The Radicchio Diaries

Mag 6: A Whiff of Brinestone Part 5

2010-03-22T20:54:00.003+02:00

Words: 738

Chapter 2

With that it was the weekend. The first coffee became a second - with just a drop of slivovitz – to wash away the taste of the week’s frustrations. It had been a long week, but the boys decided to be responsible. After the second round of fiery plum brandy, Josep headed off to his newly purchased semi in the suburbs, his tired wife and their three-year-old twin boys.

Marek stopped at Sanford Music on his way to his apartment in Bratislava’s old town. Pavel, the owner was am old friend who often saved unusual new recordings for him. On this balmy almost summer evening he was sitting in front of his shop with a very nice Austrian Poire William by his elbow.

“Evening Marek, care for a drop?” were his welcoming words.

“I could be tempted…”

Soon both were happily seated watching the early strollers.

“It’s such a change from the old days – no?”

Mark nodded; remembering the old days when there had been so few possibilities for entertainment that becoming a priest had seemed like a good career move.

“The girls are prettier.”

“Is that what you left the seminary for – the girls?”

“You know why I left the seminary – Mozart made me do it.”

“That would have done for me,” Pavel agreed, taking a sip. “I guess being a priest didn’t allow much time to play the violin.”

“Not enough, anyway.”

“You have a rehearsal tonight?”

“Always on Fridays. The next concert’s only two weeks away.”

“You’ll save me a ticket?”

“No, I plan to forget this time.”

“Funny man. Want a top up?”

“Why not; but only the one. Remember I have to make beautiful music later on.”

The sun eased lower and lower in the sky, the changing angle of its rays bathing the old stone buildings in a monochrome rainbow of scarlet and amber, Marek did feel the frustrations of the week, if not disappearing entirely, at least removing to a place far enough away that he could anticipate with pleasure the coming rehearsal The group was playing Mozart and Sibelius this time, each the foremost romantic of his age.

He had told Pavel the truth. With the fall of Communism and arrival of freedom of choice, the need to fill at least a part of his life with making music had been a powerful impetus pushing him out of the cloister and into the real world. His desire to serve humanity was supposed to be covered by joining the police force. Ah well, you can’t have everything.

The start of Josep’s evening had not been so idyllic. An all-mighty crash and his wife, Anya’s screech heralded his entrance into the family home.

“What happened? What’s the matter? Are you all right?”

“No Josep, I’m not all right. One of those boys of yours got into the garage and pulled a full box of nails off the counter you left it on.”

“Oh, Anya, kitten, I’m so sorry,” trying to wrap his arms around her.

“Don’t kitten me. If you would put things away properly like I ask, this wouldn’t happen so often.”

“Which one is responsible, this time?”

“How should I know? When they’re guilty they blame each other. I can’t tell them apart when they’re running and shouting like crazy boys.”

“All right. I’ll make them both help me clear up the mess. You go sit down and have a cup of tea. Do you want me to go and get a couple of pizzas for supper?”

“Yes…. No, isn’t that rewarding them?”

“Never mind. You need a break.”

After supper, Josep played catch in the backyard with Karel and Mikel until dark. His plan – get then tired enough to sleep early so he and Anya could spend some quiet time together. For once they had been lucky. Now his sated wife asleep beside him, Josep stared at the shadows on the ceiling and turned over the events of the past week.

‘What a mess,’ he thought. ‘Not one, but two unidentified bodies stinking up the city morgue. Are they related? How? However are we going to identify them? Hopefully Massan’s husband or brother-in-law will return on Sunday?’

Something she had said about how alike the brothers were, disturbed Josep. It reminded him of his boys. ‘Even if one Massan does turn up, how can we be sure which brother is in our morgue?’

Magpie Tales: A Whiff of Brimstone Part 4

2010-03-16T12:32:00.004+02:00

Words: 411

The next morning Marek and Josep were waiting for Mrs Massan in the coroner’s office was located in the basement of the Medical faculty at Comenius University, in a building which had been new when the Hapsburgs were still in power.

A wooden jointed model of the human body stood in a corner. Its outstretched hand offering a small pile of business cards. Beautifully carved, it looked as if it would be more at home in an art studio than a dissection room.

Leila Massan arrived wearing the full body abayah of a traditional Arabic woman – as if she had pre-empted the worst.

‘Does she expect to leave this visit a widow,’ Marek wondered.

“Thank you for coming Mrs Massan,” Marek said. “ I know this can’t be easy for you.”

“When the law requires, the law must be obeyed. Shall we get on with it?”

Entering the mortuary room, where the putrefying body was laid out on a table, she stumbled but shrugged off Josep’s offer of support. Walking closer to the body under it’s covering, her eyes closed briefly, her lips moving without sound.

‘Was that a prayer or a curse?’ This contradictory woman confused and fascinated Marek.

Opening her eyes, “I am ready.”

The coroner’s assistant pulled back the cloth revealing a face so badly de-composed it’s own mother might have difficulty recognising it. Leila studied it for a full minute, her face an unreadable mask.

“I don’t know. It could be. I can’t tell.”

“Please look again. Is there anything that distinguishes your husband, a birthmark or….”

“No, nothing like that. Bahir and Abu were as alike as twins. They wore each other’s clothing. Many people had trouble telling them apart. They…ah… used to use that – sometimes.”

“So what you’re saying is – it could be either one?” Josep asked.

“Yes, I think so. But I can’t tell you which one. I’m sorry.”

Marek let out the long sigh of a frustrated copper faced with an apparent dead end. “Thank you very much for your help. If you hear from your husband or his brother would you ask him to contact us as soon as possible?”

“Yes, of course.” She turned to leave.

“Would you like someone to drive you home?” Josep asked an expanse of black cloth.

“No thank you. I have my own car.”

“Now what?”

“Damned if I know. I need a coffee. Let’s go to Grosse Karol’s and see if something suggests itself. ”

The photograph is copyright of Willow of Willow Manor, who has put it forth as a writing prompt. Join the writing fun at Magpie Tales.

Magpie Tales - A Whiff of Brimstone Part 3

2010-03-09T17:36:00.002+02:00

Words: 956

An hour later, with no apparent movement on any front, Marek and Josep were sharing a cigarette and a coffee.

“Soon we won’t even to be able to do this,” Josep groused, flicking his ash into a discarded coffee container. “The Eurocrats are going to make us all stand outside in the rain to poison ourselves.”

“I’m thinking of quitting.”

“You? Three pack a-day Holzt. The cigarette companies’ll go bankrupt.”

“That’s part of it. This shit costs far too much. Every time I buy a carton, I think about how many better, more interesting things I could do with the money.”

“Like down an extra three or four slivovitz on Friday. That’s a real improvement.”

“Well… but soon we won’t be able to smoke even in Grosse Charlie’s. Maybe I wont go there so much anymore.” Marek’s bloodhound eyes looked even more downcast than usual. He rested his shiny bald head the desk. “I don’t know why I bother any more.”

“Hey partner, don’t say that. We just need to be more active, more proactive. Why don’t we see if there are any Abou A. Massan’s in the phone book? That’s not such a common Syrian name. Maybe somebody in the community knows him or is related?”

“Probably a waste of time, but it beats sitting here plotting suicide or a return to the seminary.”

“Don’t even go there. I’ll get the books.”

Bratislava is not a big city and a few minutes searching turned up the information that there were only three families listed with the surname, ‘Massan’.

“We going to call them all?”

“Maybe. Let’s start with this one, Massan, Bahir Ahmed.”

