The photo was taken in my mother’s yard in Jelgava, Latvia, in early September (2006), which, is peak time for picking mushrooms. We had just returned from the woods. Nothing tastes better than homemade mushroom sauce. Our local Latvian versions use various kinds of mushrooms found in the forests, but the most popular, of course, are penny buns, or ‘bennies.’

Although small, the Baltic country of Latvia attracts oversize attention, luring in travellers with a richness of culture and traditions, green and pure nature and a history dating back to early 9000 BC. Latvia’s capital city, Riga, is the largest metropolis in the Baltic states, an urban spread particularly well known for its fantastic integration…