History is an intricate web of of timing, people, circumstances, and serendipity. /D.Rittner/
Tag: Latvia
Thursday’s Special: Restoration (Guest Challenge by Restless Jo)
This time on Thursday’s Special Challenge the ‘lady of the manor’ is a fellow blogger – the one and only Restless Jo. She inspires us to think of a restored property that we would like to share, or maybe one that’s in need of love and attention, so…this is what came to my mind…
All my life I have had (and always will have) a “special relationship” with Kuldīga – a town in western Latvia therefore I decided to make this post a little about it. For the first time Kuldīga was mentioned in 1242. In the 17th century it was one of the capitals of the Duchy of Courland, and today the town is proudly called “the pearl of Kurzeme” (Courland). One of the main symbols of Kuldīga for many years has been the old masonry arch bridge across the river Venta.
The red brick bridge was built in 1874, and it was done, according to the 19th century standards – 500 feet long and 26 feet wide, for two carriages to pass each other. It consisted of seven spans of brick vaults, and during the World War I two of the spans were blown up (you can see them renovated in much more pale colour also in the photo above).
Image courtesy: the archives of Google
The bridge was renovated in 2009-2010, and to this day, being 164m long, it is the third longest brick bridge in Europe.
Be inspired and inspire!
More about Paula and her Thursday’s Special Challenge here:
A Word A Week Photo Challenge – Pots
A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot…It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain.
/Mildred WitteStouven/
A Word A Week Photo Challenge – Cross
Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion. /Dalai Lama/
Travel Theme: Noise
The fish in the water is silent, the animal on the earth is noisy, the bird in the air is singing. But man has in him the silence of the sea, the noise of the earth and the music of the air.
/Rabindranath Tagore/
Travel Theme: Merchandise
Here is a simple but powerful rule: always give people more than they expect to get. /Nelson Boswell/
A Word A Week Photo Challenge – Round
Each thing is of like form from everlasting and comes round again in its cycle. /Marcus Aurelius/
Travel Theme: Misty
Walk on a rainbow trail; walk on a trail of song, and all about you will be beauty. There is a way out of every dark mist, over a rainbow trail. /Robert Motherwell/
Travel Theme: Statues
~ The Freedom Monument in Rīga, Latvia ~
~ Frogner Park ( Vigeland Sculpture Park ) in Oslo, Norway ~
Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. /Michelangelo/
~ A fragment of the Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria ( the Founders of the Bulgarian State Monument ) above the Shumen, Bulgaria ~
~ Nessebar, Bulgaria ~
Celebrate Our Differences
After a wonderful chat with my Bulgarian friends I somehow ended up thinking about similarities and differences between us, our countries. So, here they are – some of the things I came up with, comparing both countries and my experience, observations. Before continuing, I just wanted to say Bulgaria has become almost like the second home to me since I have spent quite some time there during the past 8 years.
You know you are in Bulgaria and not Latvia if:
– Meeting people not seen for a while they will hug and kiss you on both cheeks, even not being close friends
– Before crossing the road on pedestrian crossing, you need to really make sure (and I do mean – really!) there’ re no cars, even if the green light is on
– The expression „The Big Bulgarian Family” has a very genuine note and meaning to it
– Being on time is a bit relative concept therefore being late is not neccessarily perceived as rudeness
– You can take a cab after partying out not being worried you will be overcharged
– You can be wild& loud till the sun comes up but to be noisy between 1 and 4 PM wouldn’ t be perceived as good manners
– People are more open and friendly generally – probably because there’ s much more sun constantly charging them positively
– You can buy home-made rakia/wine and it wouldn’ t be classified as a „crime of supporting illegal alcohol business”
– There still are quite a few small, family owned shops around, not only big supermarket chains
– The carpet blown off your terrace with some luck ends up being sold to your neighbours
– A policeman partying with his friends in a restaurant will freely ask for discount „just because”
– Passing the same people on stairs you greet each other since the very first day and not just after a couple of months
– There’ s a touch (or more) of olive(or sunflower) oil in almost every dish
– You can bargain the prices in a market and nobody will feel insulted about it
– Shaking head is a gesture of confirmation while nodding means negation (I wouldn’ t generalize this one since it’ s very Bulgarian).
Oh, I almost forgot – there are mountains! And martenitsas (Bulgarian: Mартеница)…
