So Many Relatives, So Little TimeJune, 1999 — Our Latvian Honeymoon
One of the bittersweet parts of every trip is when Peters
and his mom, or either alone, visits Peters' mom's cousin Arturs and his wife
Lena in Alsviki. They met and married in Siberia and raised a family. Arturs
got by (and actually survived where others did not) being a handyman --I think
it's in the Latvian blood that nothing is junk, anything can be repaired and
used again! When they were able to move back to Latvia, it was actually Lena
who picked out and bought the house. All Arturs wanted was a stream within
walking distance where he could go fishing -- which he got.
It's been difficult for them. Their health has been in
decline; Arturs has almost completely lost feeling and dexterity in his hands.
The neighbor's girls come over and help, but it's not the same. Arturs' and
Lena's son is married and lives in Riga, with children. But their
daughter-in-law is not interested in country life or what it has to offer.
Arturs had thought some years ago to set up a repair shop with his son, but
that fell through when it was nixed.
Needless to say, the family property Arturs has reclaimed --
ironically, not that far away -- lies fallow. Perhaps even crueler, it would
appear that the local powers in Alsviki have absconded and clear-cut nearby
property -- the person who came to reclaim it was simply told they couldn't
have it -- putting and emphatic exclamation mark on the demise of morality and
decency in modern day Latvia. The barren desolated land is a fitting metaphor
for the desolation of the Latvian soul. It pains Peters to leaf through Arturs'
and Lena's pictures of better days in Siberia, and to have to agree that it
would have been easier for them if they had never returned to Arturs' homeland.
Peters' observation from family and relatives has been
that for a family to make progress in Latvia, it's the wife who makes a
difference. If she doesn't mind hard work, maybe being out in the country, and
keeping the family going while her husband is out working on projects, then
things can progress. But if she wants the luxury of city life, then all is
lost.
Click a thumbnail to view in gallery
It may not look like much, but this is one solid house! Peters, Gaida, and her granddaughter Mara headed out to Alsviki—and it was hot! How hot? The blacktop melted and was so wet it sloshed like water! But, inside Artur's and Lena's house, it was cool refuge from the steaming outdoors. A cold glass of country fresh milk, and the heat was all but forgotten!
It may not look like much, but this is one solid house! Peters, Gaida, and her granddaughter Mara headed out to Alsviki—and it was hot! How hot? The blacktop melted and was so wet it sloshed like water! But, inside Artur's and Lena's house, it was cool refuge from the steaming outdoors. A cold glass of country fresh milk, and the heat was all but forgotten!
It may not look like much, but this is one solid house! Peters, Gaida, and her granddaughter Mara headed out to Alsviki—and it was hot! How hot? The blacktop melted and was so wet it sloshed like water! But, inside Artur's and Lena's house, it was cool refuge from the steaming outdoors. A cold glass of country fresh milk, and the heat was all but forgotten!
Without a car, it's difficult for Arturs to make it to Aluksne. In fact, cars come by their house so rarely, the road is almost completely overgrown—to the casual onlooker (even in the car!) it looks like you just took a right off the road and tore off across the fields! Artur's mom, Minna, escaped to America with Artur's sister Edite. They had lived in Hudson, New York when Peters was a child. That's where Peters acquired his taste for barley porridge with a dollop of cubed bacon (!) in the center. Not having a grandmother, and Minna being of that generation, she became the only "vecmāmiņa" Peters knew.
Without a car, it's difficult for Arturs to make it to Aluksne. In fact, cars come by their house so rarely, the road is almost completely overgrown—to the casual onlooker (even in the car!) it looks like you just took a right off the road and tore off across the fields! Artur's mom, Minna, escaped to America with Artur's sister Edite. They had lived in Hudson, New York when Peters was a child. That's where Peters acquired his taste for barley porridge with a dollop of cubed bacon (!) in the center. Not having a grandmother, and Minna being of that generation, she became the only "vecmāmiņa" Peters knew.
Without a car, it's difficult for Arturs to make it to Aluksne. In fact, cars come by their house so rarely, the road is almost completely overgrown—to the casual onlooker (even in the car!) it looks like you just took a right off the road and tore off across the fields! Artur's mom, Minna, escaped to America with Artur's sister Edite. They had lived in Hudson, New York when Peters was a child. That's where Peters acquired his taste for barley porridge with a dollop of cubed bacon (!) in the center. Not having a grandmother, and Minna being of that generation, she became the only "vecmāmiņa" Peters knew.
Of equal necessity (as in, absolutely required) is stopping
in on Peters' aunt Laura. On a happier note, she and the doggies are doing well
in Bolderaja, on the outskirts of Riga. Peters' cousin once-removed (?), that's
mom's cousin's Anina's daughter, Brigita stopped in as a surprise—we had
already apologized that it didn't look like we were going to be able to visit
her!
Click a thumbnail to view in gallery
Laura has her quirks for sure, but not welcoming guests whoever and whenever they arrive is not one of them! Peters, Silvija, and Gaida went out to Bolderaja to visit. And what surprise awaited them? Brigita had shown up knowing we were going to try and make it out to Laura's our last evening in Latvia. And so, with that stroke of foresight on Brigita's part, we actually managed to get to all the relatives! ... on both sides! Whew!
Laura has her quirks for sure, but not welcoming guests whoever and whenever they arrive is not one of them! Peters, Silvija, and Gaida went out to Bolderaja to visit. And what surprise awaited them? Brigita had shown up knowing we were going to try and make it out to Laura's our last evening in Latvia. And so, with that stroke of foresight on Brigita's part, we actually managed to get to all the relatives! ... on both sides! Whew!
Laura has her quirks for sure, but not welcoming guests whoever and whenever they arrive is not one of them! Peters, Silvija, and Gaida went out to Bolderaja to visit. And what surprise awaited them? Brigita had shown up knowing we were going to try and make it out to Laura's our last evening in Latvia. And so, with that stroke of foresight on Brigita's part, we actually managed to get to all the relatives! ... on both sides! Whew!
June 1999"Honeymoon in Latvia!"—devoted to
friends and family.