Spending Easter in Latvia with my sister and Ivan

Easter, the most important celebration of Christians and so also for Orthodoxs due to its important religious significance, has always been for me and my family an important moment of the year and we usually spent it together. This year, I had no other choice but to spend it away from home, from Romania, but not alone. My sister and Ivan (her boyfriend) came to visit me in Riga. We had a wonderful time while visiting Riga and Latvia and cooking traditional Romanian food.


They arrived on Friday and were quite tired after a long trip by train and bus (they came all the way from Bratislava). We decided still to visit the city and Aurelien and Adrien joined us. We even had a tea in the famous Tea House that I enjoy a lot (btw, we plan to make our own in Romania). We had then night adventures through the forest next to my place (remember how scared I am about it...), we had to ask people in the street to give us their phone to make a phone call (the first guy was rude, but the second gave us the phone - my sister was also better in negotiating than Ivan :)....





On Saturday it was the day for cooking. We prepared mostly what we prepare at home also for Easter: we coloured eggs, we baked cozonac, we prepared chiftea, we made salata de beouf and mamaliga cu branza si smantana (sorry, don t have translations :)... All turned out pretty well, we discovered we are not bad cooks eventually :)..

In the evening, we went to the seaside. It was a very nice weather and we enjoyed the sunset. We also met all the other volunteers who were celebrating Evelyn's and Judith's birthday...(Happy birthday once more!





In the night, we went as usual to the church to receive the light for Easter. We chose the Katedrale (Russian Orthodox Church in the center of Riga). Many people, kind of the same rituals and religious service...I enjoyed diversity and the possibility to actually practice my religion in another country!

Sunday was the day of staying at home :) we had my MC team invited to lunch! They all enjoyed the food and changed their mind about me cooking (wow, Anca can cook :)...





Monday was again visiting Riga, going to Mezaparks (a nice and huge park at the end of Riga)...we made crazy pictures and had nice picnic...Tuesday we decided to go somewhere out of Riga and we chose Sigulda and Turaida castle.




All in all, they had a great time and enjoyed Riga and Latvia (I hope, I was too much trying to make it cool). But we for sure enjoyed having Easter together and respecting the traditions and cooking together. I realised once more how much I enjoy Ioana in my life and how much I need her close to me. I know for the next year we will again not be together as she is going to Ecuador for an internship and I am going...somewhere for an internship :P...but we know we will live together somewhere in the future!

As far as it concerns this weekend (a long one as Latvians are free since Thursday), I went to Auce finally to see if it really is countryside (and I decided it is not)...met lots of volunteers...enjoyed the party...and then took the bus to Dobele. Evita welcomed me in her grandmother house, showed me family spirit in Latvia, good cooking skills of her grandmother, great time in the evening with her and Gatis playing the guitar! Guys, you are my favorite Latvians :) and I enjoyed the visit to Tervete with crossing the river through the water, climbing on children wooden "toys" and getting lost in the Labirints. Muchos muchos PALDIES!!!

Enjoy more pictures in my album on picassa...I am off enjoying my last month in Latvia!!!