A pleasant woman’s voice answered after two rings, “Treasures of the Seven Seas, may I help you?”

“I’m trying to locate a man name Abou Ahmed Massan,” Marek began. “Perhaps you know him?”

“I think you need to speak with my husband. He’s not here right now.”

“She hung up on me.”

“Interesting… Maybe we should go for a walk?”

“Bit far to walk. It’s a shop in Stare Mesto. But your heart’s in the right place.”

“I think I remember a decent kebab place near there. We could get some lunch too. It’s after one. I’m starving.” Josep was as short and square as his partner was tall and lean. Marek was convinced he knew the location and menu of every good fast food joint in the city. “You’re always starving,” he said putting on his jacket.

An hour later, after a pair of very good kebabs, they pushed through the door of Seven Seas’ Treasures to enter an incontinent hoarder’s cave crammed floor to ceiling with the most disparate collection of third-world artefacts either detective had ever seen. Handcrafted Indonesian wooden boxes jostled for space with leering funeral masks; plastic jointed snakes - made in India – coiled listlessly in heaps on the tops of stacked tribal drums. The tops of intricately carved tables displayed tsunamis of carved animals, netsuke and ornate ceramic statuettes. The exquisite mingling in carefree abandon with outright junk.

An elegant dark-haired woman dressed in a simple smart western skirt and jacket emerged from behind the requisite bamboo curtain.

“How may I help you?”

“Mrs Massan,” Marek began, displaying his badge. “We spoke earlier…about your brother-in-law…”

“I told you he wasn’t here… I never said he was my brother-in-law.”

“I know, but when you said we should speak to your husband, we assumed they must be related. Where is your husband by the way?”

“He’s out, away. They’re both away.”

“Away where?” asked Josep, who had been admiring a tiny, elegant carved elephant.

“I don’t know.”

The look on Josep’s face told her this wasn’t going to cut it.

“Romania, I think, on a buying trip.”

“Buying what? Something like this?” Josep held out his palm with the elephant nestling comfortably in it.”

“No, no. That came from Africa, I think.”

“It’s beautiful. Ivory – is it?”

“Yes…no…plastic, I think, probably.”

“I don’t think so, Mrs Massan. I’m pretty sure it’s ivory, and new. How did you get it?”

“Abou brought them… it… when he came from Germany.”

“Them? Where did he get them and where are the rest of them?”

“I don’t know. Gone. Sold, as soon as he got here.”

“Sold? To whom?” Face bleached pale, excepting two spots of bright red on her cheeks and dark brown eyes wide as plates, Leila Massan had begun to resemble an animal trapped by a car’s headlights.

“I don’t know. Men. Ukrainians, I think.”

“Do you have any more like this?”

“No, the Ukrainians took the whole suitcase.

“So you don’t know where your brother-in-law got them and you don’t know the names of the men who bought them.”

That’s right. My husband handles these things. I just work in the shop.”

“When will your husband be home, Mrs Massan? We would like to ask him some questions about his brother.”

“I…I expect him on Sunday.”

“Please have your husband get in touch with us as soon as he returns or you hear from him.” Marek handed her his card. “Oh and we’d like to borrow this for awhile.”

Back at the station, Marek remarked, “It seems Abou Ahmed was into something a little less than kosher.”

“Seems that way.”

“Have we any news on the rest of the body belonging to the foot?”

“Got it right here. Says, the divers recovered the body of a middle-aged male, possibly of Middle Eastern origin. It had been in the water at least a week, maybe two.”

“Abou Ahmed?”

“Could be – or his brother. We’d better ask Mrs Massan to come and have a look at the body.”

“After two weeks in the water that’s not going to be pleasant.”

Magpie Tales 3 - A Whiff of Brinstone

2010-03-02T13:39:00.003+02:00

Section 2 Words: 413

“Ah, Marek, don’t we need to find out who he is as well?” Josep asked.

“I think the hotel clerk can probably help us there. I’ll talk to him while you get those sent off.”

Detective Holtz was in luck. The dead man had only checked in the night before and the clerk still had his passport in the hotel safe. He was going through it as he headed back up to room 411, where the Medical Examiner was just finishing his preliminary exam.

“Poison, I’d say. Inhaled somehow.”

“That was my guess, too. So, the passport says he is a Syrian national, Abou Ahmed Massan. Seems to have a German resident permit. Guest worker or refugee?”

“Can’t help you there. But I don’t think he’s spent much time in Syria.”

“How so.”

“Look at his teeth. He’s got Hollywood teeth. Didn’t get a mouthful like that growing up in the Middle East.”

Marek leaned over to get a better look at the dead man’s face. Sure enough a double row of pearly whites twinkled up at him. Even in death, his teeth recalled the world famous sign that blinged down over Los Angeles.

“Doesn’t look very Syrian either.”

No, I’d say he’s definitely American and young, maybe early twenties.”

“Says here that Abou Ahmed is forty-five. If this isn’t him dead there, what’s our boy doing with his passport?”

“You’re the detective. I’m just a doctor.”

“Damn, now I’ve got four questions to get answers to.”

The next morning, Marek was sitting at his desk wondering how he was going to answer even one of the questions this case had thrown up, when Josep walked in holding a standard crime report folder. “Please tell me that’s got the name of our dead kid in it.”

“Sorry,” Josep smiled ruefully. “It’s another one.”

“What the….. Now what?”

“Some guy fishing in the Danube out near Petržalka got his line snagged on something.”

“Don’t tell me he was going to eat a fish from that river.”

“I don’t know. Someone’s hungry enough they’ll eat anything. The line was brand new so he pulled on it very carefully – came up with a rusted old weight.”

“And…?”

“There was a foot tied to the weight with a piece of old rope.”

Magpie Tales #2

2010-02-23T11:38:00.004+02:00

A Whiff of Brimstone

At first glance, the man stretched out on the rose patterned carpet of room 411 in the Hotel Forum, a fading landmark in the crumbling post Communist city of Bratislava could have been drunk or passed out. When Marek Holzt of the Kriminal Politzei turned him over, unnaturally pinkish skin tones, almost exactly matching the carpet and the contorted rictus of pain on its face told him, this was a corpse, a very dead corpse.

His first task was to figure how the man had died. Carefully scanning the room’s surfaces, his attention was caught by an open box of matches bearing the hotel’s logo; nothing surprising there. Most Eastern European men still smoked like fools. One match, an odalisque stretched across the top of the box, sported a most unusual burn pattern. His cop’s sixth sense jangling, he pulled on a pair of rubber gloves, (Not everything you see on American cop shows is erroneous.) and gingerly lifted the match to his nose.

A quick sniff told him everything he needed to know. “Josep,” he said to his partner, handing him the match and box. “Get these analysed. I would guess our dead man was poisoned when he went to light a cigarette. Now all we have to do is find out who he was and why someone wanted him dead.”

Magpie Tales #1

2010-02-16T13:17:00.003+02:00

After a long hiatus - too long, I know - I am resuscitating this blog to post, among other things, snippets of my writing. This is the new beginning

Words: 211

This is a part of a longer story I am working on. The Brothers of the Sword led by the Prince Bishop Albert, and Pope Honorius III’s Legate, William of Modena have just completed a march across the frozen Bay of Riga to attack the pirates living on the Oesel Islands. This is their first morning after making landfall.

