Trakai
Lithuania
September 14, 2014
It’s a splendid Sunday.
Let’s get out of the house!
Short ride. (28km west of Vilnius)
Head for the lakes.
Sailing. Rowing. Paddling.
Visit the Castle. (1401 – Restored)
Just relax.
Have a coffee.
Enjoy the day.!!
Vilnius
Lithuania
September 14, 2014
So here in Vilnius, after several weeks on the road, I decide finally to take pictures … at night. I dig down in my luggage, remove the tripod, attach the remote shutter release to my camera, and head down to the nearby Cathedral and into the maze of streets of Old Town. I hope I get a few decent shots.
Vilnius, the capital if Lithuania and its largest city, has a population of about 540,000. History here dates back to 1243. There is so much to see.
Salaspils
Latvia
August 25, 2014
Dear Family and Friends
“Is it a mitzvah to recite the Kaddish?”
Here’s why I ask:
Twenty kilometers southeast of Riga, off the main highway, at the end of a narrow road, I park my car in an empty lot.
A dense forest of tall silent trees lines both sides of a broad gravel walkway. Except for an elderly couple off in the woods gathering mushrooms, I am alone as I make my way down the long path to the distant monument.
An enormous recumbent slab of grey stone marks the dramatic entrance. It appears to have fallen on its side to an angular position. The black inscription reads, “AIZ SIEM VARTIEM VAID ZEME.” I walk under the slab and enter the site.
Riga
Latvia
September 2, 2014
To: Jeff Z. and Bob A.
cc: Family and Friends
Since you are both engineers with a specialty, respectively, in transportation and geotechnical engineering, I thought you would appreciate the structures of the Riga Central Market. The market is the largest in Europe and lies across the Daugava River from the Old Town of Riga.
The market of course is dotted with outdoor stalls that display towering piles of fruit, vegetables, flowers, recently picked mushrooms, and consumer products. Everything from bananas to berries to boxer shorts to bras is on offer.
Kuldiga
Latvia
August 30, 2014
In this quiet, charming town in western Latvia, the sounds of children’s laughter emanate from the bright yellow building that serves as a library and community center here
But in the recent past, on a fall day that is fast approaching, a date on the Jewish lunar calendar, the First Day of the month of Tishrei, the sounds of the shofar would have been heard in this building, echoing through the streets and into the homes and into the hearts of the residents of the neighborhood.
The Rabbi or Cantor of the synagogue blasts the traditional, mesmerizing cadences from the shofar, the ram’s horn. The cry of the horn heralds the start Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The congregation stands quietly and listens attentively to the familiar and plaintive tones. The men and women pray for peace and for good health for themselves and for their children in the coming year.
Now, here in Kuldiga, (pop 13,500), the call of the shofar is heard no more.
Ventspils
Latvia
August 29, 2014
Dear Friends,
Leonardo serves me a breakfast that could feed a small army.
A pitcher of both orange juice and tomato juice, eggs, chicken, smoked fish, assorted cheeses, salad, fresh fruit, bread, butter, jam, pastry and Bodum French Press coffee.
My “apartment” is twice the size and much more elegant than my flat in Bangkok. The kitchen and bathroom have every gadget needed for a lengthy stay.
The grounds of the Villa are seductive.
Why leave?
