Sunday, September 15th

Rain coming at a slant this morning due to gale force winds 

Rather than watching Netflix all day

Ventured north, towards the coast and Baltic Sea, to the town of Ventspils 

Encountered miles of construction before reaching the largest port in Latvia

Not a good day for walking along the promenade

Found the Livonian Order of Knights Castle, which doesn't look ancient from the outside

Inside, warm and dry with appearance of a modern venue

Really inventive illuminated explanations for centuries of alternations (16C forward)

 Multiple deductions and theories cycling at three locations in the room

WoW - Captured my attention for quite some time

Leaving Ventspils, continued north on a paved road with dense forest on each side

Seemingly into nowhere

Our destination, the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center

Formerly an impressive Soviet secret weapon during the Cold War 

The  RT-32 600-ton antenna intercepting radio waves from NATO country conversations

Nicknamed "The Starlet"

A secret weapon in a secret location - Housing 3,000 scientists, their families, and Soviet soldiers

This monolithic device avoided detection by the USA until 1993

No rain, only a stiff wind, we walked to a smaller tower, climbing vertical metal ladders inside/outside

This place is not OSHA approved

A reason to travel while you can

Antenna for the tower outdated and on the ground 

Inside an operator's desk controlling the antenna's movement, surrounded by boxes & cabinets of neatly stacked old equipment 

I

We thought of two people who could go to summer camp here and never want to return home       (Steve & Ralph)

Expansive grounds littered with empty apartment buildings and a research center, which we entered

Broken glass and rusted metal strips dangling against an aged building





Inside, followed a 600-meter tunnel towards the big working antenna using iPhone flashlights

Took pictures of the big antenna - not allowed inside
Our iPhones set to Airplane Mode, as suggested from online research

Apparently former Soviet soldiers return for this tour, leaving behind stories, adding to the guide's repertoire

Most visitors are Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians and Germans 

Not many Americans 

Tour cost was 20 Euros and our guide spoke excellent English
Antenna now used for scientific purposes - scanning the galactics for radio waves
Linking with other facilities around the world to reach way out into the universe

Return to Kuldiga was long, but a seemingly miserable day was this side of Incredible