The first warning of the day to come, a thin line of lurid pink had just begun to tint the sky, when we were wakened for Lauds. That evil tone wrapped itself around the flat plain of our encampment like a noose about to strangle us all. We assembled groggy, shaking bad dreams and night dust from our eyes, falling to our knees at the Prince Bishop’s imperious command.

Lacking a proper chalice, Bishop Alert pulled a silver object from under his cloak – a silver beaker – raising it aloft as he began the recitations preparing us to partake of the Lord’s Blood before advancing into battle. The sun appearing over the far horizon, flashed just at the same moment, bathing the beaker in fire and blood. The blaze seared my eyes and I bent my neck, wondering whose blood and how many deaths would ensue in the cleansing fire of Albert’s fury.

To Lothlòrien 4 - End of Summer Report

2009-09-13T20:09:00.014+03:00

August has come and gone and here in the North Baltic we are well into the approaches to autumn. That means beautiful sunny days with crystalline blue skies, but days which grow inexorably shorter. At the start of August, the sun rose at 05:21 and set at 21:50 which meant we had 16 hours and 35 minutes of daylight. By the end of the month the sun was setting at 20:32 and the total hours of light had decreased to 14 hours and 05 minutes.

HOWEVER!! I did quite a bit of walking and cycling during the month.

So here are the STATS for August:
Miles traversed in August: 106
Total since starting for Lothlòrian: 273
Still to go: 189
Miles covered since start of the year: 731
Location in relation to Frodo the Fellowship: Having seen the crebain fly over, the group have started walking at night and resting during the day. They are climbing upwards on a stony mountain path and have almost reached the feet of Redhorn.

As well as my walking and cycling, this month I have been tending my garden and offer here a small photo essay on my adventures in tomato growing.

You remember what my 'babies' looked like in the beginning. This was taken on 4 April, 2009.

I had 11 little green globes and for the longest time this is how they looked.

Bit by bit, they slowly began to turn red.

And finally this is the fruit

(pun intended) of my efforts.
Of the 11 fruits 8 are now discernibly red - except for the 2 that I ate.

The days are drawing in, the nights are cooler and the sky tones warn us of what is coming. But as ever it's all beautiful. Talk to you soon!

To Lothlòrien 3 - July Report

2009-08-04T14:25:00.022+03:00

Many, many apologies! Have been walking, cycling, working, swimming, travelling, writing short stories, taking photographs, growing tomatoes, keeping track of my mileage - everything, in fact except posting in my blog. This today is by way of a catch up - my report for the month of July.

STATS
Total miles walked or cycled in July: 116*
*This includes the 22 in The end of June report on Jaanipäev.
That means that at the end of July, I have covered:
Towards Lothlòrian: 167 miles
Still to go: 295
Total traversed this year: 625
Day light at start of July: 18 hours 03 minutes
- at 31 July: 16 hours 33 minutes

The rate of change is rapidly increasing and we are losing 5 - 6 minutes a day of light - the price we pay for our glorious summers.

But the hours of (almost) total darkness are still a few months away, so I want to show a bit more of what islanders get up to when they have sun, warmth and sea.

Mid July, I spent a long weekend on Vilsandi Island, reachable only by boat. This map in the information centre gives some idea of where I went.

We began by loading our boat with the supplies for the weekend. There are no shops out there and only 2 small guest houses.

Then headed out across the sea.

It was the annual Vilsandi Days, a summer festival similar to a gathering of the clans. My almost ex-boss, Neeme had asked me to help him with spit-roasting a lamb for the Friday picnic.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous - as you can see.

On Saturday, there was a ceremony at the lighthouse with music provided by the Female Choir of the National Library of Estonia and the United Male Choir of Saaremaa**. In the evening there was an out door theatrical presentation and a party - no pictures of those, as I was too tired and having too much fun. Mea culpa.

**with thanks to my friend Raigo for giving me the correct names.

No pictures of the trip back on Sunday as it rained bloody blue cats and fishes with lightening thrown in for good measure.

The island is famous for the many fossils the litter the beaches

So, come and join us some summer. We can have a beer, eat some of the islanders famous smoked fish and watch the sunset over the dunes

To Lothlòrien 2 - Jaanipäev

2009-07-05T20:32:00.014+03:00

St John's Day, Mid Summer, Summer Solstice, or up here in Estonia - Jaanipäev, which as I'm sure you all have guessed means, John's Day and the longest day of the year . This far north, that's a lotta light, 18 hours & 17 minutes, although not as much as further north in Finland. My grandmother who wasn't given to hyperbole insists that as a child she could read outdoors at midnight without a candle.

First the STATS
Walked or cycled: 36 miles
Total for this leg: 73 miles
Total covered: 531 this year
To go: 389

In relation to Fellowship:
Paths are few and winding; after reaching the top of a rise, we angle southeast.

So what do Islanders get up to on Jaanipäev?

Well first we go to a bonfire. This is us on the way .

Then you need a bonfire,

and dancing.

lot's of dancing

- and music, preferably traditional - 3 mature ladies playing the 'cordeen, fiddle and kandele are about as traditional as it gets.

- and you have to stay late enough for the sky to be lightening as you roll home.

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer!

To Lothlòrien 1 - A Summer Day

2009-06-30T13:19:00.011+03:00

After weeks of praying cursing and hoping, her majesty, the good lady, Summer has finally favoured us with her presence. The sky is a glittering ark of translucent sapphire; shades of green abound - more than you can count, or name; and its warm, nay even hot. This week I have been for a picnic in the country, at my friend Marge's place. We did a little work, had a stroll so I could take some photos and grilled sausages on our work fire.

First some STATS - I have now set out from Rivendell, and in this slightly extended week, have covered quite a bit of ground. Remember, Lothlòrien is 462 miles from Rivendell.

Miles walked or cycled: 37
Still to go: 425
Total walked: 495
Days walked: 8
In relation to Frodo and the Fellowship:
Empty country, rough and barren;
camp in hollow during the day.

One of the things we looked at was a small very carefully tended cemetery, dreaming in the sun, virtually in the middle of nowhere. This iron cross is typical of funerary ornaments from the 19th century on the island.

Wild flowers are still around in abundance. Soon it will be time to go orchid hunting, but until then this humble echium vulgare common viper's bugloss or ussikeel in Estonian will have to do.

When we finished our work we had a wonderful al fresco lunch.

It's not hard to understand why Saaremaa islanders have retained such strong ties to the land and to their old myths and traditions, when you meet this kind of creature on a stroll through the woods.

Rivendell - I'm here!

2009-06-23T15:58:00.014+03:00

From 29 December 2008 to 19 June 2009 - five months and 22 days - that's how long it took me to complete this journey. To the reporter for Meie Maa who asked me back in the winter if I thought I could do it, I answered, 'Ask me that in August.' But I made it! ... and in less time than I expected. In case you have forgotten what the starting conditions were - here's a photo.

Somehow the weekly STATS don't seem so relevant this week. Still, a few might be interesting. When I began, the days had barely begun to grow longer. Up here we had just 6 hours and 11 minutes of daylight. On June 19, 2 days before the Solstice, that had increased to 18 hours and 27 minutes. In truth it hasn't gotten totally dark for more than a week.

The last weeks of the Rivendell challenge were difficult. Rain and high winds made walking and especially cycling extra unpleasant. We did get one day when the clouds broke enough to make riding and picture taking tolerable, so I headed out in search of lilacs, one of my favourite spring flowers.

For a few glorious weeks, our whole town is awash in their colour and intoxicating perfume. That includes our castle and its surrounding park.

