"Greetings from Latvia"-Part #2.

By the way, Gita, I meant to tell you the reason why your link doesn't work is all those hyphens. Because there's no space between the hyphens and http, it reads the whole thing starting with "here" as the url. Since that isn't a valid url, it doesn't show up as a live link.

hart--You are SOOO smart!!!! Thanks!

Not smart, I just know how hyperlinks work. LOL

I too am watching for Latvia athletes competing in the Olympics..

Betty,

I can tell you that the Latvian Beach Volleyball teams--both in the mens and womens competitions clobbered the USA! I did not see either competition--as I was at work, but my daughter called me to tell me......

Then-- USA men clobbered Argentina (??) and then the US women beat Norway.
Should be interesting to see WHO ends up playing who in the finals?????? I think they are next week on Thursday and Friday.

I don't think the Latvians have too many athletes participating..Don't really know in what sports either. Small country.....I don't have a schedule of events.....

That reminds me--I need to Google the Olympics and print out the schedule.........

HEY!!!!!! Is anyone still paying attention to my postings from my Latvia trip besides Judy? I know it must all seem like Ho-Hum by now......Kind of, like all the anticipation is GONE!!!!

Will do ONE more posting........soon.....

Gita

Gita

I'm watching..and enjoying.

I'm still watching.

winking, Yep!

I'm watching!

i'm still here and waiting for more beautiful pictures.

Sorry...I have been a bit lazy....

Only have a few left to show you--as I grouped ALL my flower pictures in one Folder. Some of Family too....
Sorry! Will try to get to it tonight. Otherwise---very busy weekend coming up!

Gita

ALL right---All right----
One must ALWAYS finish what one starts.......SO--Here is the last Post of my pictures--Hodge--Podge as they will be! I had, originally, planned to post all the flower pictures on the "Plant ID" Forum--as I just HAD TO know all the names of them!

By now--it does not seem all that important any more.....However--IF you know the name of any of the "Need ID" pictures, please feel free to post them here.....
Maybe use the Post # as a guide--or I will never know what you are ID'ing.....Thanks!

To help you all out--I will put a "????" in front of flowers I need an ID on. OK?

Here is a Honeysuckle in my cousin, Zenta's Garden.

????---
This is a big-leafed, prolifically multiplying foliage plant that seems to grow easily--anywhere!
BIG leaves when fully grown. This is still kind of "young"....The leaves get much bigger...

?????

This seems to some form of a "NETTLE" (senior moment---What is it called here???--it is a ground cover...)

Loved the striation of the leaves--very eye-catching.....

?????---

What is this?

And--What is this??????

This was ALL over the gardens in Latvia.

What is this plant????

Here's a close-up of the above.....

Here is a HB of a Begonia in the courtyard of out Apartment complex.
I have never seen one like this here......Of course--that doesn't mean they do not grow here--just maybe I am just leading a "sheltered life"......

A close-up of the bloom--if you want to see it. Got a name for it????

OH, my God! This was just too gorgeous!!!!! Each cluster is ONE bloom!
My cousin promised to look for seeds of this plant for me.....

It is a Hybrid, multi-colored Yarrow! We all have them here growing in the fields, but they are just white!
The lady at the Flower Stand told me that it is only grown in "The Gardens".....

This was taken at a Flower Stand outside the National Cemetery in Riga.

If there were TWO kinds of flowers that predominated everywhere---in bouquets---in Flower Stands----AND in the flower wreaths all the young women wore on their heads----it was the White Daisy and the BLUE, BLUE Bachelors Button (aka Corn Flower). SOOOO native there in all the fields!!
Seems that--some of the Florist-grown ones were so much larger and so much more intense blue! In Latvian--we call it the "Rudzu Puke"--which means--the "Rye Flower"--meaning it grows all over the place in the fields the Rye is grown.

The florist LiIlies in Latvia were totally HUGE and amazing--and SO common at all the Flower Stands. Mostly white!
I saw many people in the City walking around with only ONE stem of a white Lily with about 6-8 blooms on it--having purchased it at a Flower Shop--and meant to give to someone--wrapped in pretty tissue paper with some greens.....at a cost of maybe $3.

