The very special charms of Latvia (and the Baltic people generally)

As the English love their soccer, the Australians their cricket, the Americans their baseball and New Zealand loves its rugby…

The Baltic people love their culture, stories, dancing, music making, plays…but nothing can compare with their love for singing….

Imagine 50,000 packing a Riga stadium just to enjoy singing! …

And the delightful custom of showering the vocalists with flowers!

People of Kuldiga town (14,000) come to enjoy an evening of singing of Latvian ballads and folk songs…

 

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Latvians love their myths and fables and enjoy a bit of superstition…. And are wonderful storytellers…

And the dwarf said to lord Wilhelm…"as long as you leave this oak tree standing, your house and people will prosper …cut it down and your future is likewise cut down! (250 years ago)

And the Russian s decided that there was too much religion and other superstitions …and they cut down the tree …and the castle and fortune of its occupants started to deteriorate…

And Mr. Gurbachev announced "Perestroika " and the locals came to work to re-erect what was left of their tree …they propped it up, fetched boulders from the river and concreted in their tree…

And things started to get better … proudly they showed their Rotary visitors their handywork …and believe it or not! From the roots of the old tree a sibling had sprouted!

Now we know that our future will be bright!

Edgar Liepiens Kuldiga RC teacher in Latvia

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