Summer, prayed for, cursed at and longed for has just about arrived, the sea and the beaches are waiting for us.

So, as the sun sets, on this adventure, my eyes and heart are already onto the next challenge - Lothlòrien!

Summer is here- finally and there's much more to see and to do and to show you. See you all on the trail!

Walk to Rivendell - Week 22 Report

2009-06-10T13:29:00.014+03:00

As I said in last week's post, I recently spent a weekend in Tallinn. I was very lucky as the weather was gorgeous that weekend. The team who went last weekend described themselves as - cold and wet! Above is a photo of the main square or valjak in front of the town hall. As you can see, on a good day, of which there are many in the summer, I promise, the square is full of visitors and Tallinners strolling around, looking in shops and enjoying a glass of beer or wine, or maybe a shot or two of viini - which is Estonian for vodka - not to be confused with veini - which of course is wine.

After the STATS, there'll be more photos of this gorgeous medieval city that is our capital.

Week 22 STATS
Miles walked or cycled: 18
Total covered: 428
Still to go: 30
Days walked: 4
Location in relation to Frodo: We cross a small stream before taking a rest stop

This wonderful piece of 16th century carving is on the wall
of a church in the old town, very near the valjak.

Tallinn is one of the oldest cities in the north Baltic. The name Tallinn is said to be a corruption of the expression Dani - Linn or Danish castle, for the kingdom that conquered it in 1219.

It's 14th century medieval walls are still intact, making it possible to see what life in a fortified town might have looked like - minus the cafes, restaurants and shops, of course.

Kateriina Passage, reached through a tunnel in the walls, still has the feel of the past.

The grave markers of some of the ruling Teutonic Knights have been attached to the walls near one end of the passage.

The city's fortunes went through many changes over the years. It was a part of the Hanseatic League as well as an important agricultural trading centre after WW I allowed Estonia to wrest its independence from the Soviets in 1918.

This building facade, reminiscent of The Netherlands show the influence of the city's trading past.

In the early 20th century as the Art Nouveau movement was spreading it's curlicued tendrils all across Europe, the north Baltic was also affected by this fever, but changing and adapting it into a peculiarly Northern expression - Jugendstill.

While Riga has many more of these extravagantly decorated buildings, the few that are here are especially interesting .

So, Tallinn rooftops sleeping in the sun as they have for so many hundreds of years. That's it for this week!

Walk to Rivendell - Week 20 and 21 Report

2009-06-06T18:54:00.014+03:00

I realise that I have been terribly remiss about posting my activities. I have been walking and cycling and keeping records, but somehow the act of sitting down at the computer and writing it all out had sunk to the bottom of the fish bowl. To prove to you all that I have been doing my bit, I am posting the results of two weeks of walking AND a report on my adventures in our capital city Tallinn last weekend.

STATS
Weeks 20 and 21 to end of May
Days walked or cycled: 9
Miles traversed*: 38
Miles traversed in May:
Total miles covered: 410
Miles to Rivendell: 40
31 May - Sunrise: 04:36 / Sunset: 22:21
Hours of daylight: 17 hours 45 minutes**
*Isn't that a wonderful word
** Something I love about living up here.

Since I retired (Ho, ho, ho) one of the things I have been able to do, is give more time to our local organic farmers group (Saare Mahe).Last weekend I went with my friends Karen and Alar Alas, to the opening weekend of the Rottermann Quartiere Local Foods Fair.

This is an initiative to provide more activities for visitors and Tallinners as well a offering artisanal food producers from all around Estonia a chance to sell their products.

The Rotermann Quartiere is a collection of old and new buildings which are being restored and raised up in a location just beside the edge of the Tallinn Old Town.

We were the 'B Team' which meant we would be working Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. This meant getting up at the ungodly hour of 04:30 to catch the 06:00 ferry crossing to the mainland.

The Saaremaa group had taken two of the especially built karts on which we laid out a range of island products:

Pirukas - small filled pies similar to Cornish pasties.

Rhubarb cake made from whole grain flour, flavoured with cinnamon, ginger and grappa.

Knock your socks of mustard from Mustjala and island honey.

...and that traditional favourite of islanders and Estonians - dried fish

We stayed overnight in the city which meant that on Friday night we were able to see Star Trek in the Coca cola Cineplex in ear shattering surround sound. I loved it!

Finally by 15:00, we had sold everything, the market was over - for this week and tired but happy we headed back to our island home.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 19 Report

2009-05-26T17:52:00.011+03:00

I just realised that it's over two weeks since I last posted a report. It's not that I haven't been walking and cycling - and keeping records, but I've been fighting a severe tendinitis flare-up which has kept time on the computer to a minimum. However, week 19 of this journey was momentous in that I passed the 358 mile mark and am now in the home stretch, so... some

STATS
Miles walked or cycled: 22
Total covered: 358
Miles to go: 60
Days active: 5
Average daily distance: 4.4 miles

Position in relation to Frodo and friends:
Entering the steep land of the Trollshaws; the hills quickly shut them in - difficult going

Spring, in all her glory has finally condescended to join us. Every spring, Kuressaare town organizes a gardens' competition.

Many of our local citizens take this very seriously, so in honour of all you flower lovers out there, I took Marlene out on a brilliantly sunny afternoon to take these photos for you.

And finally, the sunset of the week.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 18 Report

2009-05-10T18:07:00.013+03:00

This, week 18 is the start of May. We've finally had some rain and everything is getting ready to bloom. These are called 'sirel' here and they are one of my favourite flowers.

It is also the start of my 5th month on this adventure. My companion D. has reached our goal and has headed back on the trail to Lothlorien. I'm going to really crack on if I'm ever going to catch up with her. So.....

STATS:
Miles walked or cycled: 25
Kilometres walked or cycled: 41
Total covered: 347 / 555
Still to go: 111 / 178 - as you can see I have a little more than 100 miles to do. If you had suggested to me in January I would be finishing this in June I'd have laughed in your face.
Location in relation to Frodo & Co.
Contining in long valley, land starting to rise gradually.

It's spring and around here, as well as flowers , spring means school exams. Last week I was invited to be a taster for a third year culinary group.

It's a very important and demanding day for these young people. Next February they will present their final work before we turn them loose on an unsuspecting world

These are students who by now should be able to do a pretty good job - and most of them do.

But sometimes, a little more care needs to be taken. The unfortunate who cooked this had the misfortune to have me as his taster.

Here are my colleagues and friends
who are discussing what
marks to give the students.

And finally, more spring flowers.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 17 Report

2009-05-02T18:14:00.009+03:00

April with its showers has indeed brought May flowers. Actually, that's not quite true. Flowers we have aplenty, but rain has been dangerously scarce. There have already been forest fires in a few places. The lovely weather: clear skies, bright sunshine and mild breezes have meant I am back on the bicycle with a vengeance, so my distance covered totals have risen sharply. So forthwith (I love that word.) weekly and monthly STATS.

Week 17
Days walked or cycled: 5
Miles: 25
Kilometres: 40
Totals: 321 / 514
Still to Go: 138 / 220
Location in relation to Frodo & Co.'s journey:
Somehow stuck in that wide shallow valley, trudging doggedly on with a dangerously ill Frodo.

April
Days walked or cycled: 26
Miles: 127
Kms.: 204
Average per day: 4,8 / 7,8
2 milestones passed this month
Half-way point 229 miles on day 60 - 09.04.09
Reached Weathertop 240 miles on day 63 - 13.04.09

4 months into project - monthly averages: 80 /128
At this rate I should finish in mid-June. What am I gonna do after that?

