September 21, 2009
I stayed in bed all morning, reading Twilight. Mom and I crawled to the beach in the afternoon but too windy to stay long. Fun evening of laughing and a bit too much vodka.
I stayed in bed all morning, reading Twilight. Mom and I crawled to the beach in the afternoon but too windy to stay long. Fun evening of laughing and a bit too much vodka.
Word......................vīnogas = grapes
Dish........................porkchop with creamy chantrelle sauce, super garlic shredded carrots, and pickled beets.
Highlight...............getting tipsy on vodka and berry juice and having my grandmother take a video of my interpretation of the Jurkalne and Riga accents.
Lowlight................the second round of vodka and grape juice cocktail.
Random observations.............Mom's gifts she's bringing back to the US are vodka, vodka, rye bread, wildberry jam, honey, honey, pancake mix, and a hotplate
make of kadiķi (latvian cedar, i think).September 20th
Spent the day at the Lažupe River at the race. I got to run the race twice in a raft with 3 others and then I paddled a flat river in a little inflatable kayak with a bunch of people. So fun to be in my element in a country where I often feel out of place.
Word.............................forši = cool
Dish..............................ham omelet with apple-cinnamon-cottage cheese toast
Highlight (2)...............(1) the laz^upe river: rafting 2 runs in a sololom competition and then an hour-long mellow creek run in an inflatable kayak.
.....................................(2) seeing my mother surrounded by all the young boys at the river race - they wanted to practice their english. so cute.
Lowlight.......................my latvian accent is horrible!
Random observations: The men wore bikini bottoms and not much else, while the woman were all covered up in wetsuits, sealskin, t-shirts, etc. I prefer it the other way around.
September 19th
packed up all morning, and went to Saldus and Lažupe river in afternoon.
Dish.......................arbūzs, of course. oh, and horseradish egg salad sandwiches, left in the fridge at mom's house.
Highlight...............short paddle in the late afternoon on the lake above the dam.
Lowlight................mazmājina = outhouse
Random observations: How pleasant it was to see athletic and sporty Latvian women. And men for that matter.
September 18th
Mom and I went to Ventspils and I bought a Latvian cell phone.
Mom and I went to Ventspils and I bought a Latvian cell phone.
Word.............................lasis = salmon
Dish...............................salmon and avocado maki roll
Highlight.......................very friendly waiter at our restaurant. i'm not sure if he was laughing with us or at us, but it doesn't really matter.
Lowlight........................the "famous" fish sculptures made of plants (like giant chia pets) weren't really that forši.
Random observations: apparently, there is a wild baltic salmon here. need to find out more about it.
September 17
Alise, Baiba, and I went to Alsunga, Edole, and a lake
Alise, Baiba, and I went to Alsunga, Edole, and a lake
Word.....................vīģe = fig
Dish.......................mushroom omelet with mixed frozen vegetables and cheese sauce
Highlight...............at the lake, a big dog came over to us and took a liking to Baiba
Lowlight...............Alise whining about how she doesn't like anything at restaurants
Random observations.........I like it when I just turn down some random road and see where it takes us.
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