8/12/07 St.Johns Day

One of the largest holiday festivals in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania is St. John's Day which celebrates the summer solstice. Traditionally, the evening festivities last the entire night. During this celebration men wear crowns of oak leaves and women put on wreaths of wild flowers. A bonfire is built, around which the nights activities take place.
Every year's Festival presents a variety of St. John's Day traditions include wreath making, a bonfire, and dancing.
Latvian participants making wreaths and garlands of oak leaves.
All men named John are offered a special bread in honor of John's Day
A bonfire is lit in celebration of St. John's Day.
*************************

We had such fun with the family on Johns day. We went to the country where we spent the night. In preparation we made head dresses ,prepared food and the bonfire was prepared well in advance with wood and old objects thrown in guaranteed to be a huge fire.

We used the Sauna (pirt) which is big in the Baltics. They go every Saturday to rest from work, have a drink and use the sauna. My cousin Daina and her husband built a room on to the sauna. So you have the eating living area, dressing room and the sauna. The ladies go separate and go three different times thru the evening finally finishing with a coat of honey on the skin and using Birch branches to whip your skin. Believe me I see now why they all have such beautiful skin. Just the time I was there and we went couple times my skin was soft and alive. If I would stay longer perhaps I would even turn younger (ha!ha!)

We sang. danced and ate. Eating is a requirement with Europeans. No one is ever hungry. If you have ever been to my house now you can realize where I get served so much food. The men drink their beer. Some went swimming in the pond. The idea is to stay up all night but Tim was the only one after 3:00 in the morning up. Since the country is so far north it only gets dark about 12:00 midnight and then starts to get light again about 3:00 in morning. When I got up at 5:00 a.m. Tim was sitting alone by the fire . Everyone pooped out on him. He had a blast though. During the main part of the evening you could see other bon fires speckled in the distance and sign of others celebrating.

The next day we visited, played Yahtzee and then my cousin Daina went into the garden and picked fresh vegetables and made a home made soup. Was that ever delicious. Fresh out of the garden is the best. Of course we had our rye bread.

There was a time that there were more celebrations with the traditional dress and the official dances. That was fun. I remember as a girl at home the Latvians in Washington had special celebrations like that. We could have stayed to watch the city celebration but believe it or not the country choice was better as it rained in the city

What a fun weekend. I love my heritage and the traditions.

8/11/07 TERVETE PARK

Author of children fairy tales lives not too far from the main entrance of this beautiful park It is filled with wood carvings and figures made of sticks. The walk alone was incredible. We did not even finish half. The witch in the forest was brewing tea. She offered the people a taste (yuck). It tasted like grass but who said anything a witch gives you is to be delicious.

The snails we saw were huge. Our family told us that many of the other countries come to Latvia to farm these interesting creatures for ESCARGOT The day we went was misty but nice. AS you see we are wearing coats. The weather being the ocean climate there were many days it rained in the morning and then the sun came out.

Not far also in the horizon was the Tervete Castle Mound (Sugar Mound). It is on the right bank of the river Tervete on a hill 19m high and has been artificially transformed into the castle. Archeologist's studied the mound where six cultural layers were found attesting that the castle mound was inhabited since the 1st century BC. Later a brick castle, from which ruins still remain and was built on the north western side of the castle mound

Little snip it from the guide book:

Nature Park “Tervete”:
Annele’s pathways and characters from A. Brigadere’s fairy tales, the Dwarf’s Village and the Mushroom Forest, the children’s playground and camping places as well as picnic opportunities, beautiful landscape, bridges, fascinating Tervete pines and fresh air. Fishing. Guided tours.

Light Hearted Fun In Latvia........

8/5/07 Rundales Pils

What a beautiful outing to see this georgeous palace . Just one of hundreds that can be found in Latvia. I have inserted a little history for everyones enjoyment. We went with my Uncle Erik, Aunt Elza,my cousin Daina , husband Maris. We did not get to go into the palace as they were having a French concert there that day. So we walked the grounds. That alone was so nice. Next trip we will go inside for sure. We had a nice lunch out. We had cold beet soup and rye bread. Soup is a popular staple. I enjoy it as my mom cooks like that and I was raised with it. Soups of any kind I can eat it morning or night .

