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Caption: LATVIA Late Summer
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Caption: In late September 2017, I returned to Latvia with my mom to explore the Kurzeme region.
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Caption: Latvians love to neatly stack firewood. Every home in the countryside has an artful stack. They’re practical first and foremost, but also works of art.
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Caption: One of the houses on the property where we stayed in Mazirbe. The proprietor’s grandfather bought the land in the 1900s and the family lived here part way thru the Soviet occupation until they were forced out in 1960. During that time they lived in constant fear of being shipped off to Siberia as many Latvians were. After Latvia regained its independence in 1990, the family was finally able to come home to reclaim what was always theirs.
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Caption: These tall wooden posts used to support barbed wire fences where Latvians were “allowed” to swim. Soviet soldiers stood guard so that no one got away.
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Caption: The beautiful medieval town of Kuldīga dates back to the 1200s.
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Caption: The Alekšupīte River canal runs thru old town town Kuldīga along the walls of houses.
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Caption: Venta Falls, Europe’s widest waterfall.
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Caption: A Lutheran church originally built in 1704. It was restored in the 2000s after sitting unused for 50 years during the Soviet Occupation — a time during which church was strictly forbidden.
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Caption: A house with a traditional reed roof along the southwest coast of Latvia.
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Caption: A traditional 19th century fisherman’s house.
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Caption: A fishing boat in Jūrmalciems — once a thriving fishing village prior to the Soviet occupation.
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Caption: A few of the wild horses at Lake Pape, managed by World Wildlife Fund Latvia.
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Caption: Large herbivores like these and the natural meadows they create have been almost extinct in Europe for centuries. The hope is to spread these horses to other parts of Europe so that these meadows can be regenerated.
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Caption: Lake Pape.
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Caption: Until next time, Latvia!
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