Kicking off the month with cake and football

Along with the beginning of February came a slew of holidays and other occasions, ruining the image of control I had at the end of January, seeming to sneak up on me as it does every year. Luckily I didn’t have to worry about the big events which caught me off guard in Clermont-Ferrand; the short film festival and wine weekend at the Vinidome (which we usually missed anyway during our years in France) or the big rugby game in which France emerged victorious against England in the RBS 6 nations. But I also missed jour des crêpes, the French tradition of a day of crêpes that we had managed to keep since moving back from France. The good news is that there were a dozen other things to observe and celebrate!

With the passing of the Chinese New Year we have entered into the year of the horse, and who cares that Punxsutawney Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter (a few days ago on Groundhog Day), we have been immersed in a birthday celebration! Our youngest marked his second birthday on January 29^th, and Sunday we had a few friends over to celebrate. The bar had been set high as on Lauris’s second birthday dessert consisted of the train cake, but we managed a completely relaxed weekend while still marking this milestone in proper jubilārs vēlās fashion. While discussing possible cakes with Mikus I received a few pointers: mašīna, policija and pikaps (car, police and pickup truck). The result was this cake, for which I used Martha’s one bowl chocolate cake recipe and a vanilla buttercream icing, mixed with some food coloring for the accents.

The weather has warmed considerably since the giant snow storm, and we spent the warmest hours of the day outside. Our guests brought a science experiment, and luckily no one got too sticky during the Mentos-Coke explosion. We soaked up the mid-60˚ temps before heading inside for a chili dinner and the Super Bowl, complete with a bacon-cheese dip and plenty of chips and guacamole, as required by this American holiday centered around food, friends and football.

Of course now we can turn our attention to Sochi for the Winter Olympics. We’ll definitely tune in to watch the opening ceremonies Friday, and despite all the controversy on Russia’s preparation for these games, we are excited to support the Latvian men’s hockey team. They will be taking the ice next Wednesday, so now it is just a matter of rounding up the local Latvians and figuring out how to watch the game….

The Diamond Jubilee

Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 60 years as Monarch this year, and this weekend was the Diamond Jubilee marking six decades of her reign. She is the second Queen in the country’s history to celebrate this milestone, the first being Queen Victoria in 1897. As I’m not British, nor living in Britain, I will leave blogging about it to others like Laura or Ariana. However, I do love the idea of the entire country celebrating together as a nation (we recently participated in the Queen’s Day celebrations in Amsterdam which had a similar feel) and so under the guidelines of “a good excuse for a party” we will eat cake!

Our Jubilee weekend as a whole was relatively low-key, cake and all. The Kalamazoo grandmother is still visiting (I haven’t quite caught up with our traveling yet and so she’ll make more appearances in later blogs) and volunteered to put both boys to bed Saturday night, leaving us free to see a movie. Moonrise Kingdom was the perfect choice for our first date in a theatre in over two years; it was shown version originale (so, in English), it’s a comedy, Bruce Willis, Ed Norton and Bill Murray all star and most importantly, the sleep deprived parents could stay awake for the relatively short 90 minute movie.

Afterwards we grabbed a bite to eat at Pata Negra, a tapas place here in town. Average in price, food and atmosphere, yesterday it turned out to be just the thing. As it was past 9pm most restaurants had stopped serving (I know! They don’t start serving until 7:30pm, you would think they would at least serve us dessert!) and so the decision was made for us. However, if you’re looking for a lively atmosphere for a casual dinner in Clermont, this is the place; there was live music playing both times we’ve eaten there. Our first visit was shortly after moving to Clermont, memorable as the band playing tango had several professional-looking couples on the dance floor.

This year’s picnic at Lake Aydat was postponed due to rain and thunderstorms Sunday, so instead we spent the morning watching from our living room as the hundreds of runners competed in the annual races. Last year there were over 3,700 participants, so I expect the number this year was closer to 4,000. At least five separate races for children (by age bracket) were followed by a 5km and two 10km runs (one elite and one open). Afterwards a quick visit to the marché aux puces where I found a solid, large flowerpot for a couple euro. We sat out the promised rain in a nearby café.

The excitement level in Clermont is at a peak, between the races, rugby and tennis. The Top 14 semi-final rugby match between Clermont and Toulon was on Sunday, which got the entire town sporting yellow & blue and trying out their air horns. Last year Clermont beat Toulon at the same stage with big drama – controversial calls and all, but it was still sad to see the hometown lose. And the 2012 French Open is underway. The 111^th tournament is taking place at the Stade Roland Garros until June 10^th. (The French Open is also called the Roland Garros, after the French aviator)

And of course we took plenty of walks. The roses are blooming in Jardin Lecoq, the playground in Parc Amadeus is undergoing repairs and so requires constant visits, and Place de Jaude seems to be hosting a different bandstand with a different man on bullhorn every day. This is my favorite time of year in Clermont-Ferrand! (Well, until summer when the outdoor cafes seem to spill into the streets and the marches overflow with the summer bounty!)

