Winter ChillZZZZs, and Folk Dancing in RīgaDecember, 2002
December 10th
Ticket to “Dancītis” performing
Today was a special day.
Didzis, my mom's neighbor across the landing (he's seven...), invited us to his
dance concert: the Latvian University's youth dance ensemble "Dancitis"
(literally, "little dance") was performing at the Riga Latvian Society this
evening.
Far from the heydays of a whole suitcase of camera
equipment, I found I had packed just a bit too light for this trip: one
camera body and just one lens. Unfortunately, it was a wide angle—far
from the best choice. Nevertheless, I did my best... but fell far short of
capturing how entertaining and skilled the performance was!
Click a thumbnail to view in gallery
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
Dancitis in performance
December 11th
I'm used to
my late starts. I hopped on the bus across the bridge to the State Archives.
Both to look around—as it turns out, they have quite an impressive
permanent exhibit of correspondence—and to find out how they actually
work, particularly, how to request their services. I put in a request (for a
fee) to have my genealogy researched—and was told I would have to wait
years for the results, the archive's researchers were so overloaded!
By the time I wrapped up and headed back out, it was
already dark. As soon as I was off the main thoroughfare, there was a stillness
and calmness in the crisp evening air. I wended my way home through the back
streets of "Pārdaugava," across the Vanšu tilts (bridge), through old Riga, and
back to the apartment.
Click a thumbnail to view in gallery
Pardaugava sheds
Pardaugava sheds
Pardaugava sheds
St. Peter's church through the trees, from Pardaugava
St. Peter's church through the trees, from Pardaugava
St. Peter's church through the trees, from Pardaugava
Vansu bridge from Pardaugava
Vansu bridge from Pardaugava
Vansu bridge from Pardaugava
Old Riga from across a snowy Daugava
Old Riga from across a snowy Daugava
Old Riga from across a snowy Daugava
An artistic rendering of the Vansu bridge
An artistic rendering of the Vansu bridge
An artistic rendering of the Vansu bridge
Riga Presidential Palace viewed from the Vansu bridge
Riga Presidential Palace viewed from the Vansu bridge
Riga Presidential Palace viewed from the Vansu bridge
The Riga Presidential castle, from the Vansu bridge
The Riga Presidential castle, from the Vansu bridge
The Riga Presidential castle, from the Vansu bridge