Ragnar's World: War and trade

I found out yesterday, while checking sights to see, that not far from the church I visited, there was a war monument. Complete with lots of old artillery. They said it was worth a look. So I went back there. And indeed. It was a type of monument I had anticipated. Big, bold and so very Soviet style. With the big, strong soldier pushing forward with death and bravery in his look. And an "eternal flame" in front of it.

And then, after passing through some kind of portal, I came to a place filled with tanks, cannons and other artillery.

After this, I walked to one of my favorite places anywhere I go. The local market. Now, I know that I am probably not the typical shopping guy. But these markets are special. It gets you close to the daily life of people here. Looking for bargains. Maybe shopping for lower prices. All the merchants with their food on display. In an attempt to allure a hungry customer into stopping at their particular stall and buy todays meat, veggies or, my favorite, spices.

"The green market" was no exception. It was big, noisy, and smelly. Both good and bad. And it hasd something I have never seen before. A balcony for onlookers. And it looked like they were all used to this. So I walked up the stairs and got a grand view of it all. There was even a restaurant in the middle of the market. One floor up. Where patrons could sit and enjoy a meal cooked, quite possibly, from the ingredients bought from the market.

The spice stalls were as always my favorite. The smell is wonderful. I can say it a million times. It is still true. If you ever get a chance, go to a spice market just to take in the colors and the smell.

I spent a lot of time there before leaving to walk through some "green lungs". And in one of these, I found the very definition of a "public library". It was a kind of mobile shelves with books. The shelves looked like an open book. No librarians, no checkout routine. Just take a book, sit down and read. And lots of people did. What a wonderful idea.

It did remind me of a story I once read. I cannot remember where it was. But it was a traveller who saw this guy with a "bookshop" on the street of the city. He didn't have a cart. He didn't have a shop. His books were just piled on the side of the street. "Aren't you afraid someone might steal your books?" he asked. "No. Because readers don't steal, and thieves don't read". Nobody had ever stolen a book from him. So I guess he was right.

The rest of the day was spent just walking through the city, taking in people, noises, smells and the beautiful small parks dotted around.

I finished my walk with a monument I wanted to see. One typical of the communist era (even thought I'm not sure it is). A couple "in the wind". Looking towards the horizon. A horizon blocked by a monumental building so typical of that era.