"Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep." - Fran Lebowitz

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Baltics trip
Day 7 - 22nd May - Riga, Museum of War, Latvia (Part 1)

European women are generally more sensual than East Asian women.



HWMNBN using the computer in the home stay


The mess we made


Sara the Dog


The house


Dog we saw on the sidewalk


A run down house. Perhaps a remnant of a more prosperous time.


Disgusting stockings are not confined to Lithuania


Fountain in river


Sculpture of a family


Duck


Freedom monument commemmorating their War of Independence. It was coopted by the Soviets but most people didn't buy it.


Base of monument


Tree-lined avenue beside monument


A manifestation of the vibrancy of the Baltics


Crests of Latvia


Powder Tower, and Museum of War


There are 9 cannon balls in the tower - on the side facing the city (and not away from it). Play Medieval Where's Wally - can you find all 9? We couldn't.

The Museum of War was free, so we went in. Unfortunately English was non-existent.

First was the Medieval section.


Polearms


Musket and dagger (?) set


Member of Livonian Order, 13th-16th century


Town (?) guard, 9th-12th century.

Next was the World War I section.


nw.t looking into a cannon


Clogs


German (?) postcard: "Gott strafe England". This was probably from WWI


Eastern Front model. You usually hear about the Western Front of the Great War so this was a refreshing change. Though there doesn't seem to be much difference.

Then there was stuff from the Russian Civil War.


Cock-looking pistol - attached to what looks like a rifle butt


Poster


Posters and grafitti mockup


Poster


Postcard


Drawing

Naturally, they had stuff from the Latvian War of Independence.


Fit-inducing flashes. Probably to distract people from their editorialising (not that I could read Latvian).


Pistols


Her Majesty's Artillery Shell

One curator asked if we were from Japan (chiefly by repeating, 'Japan?') After a while he recognised 'Malaysia', but not 'Singapore' (when I said 'Singapore' he said 'Philippines'). Hah.


Printed material from 1920-40 hearkening back to the past, and (presumably) conflating the present with legends


The Latvian Village People (a Theatre Troupe)


We Love Stalin


Nazi Medallion (?)


Rifle

There was a special exhibtion on guns.


Musketmen through the ages


Assorted guns ("rata atslega")


Another disproportionately-shaped pistol. Maybe the long stocks are meant to counter the momentum of the bullet.


Complete pistol box, 19th century


A very burdened-looking modern soldier. No wonder he looks so sad.


Golden (?) Gun


Kids' Drawings


Portraits of Stalin

All in all, it was a nice museum. Too bad there was no English but hey, it was free. And they let us use our camera flashes too!


Quotes:

[On Tim the Great hooking up] I don't think so. He strikes me more as the fine foods sort of person than the fine girls sort of person.

Where do all these museum jaga aunties... endless supply