town squares

This Estonian Town Hall Square has been a marketplace since the middle ages.  It looks like it might just be setting up, or closing down, in this image.  The building on the far left is the town hall and on top of the spire is a weather vane that has been there since 1530.

Below is another town square, this time in Lithuania.  Kaunas is the second largest city in that country and was a temporary capital during the interwar period.  The building in the centre is the town hall. The rivers are the Nemunis and Neris.

and, to round out the Baltic states,  Riga. With another public square in the middle left.  The buildings of the Town Hall Square were all rebuilt as everything was destroyed during WWII.

Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia with northern European cities for Thursday Postcard Hunt

coat of arms

 

The Latvian coat of arms  was designed in 1921 after its independence from German rule. The sun, as a symbol of self determination, has 17 rays representing the 17 counties.  There are also symbols of historical regions with the red lion and the silver griffin as well as three stars for Livonia (Swedish and Polish) and Courland.  The branches on the bottom are oaks.  

dawn chorus

It is coming to that time of year when the songbirds arrive and I managed to find four examples singing their little hearts out

Latvia's bird of the year (2023), a nightingale,  and a white throated sparrow

northern cardinal

willow warbler

a different kind of music for Sunday Stamps

click on the bird name to hear a sample of their song.
 

dizzy

look up, way up

red

Merry Christmas in Latvian

Sunday Stamps II - 149

2014, Latvia, Lighthouses
designer: Arta Ozola Jaunaraja

This octagonal lighthouse on the Gulf of Riga was built in 1930. It has been painted white with an orange vertical stripe and orange roof. The harbour at Ainazi was bombed by the Germans during the war which meant the loss of the areas fishing industry - and the need for a lighthouse. The village and harbour was rebuilt by the Soviets and the lighthouse restored.

for the letter L - Latvia, Lighthouse

Sunday Stamps II - 76

2015, Latvia, Lighthouses
Designer Arta Ozola Jaunaraja

The white brick, rectangular Salacgrivas Baka (baka = lighthouse in Latvian) can be found at the mouth of the Salaca River on the Gulf of Riga in northern Latvia. It's difficult to see, but in the clouds of the stamps is a map. It was built because of the numerous sandbanks that made the Gulf of Riga dangerous for navigation. In 2014, a promenade was built by bringing stones from the sea to protect the shore from erosion. The lighthouse has been inactive since 1970.

The artist Arta Ozola-Jaunaraja has designed at least 60 stamps for Latvia Post since 1993. Some of the themes, including the Lighthouses of Latvia, were suggested by Arta herself. More of her stamps can be seen here.

for lighthouses