Believe it or not, I have done a few other things besides walking & cycling.

Those include tending my garden. I now have 3 usable pots of Basil.

Aren't they pretty?

And salvia seedlings which will go into a big pot outside next week.

And tomato seedlings which I plan to pot on tomorrow.

That's all for April. Next week I'll let you know how I started the 'Merry month of May'

Walk to Rivendell - Week 16 Report

2009-04-26T13:23:00.008+03:00

Spring has Sprung here in Kuressaare and that can mean only one thing -

The start of the tourism season!

This is heralded by an annual event, now celelbrating its 10th anniversary, organised by the Kuressaare Ametikool (my old employer) -

The Vallikraavi veeralli or
The Round the Castle Moat Boat Race(s).

Like all good sporting events, this one begins with a parade, starting from the school parking lot, snaking through the town centre, no longer gray and snow-ridden (you remember THOSE photos).

and down to the Castle Park which surrounds our 14th century crusader castle.

There in the bright sunshine which always accompanies this day, teams of 4 students and 1 local dignitary race around the castle moat.

The final heat is for alternative craft. I wish I had space for all the creative variations for this heat, but....... one picture will have to tell 10 years of stories.

After a beautiful day in the sun, it's time for some STATS:
Days walked or cycled: 7
Miles : 36
Kms.: 58
Totals covered: 296 / 474
Still to go: 163 / 260
Location in relation to Frodo & Co's journey:
Trudge & camp, trudge & camp, begin to follow a wide shallow curving valley

And so, time to go home. I'm on my way to a barbeque with the local Mahe (organic) crowd. See you next week!

Walk to Rivendell - Week 16 - Muratsi part I

2009-04-18T21:01:00.009+03:00

It has occurred to me that some of you may be wondering,'If she lives on an island, where's the ocean? All these weeks and no pictures of the sea. This is a deficiency that I set out to remedy this week.

First the STATS
Days walked or cycled: 5
Miles covered .24
Kilometres covered: 38
Total walked: 260 / 417
Total to go: 199/ 316
Location in relation to Frodo & Co.
Camp in thickets on south side of Great East Road

The thing is, it's not what you see,
but how you see what you see.

Muratsi Sadam (harbour) is typical of the multitude of bays and inlets on Saaremaa suitable for landing small boats. In the 11th century the availability of these almost invisible harbours was one of the factors which made the island pirates so difficult to catch. They so annoyed the Swedish and Danish Kings that they petitioned the pope to authorize a Crusade to the Northern Lands "to bring the benefits of Christianity to these heathen pagans, and to put an end to the depredations of those damn pirates from Oesel!"

As I mentioned last week, this was accomplished, sort of, in the spring of 1227 when the Oesel (old name for Saaremaa) islanders accepted Christian baptism to escape the wholesale slaughter visited on their Muhu Island neighbours, by the zealous Brothers of the Sword.

Muratsi sadam is a bit more than 6 kms from my home, making this an easy 13 kms. ride.

In the past I have tracked my levels of fitness by measuring how quickly I could get down and back without a rest break.

Last year the local council was able to arrange a grant from the EU for re-development of the harbour. The parking area has been leveled and sanded, a grassy lawn and flag pole installed, and a small sandy beach with changing cabin and children's play things created. Later the jetties will be improved offering better docking for small mainly wooden fishing skips.

So then, one of my favourite places - Enjoy! And yes, I do swim here once the ice is gone.

Next time - more Muratsi, a ruined - maybe haunted mansion.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 15 Report

2009-04-15T13:38:00.009+03:00

With spring now fully in charge, I am out and about much more; thus the weekly numbers are starting to climb. This week saw me reach and surpass the half-way point, an important - for me - milestone. Whoever thought I could walk more than 229 miles in little more than 3 months? Not me, that's for sure. So....
Week 15 STATS
Days walked or cycled: 6
Miles : 23
Kms.: 37
Total distance covered: 235 / 372
Still to go: 222 / 355
In relation to Frodo & Co.
Near the south end of the path. Sam recites part of the Fall of Gil-galad.

"Love is not changed by death
And nothing is lost
And all in the end is harvest."

Dame Edith Sitwell- from "Eurydice"

Last Sunday was Easter, a time when Christians, within whose number I count myself, celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. That this practice pre-dates the Christian era by many millennia is undeniable. The desire of the human animal to rejoice in the return of light and warmth after months of darkness is a reaction so basic, so instinctive as to place it in the company of fundamental human needs.

I am very fortunate that I live near one of the oldest and most historically interesting cemeteries in Estonia - Kudjape kalmistu. Even without knowing the histories of the deceased, the ornamentation of the graves makes this a delightful place to wander.

The high point for the cemetery was in the 18th century when the powerful Von Buxhoeveden family, descendants of the Bishop Albert who, with the crusading Brothers of the Sword, conquered Saaremaa and Christianized Estonia by marching an army across the ice from Riga in 1227, built two mausoleums which are the first things you see when you approach the front gates. This solidified Kudjape cemetery's position as the place to be buried. A mini war ensued for plots near the Von Buxhoeveden family's mausoleums.

A curious feature of the kalmistu are the exit steps. During the funeral, the deceased is carried in his coffin through the open gates. After internment, the mourners walk up and over these sets of steps. Local belief has it that the dead in their coffins will not be able to negotiate this barrier on their own and so must remain within the cemetery grounds. Personally, given the peacefulness and beauty of the grounds, there are days when I would be delighted to remain under the trees and among the ancient crosses myself.

During the occupation period the monuments and grave markers were allowed to deteriorate. Since the return to independence, much work has been done to renew and restore many of the grave sites. Any visitors to Saaremaa could do worse than spend a quiet hour amongst the elaborate crosses and funerary urns. The names and dates tell a silent story of the history of this island. Nearby are also the cemetery for the German war dead as well as the memorial to the islanders deported in 1941 and 1949. But that is a story for another post.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 14 Report

2009-04-10T14:26:00.008+03:00

Sorry about the lag in posting this - the return of fit-for-humans weather has made me more than a little antsy. I'm out walking or riding my bike most days, then too tired or too distracted to post my findings. But I promise to do better. (When have you read that before?)

So, first some STATS:
Days walked or cycled: 3
Distance in Kms.: 31
Distance in miles: 25
Distance covered: 213 / 347
Distance to go: 245 / 436
Position in relation to Frodo & Co.
Camp by a stream, among stunted alder trees

This is my trusty companion - Marlene.

Those who live in a rural environment know that their lives and activities are shaped by the cycle of the year. In cities, this connection to the cycles is often over-ridden by technology. People tend to forget (and that included me) how much a part of the land and the sky we are. Here on the island, even those of us who are not farmers or fishermen live lives that are bounded by and determined by the seasons.

In old times, the agricultural year began on 17 January, Tõnupäev, with offerings to the household fairies. As Tõnu was a god of the harvest and of pigs, often a half a pig's head was eaten.

Ploughing day came 3 months later on 14 April while St George's Day, 23 April, celebrated the God of Agriculture. By now sowing and planting were in full swing.

Man may become tired but the days flow on inexorably.

21 June, Mid-summer brought the start of haymaking which would end by St Joseph's Day, 25 July and the beginning of rye reaping.

These were not and are not arbitrary dates. A farmer who left his crop in the field too late might well see it destroyed by an early storm.

So, once again, Spring has come and the land,

maa is waking up.

