Independence Day! 90 years

So this past weekend Latvia celebrated it's independence for 90 years and what an incredible struggle. With all that this county and its people hard to endure, it is quite special to be here today and know about all that they have been through. Needless to say, Latvians are very proud to be who they are and to live where they do. I can't blame them.

The festivites start early on in the week. Many concerts and mini celebrations are happening all around. They have a light show in certain areas of Riga where there are displays of lights and shapes on buildings and in parks. It was quite lovely to see. I met Marta and helped cook some bacon rolls. They were quite delicious and I had one too many. So did Ilze. By the end of the night we had small stomachaches. It was worth it though. Those tasty treats were pretty good. Hopefully, I'll be able to make them when I get home. Poor Justin. He will have to try all of my Latvian cooking. :)

The biggest moment of the evening was going out to see the fireworks. Before they started we watched the President of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania speak. We headed out into the most crowded area I have ever been in. I was linked to Mart and Ilze as we were walking past everyone. Eventually it became more dense and harder to see. It already doesn't help being so short. As we are going along people are pushing and trying to get through Marta, Ilze and my chain. I was not letting go! The pushiest of them all were the old ladies. I have never seen so many of them with such... I don't even know what to call it. :) At one point, I felt like I was being swallowed. It was pretty bad. We finally reached the fireworks, and they were okay. The cool part was the fact that it was to shown to music. It was nice.

Enjoy the pics. My Picasa Web Album is located under September.