Here are a few more apt sayings for the "Seriously Joking" section, which I stumbled upon by chance while leafing through old magazines. Some, it seems, could not be put more aptly. So, enjoy! ;)
This Wednesday, 8 February, I watched at the LNO the widely known opera "Madama Butterfly" by Giacomo Puccini. Following - why this musical work and production touches the strings of the soul, but why this time it did not.
We had not been to Turaida since our student days (last time about ten years ago), yet it seems nothing has changed. The same Gūtmanis Cave, Dainu Hill, Turaida Castle, Rose of Turaida's grave, church with the rooster on the tower, paths leading up and down, springs, and so on. This time in an atypical season - winter (4 December), though the hills are almost lushly green and the wind howls in the bare tree branches.
A "Romantic Cinema Evening in Sigulda" package, gifted by colleagues from the Dāvanu serviss gift experience service, was used this weekend. It included two tickets to a chosen film at KinoLora, an overnight stay in a semi-deluxe room at Hotel Segevold, dinner at the restaurant, and champagne in the room.
Our kitchen renovation saga for the year has just come to an end - it lasted a good 8 months. Everything is looking lovely, new, and in working order (well, the only thing still missing is the finishing touch - two anthracite-coloured stools). A pleasure to spend time in and cook in the new space. But for those of you approaching your own kitchen renovation, we'll share our experience, recommendations, and ideas.
Since time immemorial, when the harvest was gathered and the Apjumības harvest festival was celebrated, when the days grew shorter and the evenings longer, large Latvian families would pass the time by the light of pine-splinter torches solving riddles. Sharp wits, ingenuity, and powers of observation were put to use. And how many of the answers to these riddles do you know?
Beer tasting or evaluation is very similar to tasting other drinks, including wines. Assessed are: the bottle, beer colour, consistency, aroma, flavour, and finally the finish. Although taste is a personal matter, we tried to be as objective as possible in our descriptions. The result revealed the most and least drinkable beer.
This time, for real. I have selected ten photographs of various Riga locations - buildings and monuments. Each of them has its own history and significance in the city's landscape. Attention - a competition! Look at the photos and write in the comments: what is it or was it, and where is it? The most accurate and knowledgeable respondent wins a little something from iinuu.lv.
A trip to Vecumnieki brought many interesting discoveries and pleasant surprises. Initially only one final destination had been chosen - the Rabbit Town - but in the end we managed to visit three places in all.
On the way back to Latvia we decided to take a loop along Estonia's southern border - along the highway from Häädemeeste to Valga, stopping at the settlements along the way and at sights marked by brown signs. Near the settlement of Helme we saw the ruins of a Teutonic Order castle. A discovery was the Barclay de Tolly mausoleum.