Ilze, cousin Rasma and cousin Aigars having lunch! Our waiter was still hung over
from Ligo 3 days earlier!!!



Rasma picking rhododendron plants for Ilza and Cande.
She's an expert on rhodendrons!!!



Rasma telling all about one of the thousands of rhododendrons where she
works for the Latvian state university just outside of Riga.





Rasma is always smiling!

Cande in a shop in Riga where she ordered a handmade vest in

the traditional style and colors of the region where Renda is located.

Sometimes I think she is part Latvian! She'll get the vest in September or

October.

Cande on the bank of the river in Riga.

The Freedom Monument in Riga square. Every time I see this

I give thanks that our country is free and has never been

occupied and also that Latvia is again a free nation!

Meeting the Latvian Kamperzales, 27 June 2011

Cousin Aigars calling the number we got out of the phonebook for Janis Kamperzale.


Cousin Janis Kamperzale met us in the Talsi town square. He's a taxi driver.

Janis, Al and Aigars! the 3 cousins!!!

Before we went to Janis' home for dinner, we stopped at a brewery to get some beer.

The sign for the brewery.

Janis opening up some champagne to toast meeting his cousins!

Janis and his wife Marieta. Janis can speak a little English.

I took a photo of a photo Alfred Kampersal gave to Janis in the early 1970s. When I saw this photo I knew we had the right cousins!!! There was no dates or names on the back but Alfred's daughter gave Al all the names.

Another photo of a photo of Alfred Kampersal.
No dates were on any of the photos Janis had.

A photo of Alfred and Janice Kampersal.

Son Andris, father Janis, Al, Cande, Marita and son Janis in front of their home in Talsi, Latvia

Janis Kamperzale, Aigars Rekis and Al Recke!

We owe a huge debt to Aigars for taking the initiative to find Janis!!!

Storks are everywhere and I like taking their photos!

Ilza wanted to stop at this large flower farm for some Iris bulbs.

The owner digging the bulbs for Ilza.

A neat swing bench at the flower farm. I'll make one for our mountain cabin!!!

A photo of an old photo Janis Kamperzale gave Al of the early Kampersals that Alfred gave to Janis. It was taken in Boston, Mass. and has some water stains. Alfred Kampersale's daughter, Lynda is checking the names for Al.

Some of the building material for Aigar's new house. It's made of a foam like block material and a thinset morter.


Bonie fetching a stick in the Baltic Sea.

She got it!!!

Cande found a nice piece of amber on the beach!

Amber!!!

At the path to the beach near Aigar's summer home.

Cousin Imants, Aigars' and Andris' father! A great guy!

and very friendly but doesn't speak or understand English.

Aigars and Imants getting the grill fired up!

Luda, Imants' wife and Ilza getting ready for lunch.

Andris arriving for lunch.

Andris took Cande and me to his "near town" flat to show us some of the WW II relics he's collected. He's into this BIG TIME! Note the hand grenades he's holding! They are defused and no powder. He found the German machine gun in a bunker in a box so it's really new!!! and it will work!

Andris found this Russian AK too but he had to make the stock as it was missing. It's in bad shape and not capable of firing.

Al trys the AK!

The gated entry to Andris' home and many others in a VERY exclusive area!!!

Al and Andris next to the home he's having built. VERY nice!!!

Andris' sauna next to the new home!!!

His home and new Mercedies Benz...

Andris took Cande and me to lunch and this is part of the resturant. Note the thatched roof!

Andris took us to the Latvian National Wildlife Center.

A European brown bear, like our grizzly!

Just the 3 of us in the wildlife center.

OK, this is NOT an elk!!! See the next photo...

It's a MOOSE!!!

Yep, a Lynx allright!!!

and there it is looking right at us! Cool!!!

Latvia has many wolves... we saw one but the light was to dim and he was to far away.