Cesis

Kaija, Ilze, Andi, Julia and myself went to Cesis to check out the castle. They have a lot of castles in Latvia. It was a very snowy day, which was unexpected because it was not snowing in Riga. When we arrived the castle was closed but we were able to get in in 10 min. after they opened. :) We walked around the part of the castle because there were two drunk men who were able to get over the walls. We had to wait to explore the old part until the men left. We went up creepy stairs that needed light to help us find our way. We all had to carry candles in a lamp carrier. It was pretty cool. We didn't spend a lot of time that day in Cesis. We took the 2:00 bus which got us home around 3:30. There are a lot of places to explore in Latvia, and I haven't covered much ground. But as soon as it gets a little bit warmer, I will be on the go!

Ring ceremony

A quick little thing about Gymansium 1 is that the seniors have a ring ceremony to show that they have "graduated" from that school. Everyone dresses up in formal wear and strut their stuff. Their classroom teacher that they have had for three years presents their rings as if it were a diploma. Each class creates a video to show each person in their class which is around 30 students. The videos were pretty good and well done. At the end of the ceremony teachers are given a ring by one of their students. A boy named Janis gave me my ring with a pot of flowers. Giving flowers is also a big tradition in Latvia. Afterwards, the families of the seniors join them at the school for snacks and other things. I'm no sure what those other things were because I didn't stay to look. :( It was a good time and the students were very excited about getting their rings. I can't wait to show my either. :)