Congratulations to Her Majesty on 60 years of service, and whether you spent the weekend in a flotilla honoring the Queen, watching a tennis and rugby game, running in the Courir à Clermont races or at home enjoying time with family, I hope everyone had a Happy Jubilee weekend!

A victory all the same!

Sunday was a big day in France... The French rugby team, Les Bleus, played the New Zealand All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final. Some predicted a blowout, but it turned out we were in for a great game. The final score was 8-7, and in my opinion France should take great pride in the team that was not expected by most to go this far in the tournament.  Up to the last minutes, there was a chance at victory.

We managed to squeeze in a breakfast of plānās pankūkas during halftime, eating quickly in order to get back to the game. After lunch we headed into town, where the mood was definitely subdued, despite the gorgeous fall weather. Should France have won, the streets that day and evening would have been full with revelers and cars honking horns in victory, but fans now must wait four years for another opportunity at the next Webb Ellis Cup.

Cervolix

Columbus day in the US (as well as my grandmother’s 80^th birthday celebration in Gaŗezers), Thanksgiving in Canada and Cervolix in France. OK, it’s not an official holiday, but from what I had heard, the kite festival/air show is a once-a-year spectacle for the entire family. The last time I had been up on the Plateau de Gergovie I was about 5 weeks pregnant but didn’t know it yet. I hiked up with the IWC hiking club and Lauris on my back in the baby backpack and wondered, “can I really be this out of shape?” My lungs were burning and I was so very tired, yet somehow managed to finish the hike without embarrassing myself. Knowing that I have an additional 20 weeks of pregnant belly I was relieved that the festival is accessible by car; the event is actually free, and you can park your car right up on the plateau for only 5 euro.

I should also mention we have visitors! My parents-in-law arrived last Thursday evening, and although we’ve done some sightseeing in the city, the festival was our first venture out of Clermont-Ferrand. A wonderful dinner at Crêperie Le 1513 on Friday night, a visit to the Chamalières marchè on Saturday morning, then an afternoon spent downtown looking at the sidewalk sales. We had seen the braderie signs everywhere, and although I’m familiar with soldes, I had to look up this new word which I now know means clearance. It was a festive atmosphere, France had just beat England 19-12 in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup, there were vendors selling their wares from tents all along Bd François Mitterrand from the Jardin Lecoq to Place de Jaude, and many stores had tables outside with discounted items. Since the Cervolix festival is both Saturday and Sunday, we settled on Sunday to make the 20 minute drive to Gergovie, as neither the marchè nor the sales would be open.

After a morning visit to the marché aux puces we packed the car and headed south. It was only once we had parked that it started to sprinkle, and about an hour later this became a steady drizzle. We had packed a picnic, but as a majority of the kites had been lowered, the model airplanes grounded and no idea of when the rain would let up, we decided to head back to Clermont-Ferrand and spend a lazy Sunday indoors instead. Maybe next year we have better luck with the weather!

England Part II: Straumēni and Rugby

For English, please scroll down

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Iemesls, kamdēļ lidojām uz Angliju bija lai satikt Cerus, un iemesls kamdēļ viņi tur lidoja, bija jo Alnis tur koncertēja ar „Čikāgas piecīšiem.” Un tā varētu arī teikt, ka mēs lidojām uz Londonu lai redzētu „Piecīšus.”

„Čikāgas piecīši” šogad svin savu zelta jubilēju. Jaunākais CD „Visiem latvju bērniem” ieskaita dziesmas no gaidu un skautu Lielām nometnēm, kā arī populārās „Mazais letiņš” un „Sarauj’ Latvija.” Pēdejo reizi Anglijā tie spēlēja 1974. gadā, un šoreiz tie piestājās ceļā uz Latviju savā „Beidzot 50!” tūrē. Sestdien, 30. jūlijā bija pirmais tūres koncerts DVF Straumēnos, kas ir tuvu Rugby pilsētiņai, un tā piektdienas vakarā jau sakāpām īres mašīnā un braucām uz ziemeļiem no Londonas.



Sestdien vispirms aizbraucām izpētīt Straumēnus. Tur ir skaista 19.g.s. lauku muiža, 22 akru parks, baznīca, skaisti puķu dārzi un vēl dīķītis. To 1975. gadā sāka apsaimniekot Anglijas Daugavas Vanagu Fonds, un šodien to lieto „netikai latviešu draudzes un latviešu organizācijas, bet arī vietejā angļu sabiedrība, ieskaitot profesionālas grupas, labdarības organizācijas un privātas personas dažādiem komerciāliem, sabiedriskiem un atpūtas pasākumiem.” Piecīši jau mēģināja savu programmu Vecā zālē, un krēsli bija salikti tur un blakus zviedru zālē. Drīz uznāca ēstgriba, un braucām tālāk pa laukiem uz Rugby, piestājoties mazā Clifton Upon Dunsmore miestiņā uz pusdienām.

Pēc garšīgas „jacket potato” maltītes (tā Anglijā sauc ceptu kartupeli ar sieru un citiem ēdieniem iekšā) turpinājām uz Rugby, kur pirmo reizi spēlēja „rugby” sportu 1823. gadā. Pastaigājām par pilsētiņu, izskatijām „rugby” muzēju, piestājām tūristu birojā nopirkt kādu pastkartiņu, un beidzot nonācām skaistā „Caldecott” parkā kur visi bērni (un dūšā jaunie) kārtīgi izskrējās.

