There's a definite nip in the air.

Today we packed our garden furniture away. This year we have used our summer house a lot more, but I guess all good things must come to an end, and yes there is a bit of a nip in the air. Warmer clothes are the order of the day. Autumn is here. Having said that if the sun shines we can still  enjoy it's warmth as it gets lower in the sky.
Another sign that the shorter days are upon us is last week we took a trip with our pensioner friends which will be the last one of 2016 I guess. This time we headed towards a small place called Piebalga in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. About two and a half hours away, so it was another 7.30 start to the day.

As the day starts so the mist starts to dissapear

 Some way into our journey in a quiet spot, we pulled off the road for a comfort break where three quarters of the folk disappeared into the woods and I will leave the rest to your imagination.
Feeling more comfortable (well those who had visited the woods) we travelled on to our first point of call
Piebalga porcelain factory has been open to visitors since 2007, and is the only  one in Latvia.

Piebalga Porcelain Factory. 

First you pour the slip

wait a while then empty

to the top of the mould

then tap out ready to be glazed
and fired.

 Having looked round the gift shop where we could buy all manner of  very fine porcelain items, we were able to see how items were made and have a go at pouring slip (technical name for runny clay)into moulds and produce our own piece. which would be fired and glazed for the next group of tourists. We were given one that was made earlier in true Blue Peter fashion. oh yes, where did the clay come from ?? would you believe, Stoke on Trent, yep !!!  quite a surprise , that was,

We then travelled  for about  20km down a very narrow road and found ourselves at "Kalna Kaibeni"
a school founded in 1868. It is now is one of the oldest museums in Latvia. After waiting for our guide who lived next door we went into the classroom and were told about school life and the history of the school, as is the case in so many visits we make  we were only able to pick up on the gist of the talk,  hearing words we recognised, and putting 2 and 2 together came up most times with 4.

The house where Reina and Matisa Kaudzisu
worked and lived.

Home and school house in one

The most modern kitchen, note the cooker in the back
and the wash tub towards the door

 Having listened for a while Valerie and I decided to walk around the garden. We returned to find the talk over and we were free to look over the house, which was not only the school but the teachers home. Now this was much more up our street peering into cupboards and rooms which gave us a much better understanding of school life so many years ago.

Valerie found a new friend in the school garden

Not sure if he was carrying a dog or was off
ferreting 

Now what has he got in there??

Dinner time found us at the cafe "Laura" where we enjoyed home made solyanka (a Russian sweet and sour soup) which was very tasty, and karbonade, a cut of pork sliced thinly and beaten flat,  dipped in egg and fried,  accompanied  as always with boiled potatoes, salad and a mushroom sauce. and plenty of it. all washed down with a fruit drink. A very typical Latvian meal, very tasty and enjoyed by all, and all for 5 euro's,







Our next visit was to a Lutheran church which was completely destroyed in 1944 and was rebuilt in 1997. At which point the battery ran out in my camera,(note to self must buy a spare)

There are plans to build a new bell tower

The inside of the church kept very simple, unlike many of
Latvia's Lutheran churches,  the altar was just a
large block of stone.
It was at this point my battery ran out!!!!

                        Then back on the coach and off to visit a museum dedicated to "Emils Darzins" one of  Latvia's greatest composers,The house is approached down a long avenue of lime trees which was not unlike the approach to the school we went to in Uckfield, the building at the end though couldn't have been more different, after a look round the rooms and memorabilia we all sat and listened to one of Emils Darzins greatest pieces, Melanholiskais valsis  https://youtu.be/JCAakhvNeTE?list=RDJCAakhvNeTE





The last place we were to visit was a organic farm, we were greeted by the owners who welcomed us with a smile and a song,  The farm has been in the same family for three hundred years, and the current owners work very closely with the environment  using cattle, wild horses and sheep to maintain pastures. Unfortunately the weather had taken a turn for the worse and we arrived just as the rain started. Hurrying  into a marque set up by the side of a large pond, there was hot coffee and tea with small cakes waiting for us.as we listened to the history of the farm there were baskets of apples coming round for us to taste.,after a whistle stop tour of the grounds around the farm house, it was back on the coach where the farmer sent us on our way with another song and we headed for home.

Oh yes I almost forgot our souvenirs from Piebalga porcelain factory

Ummmm still not sure what they are
Any ideas out there???