And here a visual progress report on the state of my own garden.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 13 & March Report

2009-04-02T13:25:00.007+03:00

Well, March indeed came in like the proverbial lion (We had more snow in March than in the whole of the preceding winter.) and adopted a lamb-like face for its retreat - temperatures above freezing - even at night - and snow all melted. Week 13 acquired 2 extra walking days so the
STATS look like this:
Days walked: 6
Distances walked: miles - 22 / kms. - 36
Average walk per day: 3.6 / 6

March STATS
Days walked: 19
Distances walked: 76 / 126

I have now covered 194 miles - not quite half. I reached the first major milestone that I set for myself - Bree, and managed to continue without losing my horses, breaking any bones or encountering any reasonable reason for giving up. With Frodo, I am camped in the eastern part of the Midgewater Marshes. The flashes of light I saw in the east during the night unlike Frodo & Co.(Gandalf on Weathertop) were from a brilliant first quarter moon.

So, what have I been up to, since last we met? Precious little, I'm afraid. The only major accomplishment has been to start propagating seed for my balcony garden, using S.'s plastic bag suggestion. It doesn't seem like much but the prospect of a ready supply of basil during the summer has me quite chuffed.

This nondescript item is hopefully going to produce cherry tomato seedlings that I can later plant in a hanging basket.

Finally, Neri, fed up with my lethargy is utterly and totally bored.

That's All Folks!!!!

I promise to try and do better next week.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 12 Report

2009-03-22T16:03:00.013+02:00

The Weather Report

Temperatures are slowly rising, up to +4 TWICE!!! this week and the snow is mostly gone. I’m beginning to believe I might survive. This weeks 'Big Picture' is across what is in summer a marshy bog. That sliver of silver in the far distance is the sea.

I promised a better look at the Ladies. .. and, in as much as Friday was the Equinox or Ostara, and today in Europe is Mother’s Day this seemed like a good week to make good on the promise.

First the sign and a little translation.

Murueide Tütred

Old Estonian folk tales have many stories about Forest Faeries and their kin. The old crone with her daughters normally chose a place near the edges or in clearings within the forest for their dances. These days, however there are no longer places in Estonia set aside for their forest games. Which is why we have created here the first dancing courtyard for the Faerie Mother and her girls.

Just so you don't feel too sorry for me tromping around in the snow, I stopped for a 'refresher' in the airport bar before returning home.

Weekly STATS

Days walked: 4

Miles: 16.9

Kms.: 27.3

Avg. per day: 4.3 / 6.8

Total to date: 172 / 277

Total to go: 286 / 460

Location in Relation to Frodo & C.

Ground becoming damp, nearing the marshes

Walk to Rivendell - Week 11 Report

2009-03-17T16:00:00.016+02:00

The weather continues to be despicable, so I’m opening with this photo of the June Roomasaare Regatta to remind myself and you that summer and good weather does come.

I earlier posted the photograph of this in a forum on Live Journal – Food Watch and a watcher requested the recipe. So, as I have almost noting else of interest to write about, here, forthwith, what to do with a kilo of fresh wild boar meat (metsasika in Estonian) if you should be fortunate enough to find yourself with such an item.

Recipe for Wild Boar Braised in Red Wine

Cut the meat into largish chunks, maybe 3 cm’s square-ish.

Marinate at least overnight. I used a mixture of half a bottle of Sangiovese, a good glug (as Jamie Oliver says) of olive oil and a mixture of the herbs and spices in the photograph.

Garlic, sea salt, whole peppercorns, dried sage, 2-3 whole cloves and 3 juniper berries.

These grow prominently on Saaremaa.

The next day remove the meat from the marinade and wipe dry. Roll in flour and brown in some olive oil and remove.

Add more oil and gently sweat 1 medium onion julienned, 1 large carrot julienned and a good cup full of quartered mushrooms.

Add the meat to the pot. Strain the marinade and add this along with enough good red wine to cover and 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Cover tightly and simmer 3 hours or until the meat is soft.

As you can see I served this with pureed potatoes to soak up the sauce.

I know I swore I wasn’t going to post any more winter pictures… but…

I think these women in the forest are doing a ritual to encourage spring to hurry up and get here. I don’t think it’s working as it’s snowing – AGAIN – today.

Weekly STATS

4 days walked

Miles = 14.7

Kms. = 23.7

Totals walked: 153 / 239

Still to go 319 / 479

In relation to Frodo &Co: Heading east from Chetwood. Ground dropping slowly. Quiet and peaceful.

Walk to Rivendell - Bonus Post from Bree!!!

2009-03-10T18:56:00.008+02:00

I DID IT!!!

The first milestone I set for myself when I began this walk was Bree. At 135 miles, I figured that if I got even THAT far I would have achieved something.

Today I crossed the bridge and entered the town. I had elaborate plans to photograph our castle etc...etc...etc.... for this milestone but the egregious weather has put paid to those. Not one to be outdone by a few giant snow flakes, I have used photographs of the a local manor house and its grounds . So, here ladies and gentlemen and friends: the 19th century Randvere Mõis standing in for the entrance and bridge to Bree.

Now, onward to the Top of Weathertop at 240 miles. Although where I'm going to find a hill on Saaremaa is a question I'll deal with when I get there.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 10 Report

2009-03-09T21:23:00.019+02:00

This interminable Winter persists in hanging on, while Spring, doing it’s harlots dance tantalises and taunts with brief days and fleeting hours of sunshine followed by days of driving snow. You all must be as sick of reading me complaining about the weather as I am living with it. So, this week I am providing you with a little report on one of our local harbinger’s of hope for the future – the Kuressaare Regional Training Centre’s spring Service Department’s Student Competitions.

This is the first round of competitions that will see successful students from all over Estonia travelling to competitions all over Europe and even further. One important event is the World Skills event, this year in Vancouver, Canada. My friend Marge is the Estonian expert in the area of Culinaria.

Cooking is one of the more important disciplines in the KRTC. This jury includes 2 chefs who earlier graduated from the school as well as the head chef of the Saaremaa Spa Hotels.

Baking and patisserie is also important. Here the competitors are offering their creations to the guests at the awards ceremony.

Naturally in a school like ours restaurant service and contacts with students from other countries are also important. Here my friend Jorma, the school’s restaurant service trainer is meeting with a group from Antalya, Turkey who will be spending a month studying in KRTC.

The key judge for the service competition was another graduate of our school. Tõnis is now the Maitre d’ in the new Arensburg Hotel & Spa restaurants.

Finally in a locale with so many up-market spa hotels, that one local paper has
nicknamed us ‘Spa-remaa’, finding people to clean and prepare all those rooms is of critical importance.

‘How do you like them swans?’

Weekly STATS

5 days walked

Miles = 15.2

Kms. = 24.7

Totals walked: 133.3 / 215.3

Still to go 324 / 522

In relation to Frodo &Co:

Strider sees them, walking along the Great East Road, but hides.

And just to remind you what I am up against, still another snow scene.

Walk to Rivendell - Week 9 Report

2009-03-02T15:47:00.009+02:00

I would be prevaricating if I didn’t admit that this is starting to be more than a little difficult – not the walking which, despite the weather, is getting easier and easier. But finding something to say; something that would justify my taking the time to write it out and yours to read it. On some days, I feel as if the interminable gray white is turning my brain to slush.

Then on the other hand just when I feel that the only solution is… well I can’t actually think of a doable solution as something like moving back to Greece presents me with the even more difficult challenge of coping with the heat. I’m a Finn; I can’t take extreme heat. So, just when I think I’ll give up and crawl under the bed with Neri until at least May, the sun comes out, spilling it’s irresponsible bounty all over my plants, office and turning Neri (temporally) into a kitten again.

