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Showing posts with the label Central Market

Riga, the Capital of the Baltics

Green spaces Two things become apparent when you arrive in Riga. First, there are a lot of green spaces and parks in the city and more lovely woods as you travel around Latvia.  The Brotherhood of the Blackheads Guild House The second thing you’ll notice is the variety of architectural styles from medieval to Art Nouveau to Soviet era architecture and modern aesthetic. The Blacksheads Guild House (above) has been restored after it was destroyed by German bombing in 1941 and the Russians took down in 1948 whatever was left of the ruined buildings. Three Brothers The houses of the Three Brothers represent three different eras and styles of architecture. And for clarification purposes, none of the owners were brothers. The White House is the oldest masonry building in Riga (dating around the end of the 15th c and the beginning of the 16th c).  The middle house has 1646 marked on its façade which is when its current look originates. The green house from the 17th century is the youngest of

Intro to San Jose, Costa Rica

Golden Room The old international airport of Costa Rica is now the new home of the Museum of Costa Rican Art. The Golden Room used to be the diplomatic lounge. Murals of the history of Costa Rica from pre-Columbian period to the 1940s adorn the walls. Luis Féron Parizot, a French artist, carved the bas reliefs in stucco and painted them in bronze. A section of the murals in the Golden Room shows Christopher Columbus among the indigenous  people of Costa Rica. Que Clavo! Luis Tenorio Rosales, 2010, acrylic on canvas One of the most evocative works of art at the museum is this painting of the crucifixion.  Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica This elegant theater in the Neo-Classical style was built courtesy of the tax levied on coffee. Thanks to the farmers who toiled in the fields this venue for the performance arts was completed in 1897.  The Flutist, Jorge Jimenez de Heredia In front of the National Theater is this beautiful marble statue of a flutist which was originally created for the Ba