–:–Read week 1 journal here–:–
–:–Read week 2 journal here–:–
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Mon 20 jun
Dump day – got some old tools to refurb for the garden and eyed up a few old sash windows
Found a bird that had drowned in one of my rainwater harvesting tubs so i’m taking part responsibility for its passing. I will mesh them asap. Did a burial with some burdock leaves and pollen, marked with a little stick cross under a tree in the kindergarten park
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Tues 21 Jun
Back to dump for more tools and those windows. Pavel also got a hefty soviet bath-tub to turn into a jacuzzi at NART. the dam at Kreenholm was open for the day so Johanna took us to see the waterfalls. I collected loads of flora then split as we left and took myself down to the waterfront to catch sundown with the mosquitos. Made macaroni cauliflower cheese at midnight and had a shot of quality vodka with pavel to celebrate his 40th
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Wed 22 Jun
Sandra and Sille came to Narva, the kreenholm plants squad. I ran a shorter, less-dense-more-fun version of my herbal workshop for the service users at the local day centre. Lots of touching looking listening smelling and thankfully Sandra was there to translate both ways (thnku!). I invited everyone back to NART residents’ kitchen so we could look at the balms and drink refreshing cold drinks; it was a beautiful moment to have everyone rubbing my “gardener’s balm” (comfrey / yarrow / daisy in avocado oil, coconut oil, local beeswax) into their hands, sniffing them and smiling.
Straight after we said goodbye, Sille and I make lunch for artists and volunteers installing Jaakko’s show – spicy nachos from leftover flatbread, cottage cheese and fresh herbs, tomatoes in oil and balsamic vinegar, sour cream, cold mac & cheese, cucumber pickles, cous cous– then the three of us go for a walk down to venice to talk about the project and make plans. They have to go catch a train and will miss the party this eve but I will see them both in Tallinn next week!
Tonight, jaakko’s marvellous show opens at NART. i dig a fire pit and get the hot tub going, pavel and jaakko buy a keg of beer for everyone and we heat the sauna up. This marks the start of the end of the week as everything stops for solstice. According to this website:
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Along with Christmas, jaaniõhtu (Midsummer Eve – 23 June) and jaanipäev (Midsummer Day, St John’s Day – 24 June) are the most important holidays in the Estonian calendar – people around the country will gather with their families, or at larger events to celebrate with singing, dancing and lighting the bonfires, as Estonians have done for centuries.
The short summers with brief nights hold special significance for Estonians. Jaaniõhtu and jaanipäev follow the longest day, 20-21 June of the year, or the summer solstice, when night seems to be non-existent.
Jaanipäev was celebrated long before the arrival of Christianity in Estonia, although the day was given its name by the crusaders. The arrival of Christianity, however, did not end the pagan beliefs and fertility rituals surrounding this holiday.
In 1578, Balthasar Rüssow, one of the most important Estonian chroniclers, wrote in his Livonian Chronicle with some disgust about Estonians who placed more importance on the festival than going to church. He complained about those who went to church, but did not enter, and instead spent their time lighting bonfires, drinking, dancing, singing and following pagan rituals.
Life is good
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Thurs 23 Jun
Hungover all day watching sopranos. Walked around the forest. Had a bbq at a summerhouse.
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Fri 24 june
City is so quiet. this public holiday is huge, everyone must just retreat to their dachas. Had a banging salad with apple, grapes, dandelions and lettuce. Head is still mush, didn’t manage to get any writing done but did go for a swim on the fake beach near the castles. Fermented some potatoes with garlic and thyme for future roy to enjoy.
When it’s a bit cooler, I move the hot tub water to the garden to use half to drench the beds and store the rest in a tub I got from the dump. A guy who was hanging in the shady park comes over and begins gesturing to help. We swap names and the rest is easy. Andriy waters the courgettes and marigolds while I weed the star bed. When he is finished we shake hands and he walks off with his mate and a cold beer, turning round to give a thumbs up and shouts something.
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Sat 25 Jun
It’s getting a little hot to do much in the day. My whole clock has shifted round a few hours; sleeping from the small hours until the big ones means I eat later and more sporadically. I do some exercise in the theatre then take a shower and cook a couple of eggs to eat with leftover grape salad and two slices of dark toast. Egor, who I met at Jaakko’s show on Wednesday has invited me to the beach so I head to the bus station to get the free shuttle. It’s understandably rammed with families carrying huge bags of food and i’m hoping the aircon works well.
The beach is boundaried from the roads by a sandy pine forest looking remarkably like the ones I’ve visited at both Nida in Lithuania, and Waterloo (Liverpool) in UK. I love this landscape typology – unexpected and undulating – which hosts trees tolerant of drought; their roots burrow the sand for the water table and encourage banking when wind pushes debris through. The multi-layered canopy provide variegated or solid shade and a creates a moisture trap for humidity lovers like beach rose, ferns and various native fungi.
When I arrive at the spot near the lighthouse, just a few hundred metres from the border (incessantly patrolled by police boats) there are already a few fellow sunseekers. I notice more than ever that I know nothing of the russian language but don’t take it to heart. It’s nice not to have to talk so much. I have a dip then cream up and get on with my book. One woman who works with Egor at the refugee centre is wearing a bright orange sundress and orange hat (and I think orange shades). She takes her ukelele from its case and starts plucking off some renditions of russian-language songs, and every 3 or 4 there’s a R.E.M. or David Bowie tune that I hum along with. Her boyfriend is duetting and they’re laughing while singing certain lyrics or missing certain notes, super cute.
Much later we have a bbq at NART (chicken and veg shish kebabs, herby chipolatas, potato salad and tomato salsa) and a few shots of vodka, discussing our experiences at art school.
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Sun 26 jun
Too hot to go outside so slinked around in the shadows all day. after Johanna said I could move into the room with the balcony, I immediately hoovered both and shifted my stuff over. After leftover bbq lunch I edited an essay and talked to Hugh over video. Had a chardonnay and lemonade at 5pm and sowed some peas outside.
Strolled to my fav spot, grabbing twig on way to flagellate and kill mosquitos, sat on the asteroid rocks opposite the Russian orthdox church and read Emma Dabiri’s “What White People Can Do Next” cover to cover.