She wore herself out so completely harassing me that she has had to retire for the rest of the day.

But! I have faith the sun will continue to chase the snow demons away, and spring with all its promise will win out.

Weekly STATS
4 days walked
Miles = 16.9 Kms. = 27
Totals walked: 118.3 / 190.6
Still to go 339.3 / 546.7
In relation to Frodo &Co:
After escaping from the Wights with Tom Bombadil’s help, they ride north through a gap.

End of Month 2 STATS
No of Days walked: 14
Total miles: 58.9
Total kms.: 94.5
Average per day: 4.2 / 6.7
Average per month (2 Months) 59 / 95

Walk to Rivendell - Week 8 Report

2009-02-22T21:21:00.034+02:00

After I posted the photograph of the abandoned mini-digger, several friends mentioned that they were interested in old machinery. As I am too, I promised to do a post of some of the things that have been left lying around. Some of these artefacts have been until recently in use; some were simply abandoned when the Soviets moved out in 1992. I think they are beautiful. Maybe you will too.

On a clear sunnyday, which is what it was
Tööstuse 25 (It means industrial space.)
can seem like an outdoor sculpture park for

Industrial Archaeology

Spirit Bridge – It’s obvious that it

once carried something.

What does it transport now

Troll Cave -
I imagine this is
where the trolls who

work here now live.

If you look closely, you can see

the Trolls enjoying their break

in the sunshine.

Bosses will be bosses and
like all good ghosts they need
somewhere soft on which
to place their scrawny buts.

WALL-E's cousin Mel was

devastated that he didn't get

to go to Hollywood to see

His cousin collect his Oscar.

Back in the real world,
farm animals waiting
for their dinner.

In places like this, the line between
what is real and what is ephemeral is very fine

STATS:

3 days walked

Miles = 13.2

Kms. = 21

Totals walked 101.8 / 163.6

Still to go 356 / 573

In relation to Frodo &Co:

Climb zigzag path to brow of hill on west side of Barrow-downs

. Turn more east than they intend and enter the Barrow-downs, a place of great dread.

Our friends will be facing great danger – What will I be facing next week?

So we don’t forget: Sunshine on birches

Walk to Rivendell - Week 7 Report

2009-02-16T22:00:00.013+02:00

Week 7 Report – Island Husbandry

I’m posting this after only three days of walking as I have enough miles and I want to try and get back into the ‘post on Sunday’ schedule. I also don’t have a whole lot to say. This gray end of winter has fogged over my brain.

However, this time of year, even with the snow still hanging on, Islanders are turning their thoughts to preparing for spring and the intense, short summer season that will follow soon after. One part of these preparations is clearing brush from roadsides. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to eliminate the juniper, (genus juniperus ) kadakas in Estonian.

One of the 1^st development projects I was involved in here, was about encouraging local farmers to return to raising lamb for meat. The enforced switch to dairy farming during the occupation had allowed juniper and other invasive tree species to colonise the roadsides. Sheep in the past had eaten the younger shoots of these plants providing a cost effective means of control. Now the buggers were out of control.

Raising lamb for meat is now well re-entrenched here on Saaremaa although I think this had more to do with the spread of anti-beef feeling at that time (1998) because of mad cow disease. It makes me happy, as roast whole lamb is one of my favourite things in the whole foody world. This is from a lamb roast in the back garden of the Kuressaare Organic Restaurant ‘Mahe Köök’, where I have been known to occasionally work.

Last week I mentioned the new paved, lighted bicycle and walking path that connects my area with the new clutch of supermarkets. Here too, the cleaners are in full swing.

Finally warm sunshine on winter trees makes me believe in spring.

STATS:

3 days walked

Miles = 13.2

Kms. = 21.3

Totals walked 88.6 / 142.6

Still to go 369 / 594

Company leaves the path and tries to turn north.

Week 6 Report

2009-02-11T22:35:00.011+02:00

Many apologies to anyone who looked for this on Sunday. After a great start to the week, with over 3 miles on Monday and Wednesday, by Thursday I was feeling distinctly rocky. I had succumbed to one of the seasonal lurgies affecting the world and his wife in this part of the world. It’s hardly surprising as the weather had continued so grim and grey, that even had I felt like going out I doubt that anything productive would have been accomplished.

Saaremaa Orc

HOWEVER, one of the great things about living on an island is the changeableness of the climate. Monday of this week arrived on a wave of bright sunshine travelling arm in arm with the golden disk of a full moon in Leo. Lion people don’t really need warm weather. (I hate hot temperatures.) But we need light! So Monday was almost as perfect as it gets - AND the hours of daylight are increasing. The good news continued into Tuesday. The day was perfect for photography - I was off to the forest where I haven’t been since mid-January.

Through out most of the winter the forest paths that I usually walk on have been torn up, dug up and riddled with ruts and piles of jagged grey stones. The Presiding Powers had decreed a major improvement program of the paths in the Kudjape Tervise Radad. As well filling holes and depressions, the trails have been widened; boulders and tree stumps in the way have been dug up and disappeared.

To the Magic Forest,

over torn up roads and new;

the ugliness will fade, I hope.

The earth will heal herself

The new trails are now so wide that I began to wonder if the PP are not planning to asphalt them. As much as I value the new hard surface, lighted pathways to the Supermarkets, I would be dismayed to see these forest pathways turned into super highways for bikers and cars.

Another concern is that it seems a mis-distribution of resources. I have lived here for 12 years now. Twelve years in which the communities along the north coast of our island have been waiting for their turn to have the main road along the sea blacked topped. In many places it still is not. The dust in the summer is horrific.

As well as being unfair to the residents, it has now become a detriment to our tourism businesses. Many tour busses, especially those travelling with guests from the cruise liners use that road. There is really no acceptable alternative route to get from the Suvi Sadam (ship port) in Ninase to the important sites of Kaali Meteor Crator and the Angla Windmills.

It seems to me, we need to have that important North Coast road properly surfaced before we pave over our forest paths.

So, Lord of the Rings: Since the last report I have finished all three books. Frodo and Sam have accomplished their important task and been rescued. Last night I made a third attempt to watch the 1^st movie in the series and lost. The three movies together add up to 10 hours of yelling and screaming, fighting the slavering orcs and assorted other disgusting beasts. I think I must be getting old. I give up. There’s too much of it.

On the other hand I am already planning to re-read the books after the summer. I raced through them this time because I so wanted to find out what happened next time I’ll go much more slowly.

Hope in the snow

Week 6 STATS

Miles walked – 15.6

Kms. walked - 25.2

Hours walked 7 hrs 05 min.

Days walked - 4

Total distance covered – 75.4

Equivalent Hobbit location

Enter tunnel under Hedge to reach The Old Forest. The path disappears.

Our friends are leaving the world they have always known and heading out into the for-real unknown.

Tree Witch

Walk to Rivendell – Week 5 Report

2009-02-01T21:21:00.012+02:00

For no reason other than that I like it, I begin this weeks report with a quote from the ‘Lord of the Rings, Book II, The Twin Towers

‘Gandalf laughed, ‘A most unquenchable hobbit!

All wizards should have a hobbit or two in their care –

to teach them the meaning of the word, and to correct them.’