Rokzvaigznes Alberts Vītols, Alberts Legzdiņš un Alnis Cers

Tad bija laiks doties atpakaļ uz Straumēniem uz koncertu! Kaut zāles nebija ideālas šim tipa uzvedumam, un Zviedru zālē bija grūtāk dzirdēt, koncerts iznāca pavisam labs. Vispirms uzstājās Fišeru ģimene, un drīz jau „Piecīši” uznāca skatuvē. Skanēja pazīstamas dziesmas visu nakti, ieskaitot „Pazudušais dēls” un „Latvijai.” Otrā pusē „Man garšo alus” klausītājus visus tā sajūsmināja, ka skatītāji izskatijās kā vilnis šūpojoties līdzi, un piedziedājumu visi dziedāja. Mana mīļāka dziesma kuŗu uzveda bija „Hei Lailī,” pie koncerta beigām, kuŗai atkal bija komponēti ļoti piemēroti un jocīgi pantiņi.

Ar pilnu mašīnu nogurušiem bērniem braucām atpakaļ uz hoteli lai izgulētos nākamās dienas piedzīvojumiem - Stonehenge un Londona!

* Kaut mums neiznāca nākamā vakarā tikt uz koncertu Poļu namā Posk, Londonā, tur piestājām pirms koncerta apskatīt zāli un noklausīties īsu daļiņu no mēģinājuma. Zāle bija skaista, akustika varena, un nožēloju, ka nevarēju tikt uz abiem koncertiem. Pieņemu, ka otrais koncerts bija tik pat lustīgs, ja ne vairāk, kā pirmais! Novēlu „Čikāgas piecīšiem” visu labāko savos turpmākajos koncertos Latvijā! Tiem kuŗiem interesē redzēt šo vēsturisko grupu, tā tūrēs sekojošās pilsētas;

5. augustā Siguldas pilsdrupās

7. augustā Uzvaras parkā Jelgavā

13. augustā Alūksnes pilssalas estrādē

14. augustā Bauskas pilskalna estrādē

18. augustā Valmieras pilsētas estrādē

19. augustā Latvijas Nacionālā teātrī, Rīgā

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Our reason for the recent trip to England was to meet with my aunt and her family. The reason for their trip was Alnis’s band, Čikāgas Piecīši (which translates as „The Chicago Five” representing the original five members) is on tour to commemorate their 50th anniversary. The group has had almost thirty people participating over the years, although the core remains the same. Alnis joined in the mid-1980s, and their last concert in England was in 1974. This time they played two concerts in England before heading to Latvija on their Beidzot 50! (Finally 50!) tour. We headed out Friday night to Rugby, en route to their Saturday concert in Straumēni.

As I mentioned in my previous post, we stayed at the Daugavas Vanagu Fonda Londonas Nams in London. The Daugavas Vanagu Fonds is a Latvian welfare organization that manages the guesthouse on the side. They also manage Straumēni, a twenty-two acre estate with a 19^th century manor, church, banquet halls, bar, English gardens and a pond. Used for all sorts of Latvian events, it is also popular with the English as a wedding, conference and meeting venue. This was our first stop Saturday morning, and as the band practiced we explored the beautiful grounds and gardens – Roberts remarked that they reminded him of the famous Longwood Gardens outside Philadelphia.

Our next stop was the nearby village of Clifton Upon Dunsmore, for a delicious meal of “jacket potatoes” (a baked potato loaded with toppings of your choosing) and fish and chips. Then we hopped back into the rental car and headed back to Rugby, whose claim to fame is that it’s the birthplace of rugby football. Rugby was first played there in the local school in 1823, and after a quick stop at the rugby museum we purchased Lauris his very first rugby ball, made by the authentic Webb Ellis manufacturers. Our final stop in Rugby was Caldecott park, that had very cool playground equipment including a zip line and a skateboard ramp simulator. Then it was time to head back to Straumēni for the concert.

The Ellis statue and the Rugby school where it all started

The opening band was the Fisher family, with a cool Latvian zydeco style. Then to much applause, Čikāgas Piecīši took the stage. Playing all the old favorites that I grew up with, the audience often sang along and swayed with the music. It was late when the rental car full of tired kids headed back to the hotel, to get some rest for the next day’s adventures in Stonehenge and London.

* Although we didn’t make it to their next concert in the Polish house Posk in London, we did stop by before the show to check out the venue and listen to some of rehearsal. The hall was very nice, with great acoustics, and I assume that the second concert went just as well, if not better than the first. Wishing Čikāgas Piecīši all the best during the rest of their tour in Latvija! If anyone in the area is interested in seeing this historical band, they will be playing on the following dates;

August 5^th in Sigulda

August 7^th in Uzvaras park in Jelgava

August 13^th in Alūksne

August 14^th in Bauska

August 18^th in Valmiera

August 19^th at the National Theatre in Rīgā