Here is a really blue bunch of "Bachelor's Buttons" (Corn Flowers). SOOO brilliantly blue!

Another very popular flower in bouquets was the Sweet Pea--in all colors!

This is "Edelweiss"--in case you have never seen it.

I imagine you would know the name of this flower from the movie--"The Sound of Music"--and the song they sang. It was --like--the national song of Austria!

From what I know--the Edelweiss grows mostly in the Alps in that area.

Back to ???????........

What is this???

On the trip we drove all day to--to the City of my birth--and then further south to visit some friends of my Sister--and their AMAZINGLY beautiful garden, they had this amazing sprerad of Astilbes--in every color--in their garden. It was like a sea of rainbows!

Hmmmm...I did not know they could grow this big!

Here is a close-up of the blooms.....

I just HAD TO get a better shot of the Fireweed--which also covers every hillside in Alaska this time of year!
This is for Sharon!!!!!

In Alaska--they have a belief, that when the last of the blooms, on the Fireweed spikes, has bloomed---Summer is OVER!

This was in Northern Latvia--and as we were driving on--I hollered "STOP!" I NEED to get a picture of the Fireweed!!!! And--here it is!

On this trip--after viewing some of the castle ruins--we were going to stop at this little, local restaurant to have lunch. Just at where we were parking our car--there was an old house--BUT, hanging outside the house were these HB's of Begonias.
Another kind I had never seen before!

I realize that--in the cooler climates--there are different kinds of flowers. S)--anyone from Canada--Chime in and help me out here!!!

Great!!! Thank you, Gita!
Love that fireweed.

Here is just a VERY beautiful Basket arrangement of flowers at a Stand.
Didn't check the price.....

Beautiful photos, Gita. Those Begonias are heavenly especially the orange one. Do you think that post#5443593 might be one of the pink forms of Iberus, Candytuft? Those Astilbe are just magnificent!! Thank you for the lovely Journey.......

OK! Now we all are on a day-trip to an area called "Mazsalaca" and a forest full of interesting trails along a river (lots of climbing up and down...OH! My knees!!!) and a lot of wooden, carved/axed sculptures of elves all along the way. For 60 Santimes (about $1.50) you could purchase a brochure at the entrance booth to guide you along all these trails and also to follow the "Story" of what they all represented......

It was a L-O-N-G walk----maybe about 6 miles for the day......We were all tired as we approached the entrance to this park and eager to just get in our car and sit down.....

As we were still, sort of, following along the shores of this river that is known for it's red cliffs and also for several caves-- it was rather interesting.....

I will only share a couple of pictures from this trek with you.

Here I am at the entrance of a cave called "The Devil's Cave".....It is not very deep.....But--just interesting that it is THERE!
My Sister is standing on the steps.....

Here are the "Red Cliffs" long the same river.....Kind of an interesting thing..as we do not have a lot of any kind of "cliffs" nor red ones. Lots of rivers, though.....

One never knows what lies in the Geological past of any country....

I DO know--that everywhere in Latvia there were huge rocks everywhere.....Hmmm...dseems it may have a rather volcanic past somewhere along the way.....

Along our walking up and down all these trails--we stopped at a Pavilion to take a breather.
Just outside this Pavilion was this pine tree--roots all exposed---just waiting to tumble into the river.....BUT--as sinuous as Pines are--it will be hanging on until the next time I visit there--guaranteed!!!! Maybe--2013?

Here is a picture of what the leaves of ALL the Oaks growing in Latvia look like.
I know here where I live--the leaves are all different.....

BUT0--This is the Oak as I know it from my childhood.

Here is the Latvian flag that our Mom carried out of Latvia when we fled.

My Sisters donated it to one of our cousins, who had it flying at her country home at out Farewell Cook-Out.....Such a wonderful tribute!

If you have been following the Olympics--you might have seen it somewhere......

And this is our cousin, Zenta, who hosted the Cook-Out....

And--this is her husband, Egils, who actually did all the cooking-out....

Having a Shish-kebob cook-out there is quite an expense--as meat is NEVER cheap! They mostly use Pork for this....OH! Nothing like the flavor of fresh Pork meat!

No matter what--the food is ALWAYS great!!!!!