are now out of the game .............

   

 


time to take a break have a beer and people watch for a while...........

 

   

 

No picture can make this monument justice, it was sparkling in the sun and the wind made it all move slowly sending sun cats everywhere. Guess it could be really annoying if it hits you directly in the eye though.

 

 

We noticed a lot of ceramic cats was sold in every souvenir stand, so Mom asked what that was all about? and the story goes

Getting into the Great Guild in Latvia in the 14th century, was an incredibly huge honor. Similarly, getting snubbed from the Great Guild was a gigantic insult.


One Riga local was so offended that he attached a black cat on top of his building so it would cast its evil glare upon the Guild for as long as the building would stand.


With an arched back, the Black Cat of Riga seems ready to strike and clearly states the man’s displeasure at not getting admitted to the Guild. Obviously, the members of the guild hated the sculpture, and a fight between the man and the guild raged for months to come. Although an agreement was reached and the statue turned around, the Black Cat still sits on its perch in Old Town Riga.

Of course, now we set out to find the cat, so we were walking around looking up like the real tourists..............

Nope, that's not it, that's a wolf................different story?

 

   

 


we come around a corner and "There it is!" Mom happily declared in a loud voice and pointed at it. People looking at her wondering who she's talking to...................haha I'm used to Moms craziness so I wasn't surprised

 

 


across the street was indeed a guild, so maybe it is true story? and not just a legend  

 

 

 

MOm thinks this guy in the robe must be a famous boxer or a king or something..............so glad he was walking so fast Mom never got a chance to ask him about it..........

 

 

Pretty sure there's a story behind this statue too.........sure is Mom says. It's a well-known children's story.................


Once upon a time, there was a man who owned a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster............... The"Town Musicians of Bremen"  is a popular fairy tale retrieved and recorded by the Grimms Brothers. It was first published in 1819. It tells the story of four aging domestic animals, who after a lifetime of hard work are neglected and mistreated by their former masters. Eventually, they decide to run away and become town musicians in the city of Bremen. Contrary to the story's title the characters never arrive in Bremen, as they succeed in tricking and scaring off a band of robbers, capturing their spoils, and moving into their house. 

 

 

 


Riga is a wonderful city to stroll around in, much different from the previous cities we have visited. The river Daugava runs through and we saw many people rowing boats, kind of like a romantic thing like the Venice gondolas. Pictures from the park are in the memory of the camera...................darn it. I could have done without the cobblestone streets though.............the wheels on my ride are very small and often get stuck in the cracks so my ride is quite bumpy. There's no room for napping until we stand still. Mom says I'm not supposed to nap, I should take in all the gorgeous sights............I am I am but I just do it so much quicker ....

       

 


Here's a future hard rock guitar player ..................cute but he made some miserable noise according to Mom but that's the music for the young crowd I try to tell her..............she'll never change her opinion on that, still noise to her

 

 

 


finally time to go back to Lucy and rest for the night.

 

 

It's now 9.30 am on Sunday, and it's time to get Lucy ready for another drive, this time maybe we'll make it to yet another country, and the city of Tallinn. That's almost 109 miles from here, so there's room for a lot of changes if I know Mom .....................which I do real well.

 

see ya later alligator 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skapa flashcards