Lakes in Latvia

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Wanderer

Pace, pace, pace – Amneris sings at the end of the opera Aida. It’s a peace from all the passions, fights, contradictions in her soul and in this opera’s story. It’s a peace full of tragedy, but nevertheless it is a solution. Pace, pace, pace … Just peace is peculiar for lakes – in the highest limit between all waters in the free nature. Yet it is an absolutely different kind of peace – self-confident, self-respecting, higher and stronger than even time is.
In immemorial ancient times, legends and tales tell lakes had flown through the air and only then, when someone called them right they fell down and stayed there. It’s not known how was it really if someone hit the right word at a slope or hillside … But Latvian lakes names are very varied, tuneful, different and often also unintelligible. In comparison with other place names (toponyms) it’s not the case and scientists perhaps have their versions about the lake names, too. But they are all beautiful: Lubāns, Rušons, Sīvers, Ežezers, Ungurs, Jugla Lake, Drīdzis, Viešūrs, Riču Lake, Ummis, Čortoks, Alauksts, Puze Lake … Of course, to someone who don’t know the language they are even stranger and more funny, especially if no explanation really can’t be done.
Yes, beautiful. Beautiful in its temperance and simplicity, beautiful in the fact that they enrolle themselves in the landscape ( somebody has called the correct word in the right moment!). Glance over of the whole picture row – well, surely all the same! Nope! Apparent uniformity hides a lot of subtle, indescribable, without finding out the difference. Let’s not attempt to disable it, decrypt, let’s enjoy that we have so many lakes (a total of four thousand).
Here’s an example, as a sign of the 'typical' Latvian lakes. Well, it is typical, it is. It is quiet, as fallen into a slumber. The shores are protected with aquatic plants; here and there is seen some islet cap. However, the lake has its own character, his mood, his lonely or even simple-hearted self-confidence. Also the following 'examples' are 'typical'. Yes, in the next one picture are highlighted perspective, geometric clarity, directness and simplicity of lines, a potential infinity (lake strikes in the sky), but the peace and feeling are close, closely related to other. Photo Jānis Sedols Photo Jānis Sedols
And here is a third of these 'typical' lakes, only this time decorated in glorious autumn colours and with a slight nostalgia for the outgoing summer. And right there – the lake in winter: very quiet, and as in nap, as in unsconsciounsness.
But this is the largest lake in Latvia – Lubāns. Here, the most clear and best visible interplay of water and sky. The spaciousness of water resembles almost a sea, but the clouds mirroring in the specular surface inscribe in it their own signs, hints, mild or severe. Photo Julita Kluša
But here – ghostly evening games. Peace, but peace with a hint at trouble. However above all everything remains calm. Pace, pace, pace. Photo Jānis Sedols

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