Sunday Afternoon with Agra and Ivars

Sunday afternoon was spent with Elina, Janeks, Agra Vavere and Ivars Landorfs. Agra and Ivars both really enjoyed the preaching and singing and wanted to continue to practice their English. We walked around old Riga and visited several souvenir shops and street vendor tables. Janeks and Elina also tagged along. Finally, we were able to see the Freedom Monument we had heard so much about. This liberty monument commemorates Latvian independence in 1918. It is so revered here that it is guarded day and night by two uniformed guards of the Latvian Army.

Agra used to be a teacher. She now works in the Museum in Ogre, a Latvian city not far from Riga. Ivars is a pensioner (retired) who still works building fireplaces. They both seemed to really enjoy the time with us and were so excited every time they got a new English word. One big and beautiful building is the city opera house. We explained that opera is not very popular in the US. We ate again (third time this week) at a Lido restaurant which is a very popular place (for good reason).

We observed a older woman doing what looked like an interpretive folk dance on the street. Agra and Ivars both commented on how many think she is crazy but that she really is just a lady who likes to dance. There were a number of street musicians playing flutes, saxophone, violin and accordions.

Eric, Elina, and Janeks each fed pigeons from their hands in the park. Eventually, we walked Agra and Ivars to the train station. Then Janeks and Elina walked us through the city tunnel back to old city Riga. Janeks was very concerned about our well being and ability to find our way back to the part of the city where we needed to end up to meet back up with Victor.

It was a great Lords' Day!