***************************

Summer Residence of the Duke of Courland, ERNST JOHANN BIRON
Built: 1736-1740, 1763-1768 Architect: Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli

Rundāle Palace is one of the most outstanding monuments of Baroque and Rococo art in Latvia. It was built between 1736 and 1740 as a summer residence of Duke Ernst Johann of Courland.The Duchy of Courland-Semigallia, a vassal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, was founded in 1561 and it existed until 1795.In 1737 Ernst Johann Biron, a landlord in Courland and favorite of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna, became the Duke of Courland-Semigallia.

The Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli designed Rundāle Palace and supervised construction work. After the death of Empress Anna Ioannovna, the Duke was arrested and sent to exile in Russia. Construction works in the palace were resumed after the Duke's return at the beginning of the reign of Empress Catherine II.The major part of the interior was made in the period between 1765 and 1768.The Italian masters from St. Petersburg Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucchi created paintings on the ceilings and walls while sculptor Johann Michael Graff from Berlin made stucco decorations on the background of artificial marble.Following the annexation of the Duchy of Courland-Semigallia to the Russian Empire, Rundāle Palace became the property of Count Valerian Zubov.

The next owner of the palace was the Count's brother Platon Zubov whose widow married Count Andrei Shuvalov. The Shuvalov family owned the estate until 1920 when the new Latvian government introduced the agrarian reform and, as a result, the palace became the property of the Republic of Latvia.After World War I there were flats and an elementary school in the damaged palace. In 1933 the palace was taken over by the State Museum of History and some repairs were carried out there. The palace did not suffer damage during World War II but after the war some of its rooms were adapted for a granary. In 1972 the Rundāle Palace Museum was founded and restoration of the palace began. Restoration is not yet completed and is still going on.

*******************

Every day and every moment I spent with these amazing people was a blessing. The love they have for each other is truly amazing. Most amazing is the love they have for my father. My grandmother Zelma and grandfather Janis were a strong influence and never let my fathers memory die. Before Grandma Zelma passed she called all the cousins to her bedside and told them not to forget the family in America. They have not forgotten and the nice thing is to have this extended family. It completes me and my heart is happy.

Hope you all enjoy the pictures

8/2/07 Dobele

Our first two days we spent in Dobele with my Aunt and Uncle. I was amazed at the quaintness of the town and how everyone walked every where. You saw cars but definitely not like here in California.

As I mentioned I brought gifts and we sorted them out Saturday after a nice sleep. Boy did I sleep good. I gave them their gifts. My Uncle has a problem of hearing. He has a hearing aid but it is old and just was not doing anything for him. He did not join in conversations much my Aunt said. I saw an advertisement on TV about a devise call Miracle Ear. You slip it in the ear like a hearing aid and it amplifies the sound. When he put it in his ear. He said speak to me. So we did. He started to cry. He was so happy that he finally could understand the words. I thought I gave him a million dollars. I just thought it would assist him. He wore both at first but used one in the opposite ear of the one which he had a hearing aid for. He said it made a great difference and he was saving the other one. I gave him a big hug and said I love you ( Es tevu melu). All through our visit he jabbered and asked questions.

Aunt Elza said the other day that they actually have conversations now. I am so glad. I also brought the normal Disney souvenirs as well. They all love Disney.



Dobele (the name)is first mentioned in historical records from 1254. Settlements were recorded as far back as 1000 B.C. The people were referenced as villagers. Of course time paid its toll on the town with the plague, Soviet control and war time.

There is Semigallian castle remains still standing in Dobele from the Livonion Order from the 13th century. The castle was abandoned after 1729. There are many tales and legends surrounding the castle which tell about hidden gold and secret underground passages. Dobele has undertaken the task to conserve the castle.

How cool is that. We walked around the inside of the castle a couple times on our long walks. It was interesting as when a stone is sticking out farther than others meant that someone perished during it's construction and was placed that way to show respect to them.
There are many churches and palaces and beautiful national park land and lots of farming property. Believe it or not much of the harvesting is still done manually. We saw many an old lady out there making hay bales with just a pitch fork. Hard working people. But all find time to laugh, sing and enjoy life no matter what they have.

In Dobele I visited with almost everyone. we had dinner with my cousin Gunta and family, My Aunt Ilga and Cousin Raivis and family and my cousin Daina and family. We laughed, we cried and we laughed some more. I knew I would have to let go but I did not want to. There were times I curled up next to my Uncle and put my head on his shoulder like a little girl. He said he wished we could have met earlier in life but we couldn't. I told him life is precious and we must make the best of what we have now. He does not look like my dad but his mannerisms and the way he laughs and how when he says something funny he raises his brows. I felt at home and so comfortable. I hope everyone will enjoy the pictures of Dobele and the family.