Day 10: Taking a bite out of Latvia

I was meant to go to Riga for the day but plans changed at the last minute so instead me and my friend (the one I was with yesterday) decided to take a stroll around Valmiera.

Today was a very mixed day in terms of culture and you'll see why. I have really enjoyed embracing Latvian culture and I will take any opportunity to explore more of it. I woke up very excited to go ahead with my day, looked down and saw this on my leg:

One of three mosquito bites on my leg. It's all part of the experience... I think.

I managed to find something summery to wear to cover up the bites and we headed towards the tourist office in the city centre. I am a big "sucker" - get it?! - for souvenirs. I love magnets, postcards, the lot! I gave in and bought a keyring saying Latvija for my Latvian keys. We then decided to take a walk to the local museum in the old part of Valmiera which was wonderful. There were two floors, the first one showing an art exhibition called Indigo by Gunta Krastiņa.

My favourite painting: Miera osta (trans. peaceful harbour)

Upstairs was an exhibition about Valmiera's rich and fascinating history. I saw old bikes used after World War I, photos comparing how landmarks looked in the past to now and examples of fashion worn by different types of traditional people. After seeing all of this, I am starting to understand the town I am living in so much more.

Valmiera folk costumes shown as part of the “Iztēle bez robežām” exhibition

After a brief lesson in Valmiera history, we decided to watch a local singing and dance concert happening in the nearby open-air stage. It was great to see people of all ages not only watching the performances but also taking part in them. My favourite performance was a modern yet traditionally inspired dance by a group of teenage girls, who are also the cheerleaders for the basketball team. Unfortunately, the video I recorded is having problems being uploaded so here is a picture of another performance instead.

A concert “Mēs esam kopā mūzikā”: I wanted to get up on stage and join them!

After a while, we wanted to find somewhere to have lunch. We were about to eat in a local restaurant but then I suggested that we eat in the fast food place very close to where we were. When I sat down I realised how similar this place was to McDonalds and Burger King. It was like being in England again. 

Hesburger: a cardboard sleeve around the burger - genius!

My day has gone really well so far, learning about the town I'm living in for 3 months and being entertained by local residents but then something even more amazing happened that topped it all off! I was in the local supermarket with my friend who was translating some of the food for me and showing me which food was the best. I had to buy some milk because I had ran out quite quickly because the expiry date is very short. 

Those of you who know me well and especially my mum will know that I have developed a very bad addiction for tea, good ol' English tea. When I see milk, I think of tea - it's that bad! I opened up to my friend, telling her about my odd cravings who suggested that I have a look to see if this supermarket sells any of it. As I walked closer to the tea section, my heart was pounding. I would either be very happy or very sad, nothing in the middle. I turned to corner and packets of Tetley's shone in front of me! Hurrah! So now, whenever I am feeling homesick, I will make a nice cuppa and think of home... Again, globalisation at its best.

I've just remembered something else that I found rather remarkable today. As we were going around and looking at old photos of Valmiera in the museum I noticed an old church in the city centre was in literally every photo. When we left the museum, we walked towards this church and saw this sign:

St. Simon's church, built in 1280! My mind was blown.

Looking on Facebook, I was reminded that my university results are released tomorrow! And because I am in Latvia I will see them later than everyone else. Wish me luck. I want to have another good day tomorrow! Now I'm off to try and wash my clothes using a washing machine which only has Russian words on it... perhaps more luck is needed than I first thought.