Surreality in a CBC newscast

Early this morning I was listening to the news on CBC Radio One. The news mentioned two things that a few years ago I would have found to be beyond belief. Not that they were actually new or unheard of: just that I could remember a time when neither of them would have seemed at all likely.

The two items: the musical "Hamilton" (yes, I know, rather old news, and only mentioned in passing today)

And

a Canadian-led military mission to Latvia.
"Strange days have found us..."

Latvia again

Latvia is warm and green and sunny, which is fine for a short-term visitor like me. Local people worry about the lack of rain in the growing season.

The first time I visited Latvia was in 1995, which is my earliest standard of comparison. Eleven years later, two years ago, Latvia looked much more cheerful and prosperous. Today, I see noticeable signs of further progress. In a smallish town, Valmiera (above), up to date appliances are for sale, there are more new cars, and lots of roads, sidewalks and bridges have been repaired.

The big news on last evening`s TV news was that because summer is here, more kids are hurting themselves in playgrounds. Well, there was also news about government corruption, but the news was that people wanted to do something about it.

The Latvians are still a slim and tall people, by and large.

Oh, yes, because this is a much higher latitude than North Bay, and it is June, I am getting a taste of the White Nights. The sky is bright at midnight; at 3:56 in the morning I woke to daylight.

Still travelling...

I survived scrambling along cliffs like this in Cornwall and am now in a flatter country, Latvia. What a relief.

More later...