Half-way to the Summer Solstice in Estonia!

Tere (hi)! As Barbara noted in her last post, spring seems to be here--and not only on the calendar (arriving yesterday) but also in the growing daylight hours and the weather (as I type, it's 40F or 5C out, with bright sun). I walked over to the national library this morning (just a few minutes walk) avoiding puddles rather than icy spots for a change. Last week (see the photo of eager local folks outside a cafe in the old town square) some people jumped the gun, happy to be able to enjoy their quart-size beers once again at the outdoor tables, though only a day or two later a fresh blanket of snow had once again arrived (see the photo below). But that's now gone.

Barbara's more tied to a schedule than I am with her classes, department meetings, and occasional additional workshops, and I've been using some of my time alone to explore. I'm still finding small, winding cobble-stoned streets and alleys in the Vana Linn (Old Town) I somehow hadn't seen before. These sometimes have shops full of Estonian handcrafts--some machine-made (if good quality, such as heavy local sweaters), some still created by hand. I happened on a very small shop yesterday, run by a woman who was busily knitting a pair of mittens on three needles, who was pleased to show off the carefully made and uniquely patterned mittens piled before her, and I plan to return when it's time to decide on some souvenirs and gifts. The photo below on the right shows some traditional weaving and mittens at a different shop; I'm not sure whether the ties are traditional, though the woven cloth from which they're made definitely is, and all show the love of bright colors we often see here.

I also made a stop at the Museum of Applied Arts (Tallinn seems to have dozens of small museums, often with exhibits interesting to me for historical, artistic, or sometimes just sociological reasons; admission is inexpensive for a pensioner like myself, now a senior, and each room is looked over by a older woman who does her best not to actually let you know she's keeping an eye on things and is often startled when I say "tere" and render her at least temporarily visible). The museum included a small display of traditional mittens (see photo below); note that the pattern is different on each side, perhaps just for interest or beauty, or perhaps to demonstrate the skill of the knitter. And in the "old days" (and even now!) good mittens and socks are important--people wear warm things about eight months each year.

I've also had the opportunity to enjoy the "classical" arts as well as traditional "folk" arts and crafts. Below is a photo at the conclusion of "Carmina Burana," at the Estonian National Concert Hall (about ten minutes walk from our place), a wonderful performance (recall that Estonians have not only a central or eastern European appreciation for classical music, but also a widespread tradition of song, so Carmina Burana makes the most of those two Estonian strengths). The hall was packed with local folks, and I dressed as respectably as I could manage with the few nicer outfits I carried here in my

travel pack (folks get fancier at the opera here,

but a formal music event like this also calls for a bit of elegance even towards the back rows). At intermission (the first half was Dvorak's "New World Symphony") many people rush to get wine and a snack, and I rush out to watch them (I am part enthusiastic participant, getting almost "blown away" (literally!) by the powerful opening of Carmina Burana, but always part observer). I only wished Barbara might have shared in this music she loves, but she was teaching that evening and it was a one-time-only performance.

Whether Barbara and I are out exploring or eating or attending an event together, or separately, at the end of the day we climb the spiral staircase (photo at left) to the fifth floor of our 1935 building, perhaps puffing just a little as we reach our door, anticipating the coziness of our apartment, often a bit weary, but also grateful for the opportunities being here provide.

Bruce