Breezy air, colder temperatures and a lot of cows! Welcome to Ventspils, Latvia, where we first met the Baltic Sea on our journey. The town holds a special distinction - the first Eastern European city in which the international cow parade was held. This annual event was completely unknown to me before the trip, but some U.S. cities have hosted the event. What's so special about cows that an entire festival is organized in their honor every year? I don't consider them to be very cute, though certainly tasty. However, everything changes when an artist gets hold of a blank canvas in the shape of a cow. Suddenly bright colors, designs and even jewelry bring life to an otherwise dull animal. With the right guidance and government support, they can even transform an entire town.( Read more... )