Day 16

Today is Laurel's birthday. We had celebrated early with her friends and family, and that turned out to be a good thing as it is a other wet day inside in Riga. Andy took her out for a Daddy-daughter breakfast date this morning, but the picnic we had planned may need to wait for another day.

As I have no actual news to report, I thought I'd post an interesting bit of Latvian folklore. We've already written about the roosters seen all around town. Today we explore the story of the black cat.

On the top of one of the downtown buildings is a black cat. Legend has it that the owner of the building was offended by his neighbor, so he had the cat installed to be facing backside out. It was later required that he reverse the direction.

According to Rigainyourpocket.com

"The Cat House is named for two black felines perched on the points of its towers. Roughly 100 years ago, the Latvian owner of the building was excluded from the powerful Big Guild across the road by its ethnocentric German occupants. He ordered the cats to be turned around, backside up, as an insult to his enemies. They were turned around after a lengthy court battle and he was eventually admitted to the Guild."

More beautiful ironwork

Every little kiosk has fresh flowers. Men in business suits walk through parks carrying flowers and I wonder whom they are for.

I have enjoyed watching where people put flowers on the statutes. Some days this statue holds the flowers in his hands, other days they are strewn at his feet. This day, they were carried in his top hat. Someone replaces them every day.

Laurel writes stories to pass the time. Natalia watches Barbie movies in English and Will climbs on things. Girls and Boys!

This is big Christopher. Legend has it that he carried people across the river before the city was born (800 years ago). This is a copy of a statue from the 1600s.

Don't worry, we have not taken up smoking along with most of the population.

Something closer to a pepperoni pizza. You can get pickle pizza if you like.

Purple cabbage soup is on every menu. Have yet to try it.

Maybe I'll go grab that umbrella and head for the tea house. This Mama is getting a little stir crazy, but Andy is enjoying digital loans from the library and the kids are enjoying unlimited electronics for a few more days.

Back in Columbia, Mary Jayne is the happy recipient of Aunt Nee Nee's old e-reader, so she is in six-year-old heaven to finally have "an electronic" of her own. We are missing seeing their sweet faces.