Sunday, July 12, 2009

Liepaja, Latvia

Today I breakfasted on grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and took a luxurious shower, a good start to any day. Following that, I visited a former soviet prison, where I saw interesting sculptures made of gas masks. In the prison exercise yard, I purchased kitschy pins of soviet winnie the pooh and a fox stealing a chicken with a sneaky look on his face. I wandered the outside of an elaborate Russian orthodox cathedral surrounded by decaying block flats.

I toured the (blown-up when they were leaving) Russian bunker on the seaside. I made my way south along the coastline from there to a 624 step long break-wave, surrounded by gigantic concrete jacks, and walked to the end. On the way my feet sank deeply into warm, pebbly sand that pushed and caressed. The day was beautiful, with warm sun, cool breeze, and puffy white clouds.

Returning to town, I ate french fries with garlic sauce and homemade ketchup at a snack stand overlooking the canal. I wandered into a few churches, and then picked up a few dollars worth of groceries to make an enormous curry stew. I ended the day watching a British comedy projected onto a wall.

I think that sometimes the simplest sentences are the best ones. Simple declarations of a beautiful truth can serve much better than even the most elaborate poetry, when what you are describing is already amazing.

2 comments:

Mom said...

Sounds like a great relaxing day! Glad all is going well. Love, MOM xo0o0x

Dad said...

Awesome posts about an awesome trip. Sounds like a great place. I would tell you to have a great time but that is a given.

Love and jealousy, Dad xoxo