Although I have only been working in Institute mOBILNO to go for three weeks David (the probably coolest boss in the world) allowed me to make a trip for a full week. Of course it was not only for holidays but rather for educational purposes because I attended a Summer School of Riga’s Technical University(RTU)!

During this amazing week I have not only seen the capital and various smaller places, also have I experienced the real Latvia. The Summer School – A Journey Beyond The Traditional Wooden Craft and Art – consisted of lectures and workshops. First every participant built their own wooden bench (featuring traditional wooden joints), to learn about the material properties and the woodworking machines. This was happening in RTU’s workshop, during this time we also visited the city of Riga and even had a boat tour on the Daugava one beautiful evening.

On Wednesday we travelled to the small town of Ligatne where we should spent the second half of our Latvia-Trip. There we visited a traditional wood craft museum, an incredible place where we worked under the open sky. On the first day there only few hours passed until everyone could feel the hard work in their bones, we really experienced how tough life must have been without powered tools. Well, luckily it was only three days and each of us created an unique totem pole and together we built dugout troughs and ball rabbets for children playgrounds. I also tried to make my own cup out of one piece of wood, unfortunately it as a small crack.. so I have to drink very fast 😉

Sleeping on mattresses on the floor of the local primary school was what finally brought the whole group much closer (as well as the occasional drink in the evening of course). Playing cards, listening to foreign songs and swimming in refreshing (damn freezing cold) rivers helped us socializing too.

Thank you to those who made this possible, see you again one day Riga, see you again one day all of you, you lovely bunch of random strangers whom I now proudly call my friends! 🙂