This has indeed been a week of trials and testings. For 6/7’s of the week the weather continued to display its unremitting grey face – so much so that I ran out of ways to describe the egregious colour: slate, steel, dull, grim, dirty – all had lost the power to convey the mind-numbing quality of this endless non-colour. Finally, unable to work, to string effective words into sentences, unable to sleep properly, to answer simple e-mails from friends, I became convinced that I was immersed in a fog of true Tolkien dimensions, and almost fell into the Bog of Grievous Despair.

Fortunately, Saturday brought with it clean crisp cold air and brilliant sunshine. I told the housework what it could do with itself and prepared to hit the road.

I have been calculating my mileage on the basis of a previous measurement – that I could walk 4 kilometres in an hour. I determined to verify this by walking from marker post to marker post and checking my time. Indeed on the way out my supposition proved ‘spot on.’ On the return journey, tired legs and frequent stops for ‘photo-ops’ demanded more time. However…………… I made it, though that last mile was hard.

I shall be very glad when spring brings the end of the snow and ice so I can walk in lighter shoes. My sturdy winter boots are HEAVY!!!

So, time for some STATS:

Week 5:

Am more than halfway into Book 2 – The Twin Towers

Total for week – 13.8 miles / 4 walking days

Total walked to date – 59.1 miles

Location in relation to Frodo & Co.:

Well stuck into the area of the Marish with fields, meadows, hedges, gates, and drainage dikes. Soon to be at Farmer Maggot’s

Walk to Rivendell - Week 4 Report

2009-01-25T21:01:00.015+02:00

Above, sky the colour of an old knife

Beside, dusting of white

on winter-blown grass

Stranded inland ocean, folded-over waves of straw in

chromic scale from grey to faded olive

to ochre and back again

Cold blasted land – desiccated air

For most of the year, Kuressaare is a town of slightly more than 14,000 souls, the capitol of the island of Saaremaa with a population of about 37,000 and falling. For some reason we have become the Cinderella for five largish food retailing companies offering uncountable culinary delights - maybe. Personally, I wonder where they expect the customers for all these shops are going to be found. So this week rather than still another rant on the awfulness of the weather, I have produced a little essay for your edification on:

The Supermarket Wars – Greed or Lousy Planning.

The first proper supermarket in Kuressaare was the Rae. It grew out of the original corner market on the main square and moved into its present location beside the library and cultural centre as part of the redevelopment of the town centre. A part of the STÜ (Saaremaa tarbijate ühistu), which operates several food markets around the island, it is the most upmarket of the lot and has far and away the best produce selection. Last summer they sold organic potatoes grown by local Saare Mahe members and have stocked local apples all through the autumn. They also sell radicchio – the only shop on the island to do so. Its enviable location and wide and varied product ranges earn it my vote for No 1.

Next on the scene was Säästu Market, which belongs to the Rimi Group. They set up their simple barracks conveniently near by a major enclave of middle-income apartment housing. The name itself means ‘economy’ in Estonian. They do a good job of meeting the needs of ordinaryfamilies with lower prices on good quality products. They selldecent vegetables loose without unnecessary packaging. Last summer, they opened a second store on the other side of town. I think they will continue to hold onto their market share.

Then came the gang from Tallinn and their SELVER. The Tallinn and Tartu Kaubamajad (Department Stores) are part of this group. It’s big; it’s posh. They have lots of stuff and is a complete madhouse on summer weekends with visitors buying supplies for their summer cottages. I try not to go in there because I always spend more than I should. Some kind of deeply buried sympathetic magic forces my hand – every time. The product range is vast and the staff are very friendly.

The newest, Rimi has the advantage of being imbedded in the new Auriga Centre, Saaremaa’s first real shopping mall. It’s partly owned by The mega Finnish retailer Kesko and partly by a Swedish company ICA. I think they should do something about staff training. When I went to take a photo, the security man, a short bloke with a round, red face and a fringe of blond hair like a halo around his head glared at me. Then he followed me around scowling to make sure I didn’t put an apple in my pocket. The management might consider that, with local customers thin on the ground in the winter, it doesn’t do to drive them away. After this nonsense, I went down the road to finish my shopping at Säästu Market.

And the newcomer into this circus will be – MAXIMA MARKET. Spawn of a Lithuanian company which claims to be the largest retailer in the Baltics. It is setting up shop just beside the original Säästu Market. I have no idea what will be the outcome but the building, still under construction looks like a large pewter bunker. When that opens – this spring I guess, six large food shops will be trying to make a living from 14,000 clients. It’s going to be fun.

Week 4 – STATS

Finished First book (of 3) of LotR’s. Am I the only person in the entire Western Hemisphere who DIDN’T know that some of the names in Harry Porter are taken from LotR?

Total for week – 13.3 miles / 4 walking days

Total walked to date – 46 miles

Location in relation to Frodo & Co.:

Camp at Woody End, a green floor in the wood, roofed by boughs of trees. To the east a steep shoulder falls, and they can overlook the river valley. The lights of the village of Woodall are seen below (ca. 11 p.m.).

Week 3 Report

2009-01-18T16:43:00.013+02:00

Abandoned bicycle - to cold to ride

It’s Sunday, start of a new WtoR week. I had planned to head into the forest today, but the weather sucks – No – worse than that! The temperature is above freezing so it continues to eat away at the snow. That will make forest walking and photographing a lot easier later in the week. But the sky is leaden again, welcome back – not; and there is a strong wind, which makes it feel colder. The winds are picking up even more now; my windows are rattling like a giant’s hand is shaking the frames. Walking home from the market, there were a few times when I felt like I would be blown off my feet.

Tuesday: doom, gloom and more gloom – hardly a good excuse, But an afternoon session in La Perla solving the problems of the restaurant business with Kristo the Head Chef seemed like a good idea – at the time. It’s amazing how much less important our problems seem after a few glasses of good wine. Fortunately I accomplished my goal of taking a picture of the old building mentioned last week.

The offices of our local newspaper, Meie Maa, built 1897.

Walked home in the gathering darkness, bringing my total for the day to 5,4 (for week so far = 8,9)

Today is Thursday and I needed to make a food run. I had expected to add to my weekly total but it was so bitter and miserable: sky, the musty colour of long neglected stainless steel, temperatures barely above freezing with an icy wind blowing from the sea. I gave in and took the bus. By the time I’d finished my errands including a visit to our super new library, it seemed that perhaps the Weather Gods have been listening. The temperature has fallen below – 2 and a light dusting of powdery white was appearing in several places. We’ll see what happens overnight. There’s no wind – yet.

No snow, but Friday brought a day of blue skies and sunshine, so I abandoned all of my other plans and headed out into the forest. It was exquisite, as always but quite changed from the snow-mantled playground of two weeks earlier. For a change I did remember to bring my ‘Walking Notebook’ and here are some to the things I wrote down:

'This is a journey of the mind - of the imagination, not of the body. In the magical forest no thing is ever exactly what it seems to be; and what is here today may not be tomorrow where it was yesterday.'

'The fertile mind can turn a tree branch into a chicken’s foot.'

And best of all on Saturday I went into the post office to collect my three-volume set of LotR. I LOVE IT!!!!

Why have I never read this before?

My walking companions

Weekly STATS

Days walking - 4

Miles walked this week: 11/ kms.17.7

Total walked: m. 32.7 / km. 51.6

Location in relation to Frodo & Co. :

The road ahead runs fairly straight and level. Behind them it curves slightly. BLACK RIDER. Sam and Pippin hide in a hollow. Frodo hides behind tree by road (ca.5 p.m.).