Valmiera-An exploration around

A bit random exploration in an ordinary city of Latvia. That's not bad considering how random are the actions in the video. Thank God there were no mountains or slides during the video.

Anyway, someone is curious about Valmiera, the capital of Vidzeme, the cutest region of Latvia? here's a little prom for the city!
(If someone complains and wants better quyality I will be glad with donations such a better camera)

The best part is Sajūtu Parks. To be honest, is the most beautiful place of the town. And sadly I was only avaliable in 360p...Still! you can enjoy this piece and its views. Enjoy them!

"Gleznu Izstāde Vidzemes ainava"

Exhibition about Vidzeme´s landscape in the Culture Centre of Valmiera, ladies and gentlemen! During the WHOLE month of june and part of may and july there is this exhibition from some painters hosted previously in Laipa´s gallery showing different common landscapes of Vidzeme (yes, they are most of them normal sighted places in the region).
The exhibition is humble and plain: paintings full of color, specially green, as reference of the meadows of this region; along with that, we can see some more things as we go deeper. Interesting to see that there were no titles nor descriptions about the works, besides, there are not too many (22, good to describe it aside of the intro description):

This one is interesting for me, as the style is different from the rest. Not only the style but also the treatment of the composition and the character on it, which gives a more "illustration" way rather than painting.

And also this one is "loti" good. The sea´s foam is very well catched and the tones of light are quite correct. And also, the sea is a very lovely place of Vidzeme.

Night of Museums. Āraišu events

Saturday, 21st may, the Night of the Museums.
  Hence in Latvia, my organization took advantage of that and we to Āraišu lands where there is a full open-air museum complex; a place with history where one of the ancient Latvia´s backgroud is also found. It was a magnificent travel, under my point of view; the bad thing, there was no food for most of the time (until late night) and that you needed a car for going everywhere in Āraišu.
   Starting with the open-air village, where each cottage represented the dwelling of some ancient proffessions such the smith, the taylor, the craftsman or the guy who collected the tea (this was serious):

The lovely village and its architecture

And each dwelling with each proffession in it.

Through the visit (which was FREE at all, as this special day always remarks) we could find some interesting handcraft things with kind people explaining all the process for:

sewing the very necessary clother on ancient Latvia...

...and cooking pankukas!

Oh,and yeah, meanwhile, you could enjoy the beautifulness of latvian meadows on spring, where the vivid green of the nature is everywhere:

Ok, so next we headed to the "girl´s island" which, not exactly what anyone could think, is rather a small peninsula surrounded by the waters of the swamp where a pre-historic representation settlement where you could see how the first people lived in, subsisting from fishing and using wood for basically build anything (this has prevailed until present day):

Such the toys...

...the houses...

...and for sure...

...the shoes!

Then, it came the visit to the windmill, as times goes on. The windmill was a cute building made of, guess it, wooden! in the top of a hill where peculiar tools and utilities and other more leisure things made of wood were exposed to see and enjoy.

Check out that Latvia´s map.

Close to the windmill there was also a wooden tent, which was used in past as a way of kitchen; there, you could cook something where the smoke went up from the top which was a chimney:

The tent...

...and some tools for using when cooking. Notice the symbology on some of them.

And finally, the coming to the church, where a concert with a typical instrument, the kokļu. This was the best part for me; and warming, it was getting cold by the way.

I leave a video from a song of the concert. Cute and haunted words, aren´t they?

Session in the forge

Yesterday we head to Cēsis (an old friend) to have a meeting between several heads and deputies of the latvian culture investigation, attending in the forge of Mister Daumants Kalnins, a traditionalist blacksmith who also is part of the Cēsis´ Castle crew, showing and making several of the ornaments emulating the ancient jewelry of the latgalians.
  So that it was, people gathering telling their stories, backgrounds. As they were from the latvian culture field there were songs, storytelling and some joke poetry as well. I wasn´t able to tell my legend from my village (it was already hard to introduce myself, so imagine) but still there was enough people to fill the place of voices and enough food to eat.

The forge

Gathering the group, some of them wearing something more traditional than contemporary.

Mr.Daumants Kalnins pleased by the visit.

And some check I made through the place as my curiosity started to grow. Where I saw some history about the life and culture in the ages in Latvia before the arrving of Archbishop Albert, copies and originals of latgalian women´s ornaments,

Sajūtu Nakts on Sajūtu Parks

This saturday there was a very special event in Valmiera´s main park, Sajūtu Parks. As the summer is coming and the warm weather is already here (really is! looks hell on summer, grrr!) the latvians go outside and take advantage the most possible to make things on open air (it´s true, it´s true); and if it is surrounded by the nature better than nothing (true too). So the last evening there was a chain of shows like concerts on the trees, barbecues, wine tasting, bonfires, theatre, pancakes and finally some beautiful fireworks in the riverside. This was Sajūtu Nakts, ladies and gentlemen! a pretty good event in the middle of the forest, full of candles (this in Spain would be insane, spanish forest are very prone to burn easily...specially when is warm season) and full of people (much to my dismay).

Let´s take a fancy look around:

Setting in the side of Gauja River, Valmiera´s main body of water.

The mirror wall, surrounded by bird cages.

The bonfires, preparing a curious drink made of red berries and peppermint.

Some decorations around, mainly about animal theme.

In the park there are several attraction such the one in the picture, but for this night there were several more, which you ought to pass them walking barefoot, for protecting it.

Music on the trees. Funny to see the musicians coming back to ground by zip.

And then the night arrives...

...and the installations become more shining and nicer. This is another attraction from these ones you could cross barefoot and scattered randomly in the park.

And when the night falls my camera´s battery dies as well so these are mobile´s photos (my bad).

 We have here some theatre made by the local drama school. The story portraited was "The Wizard of Oz"...maybe some local story such Lačplēsis would have been interesting to see. How about it?

 Flaming barbecues at night! as it was getting colder and colder it was a relief to stay next to the bonfire while holding you berry juice...or wine.

 The mirror´s area becomes more interesting at night as well.

 The forest at night, the show as well.

 And finally, as closing event, the fireworks! In fact, it was the best part! although short it was worth of it. Well, the event was worth of it. Such a lovely night in the forest, indeed.