In the morning, (I was at Ruta's in case you haven't read the journal of Yesterday,) I was a bit late getting up, eating breakfast, and leaving the house. This actually meant something to me though, because I'd arranged to meet my old good friend, Anu Tali. She's a wonderful conductor, who had her first performance in Tartu when I was working there, (though she never conducted a piece which I was in.) But she was, I believe, guesting in Tartu. What I'm certain of, is that she had other engagements here, there, and everywhere, so it's not often that we actually saw each other. Mostly, it would be passing in the hall way, and telling each other that it would be great to get together and have coffee, (or tea,) the next time she was around.

Anyhow, she actually had a bit of free time, (a bit, a small bit,) so I was going to get to meet her in the center. -And I was going to be nearly late. I got to the meeting point, (the most usual meeting point, where most meetings take place in Tallinn: the town hall square,) two or three minutes late, and looked all around it for her. Hmmm... no sign. And no missed calls on my mobile phone. So, I think I sent her a message, and then sat down to have a nice cup of hot chocolate at my favorite Café. (Do you remember, from the first day of these journals where that was? It was in the building of Town hall.) After a bit of time, and a bit of worrying, I got an SMS saying that Anu was running behind, and would be twenty minutes late. So, I ordered a very nice piece of cake for myself as well. (It really wasn't a bad morning at all to sit there outside in the sun.)

We met, and had a bit of a walk, and then went to Anu's favorite Café / restaurant. It was rather nice there. I can understand what she sees in it. Very good, if not some of the best cakes in Tallinn. It was so nice to have a sit and chat, (and another hot chocolate, probably,) with her. She always seemed to... get along well with me, and I with her. We could Tell each other things. (Does that make sense?) We both found the other easy to talk with. Like many of the people I met, she was so pleased, and happy to hear me talk about Pamela. I suppose that I'm probably more than just a little cute, in my devoted love for her. Hmmm... we talked about our lives, and some experiences, and our jobs, and so on. A good, lovely time. After a while she had to go though, as there were rehearsals, (I believe,) which she had to get to. I suspect we'll meet again some time though...

Oh curses!!! I've just now realized something I forgot! I'm sure you can understand my interest in Anu's career; It's always nice to see a friend doing well, and succeeding. So, when in Estonia, I really meant to get a copy of Anu's first recorded CD. But this plan completely slipped my mind, and I never even went looking for it. Oh... Bother!

Well, it was a lovely time, and... I walked her to the Library afterwards... (That's right! before her rehearsal, she had to take a score back to the national library, and hope that they wouldn't be too severe with penalties. -it was a little overdue, you see. but... long story. -which I can't pretend to remember correctly anyhow!)

After that... I went to Jaamaturg. This is the market by the train station... which is right beside where I worked, when I was in Tallinn. There isn't anything truly special about it, except for one thing: The old lady from Latvia who sold me my bread. When in Tallinn, I would come to her every couple of days, and get my two loaves of Sepik. This was as close to Whole wheat bread, as I knew it in Canada, as I could get. And it had it's charm. Well, when she saw me, she would always smile, and say, with me, "Kahks Sepik!" -ummm... perhaps you had to be there. But anyhow, she became one of the nice parts of my days. And she at length learned I was a dancer. Then, when I'd gone to Tartu, I still came back, (for one reason or another,) to Tallinn at times, and saw her still a few times each year. I think, that even in January of 2004, when I visited Estonia for a week, I got to see her, and get my traditional Two Sepik.

But this time she wasn't there. (I wasn't worried about tragedy; It was quite often that I'd come to the market too late before, or that another person would be working there.) It was just disappointing not to see her, and to relate my gossip, about still being in Germany, and dancing, but in a new city... etc. I actually felt quite... lost. I'd come to the market there just to see her, and I didn't want to buy anything from it. So I felt a bit silly just walking away. Ahhh well. That's life.

I wandered a bit, and didn't know what to do with myself. But then I saw the entrance to the Old City Wall, and some of the remaining towers in it. I'd never been in there in my Estonian years, so I decided to pay the pittance, and take a look. It was well worth it too. Considering how much I adore old buildings, and stone works, I feel foolish for always taking so long to go and look at the things I'd obviously enjoy. The city wall was probably built around the fourteenth century, for this fairly wealthy hansiatic city. (Never heard of the Hansiatic league? It had something to do with rich merchants, and fellowship between cities. -I think.) The towers were divine, with the narrowest, darkest stone stairs going up them. And then huge old wooden beams supporting their floors. I guess the views offered were rather good as well. But it was more the building it's self which I adored. I also tried making an extremely long exposure of those dark, twisting, stone stairs, propping my camera on something, and then giving it 8 and more second exposures. -But none of them turned out as well as I wanted. (What a pity.) One picture I took outside, along the walkway of the wall, was rather good indeed though.

I was a little cold afterwards, and went to have a nice cup of tea, and some sort of food. What I decided on, was "The Chinese Restaurant," (Which there's a different story about.) I went and enjoyed a nice pot of Jasmine Tea. And I also ordered Sweet and Sour Soup. About five minutes after ordering, the waitress came back to me, and informed me that there was no such thing. Oh. Oh dear. That's just what I wanted though. So I had another quick look in the menu, and said "But here! I want this soup!" "Oh." she said. "You want Hot and Sour soup."

-"Er, Yes. That's the one. Thankyou."

I HATE it when I make that mistake. (And I've made it a number of times in my life.) Hot and sour, sweet and sour... the words get mixed up in my head. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

Whatever the soup was I ate, it was just what I wanted, and warmed me up nicely.

Afterwards, I went walking here and there, and saw a strange, strange alleyway. At the end of it, were old houses, some construction projects, one small museum, and a café. It was this last one which was the most unusual though. All of the chairs sitting outside of it, had colourful vests draped on their backs. Inside, it was a mass of colours, and objects, and art. They had exotic chocolates. And odd interior decorations. And, although I had just sat down in a restaurant warming myself up, I couldn't resist going in, having some hot chocolate, taking a few pictures, and writing something in one of the multiple guest books, (but I chose not to draw in it with crayons, or felt markers, or colored pencils, but to use my calligraphy pen.) The guest books were quite impressive, and it was nice to see how many countries were represented inside.

Once I was finished there though, it was fairly late, (well, nearly evening,) and I went back to Ruta's, with the food I had from the market. It was still light out though, and as I arrived, Ruta was just getting ready to go out for a walk, and I immediately decided to join her, (and Uku.)

It was a lovely, relaxed, enjoyable walk, with conversation wandering from subject to subject. we spoke of the futere, and of the past, of what was interesting, and what was boring, of what we most liked, and most detested. But most of all, how we thought, saw the world, and lived life. The walk its self was serene; We were going beside the old canal, where there is nothing but trees and grassy banks, -and perhaps three other people walking and four people fishing, in the hour it took. And there were wild strawberries by the side of the path, which Uku learned that he could also find, and pick for himself. (Before, he was always just waiting for the generosity of others.) Hmmm... fresh air. Old friends. Wild strawberries. That was a nice walk.

Nothing happened of note afterwards though; it was just eating, and sleeping.