estwärts

The morning of yesterday’s Estonian Independence Day greets us with glorious sunshine, which some of us use for a morning walk. Afterwards, we all start the day together with a hearty breakfast: a mixture of garlic, grated cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream, which is eaten as a dip with bread chips. This Estonian version of “Mainzer Spundekäs” is very tasty if you don’t think too long about the ingredients. After a late breakfast, we head out for the holiday program: Krista and her relatives pick us up in the car and we drive to Uhtna, a small village near Rakvere, where choirs and folk-dance groups perform on the central singing stage in the afternoon. Speeches are given, we don’t understand much, but we are quickly recognized as new arrivals and given a friendly welcome.

Back in the tent, Marju, Krista’s mother, unexpectedly unpacks two trays full of sandwiches in the blue, black and white national colours: Brown bread, butter, eggs, sprats, dill and the blue flower of the cucumber plant (borage) as decoration. Finally, the relatives are given an extended tour of the freshly mown area. The doors and windows, open again after many years, arouse enthusiasm.

But that’s not all, a special guest also joins us for coffee in the tent: Krista’s neighbour, Hanno, a biologist with a focus on nature conservation, gives us an introduction to the peculiarities of Estonian nature. On a walk through the surrounding area, we discover some characteristic meadows and moors. We discuss nature conservation issues and how we can make Rihula a species-rich habitat.

We could write much more about Estonia’s independence and its special biodiversity than fits into this entry. We will be happy to write more comprehensive articles about this after the building activities.

Today was dedicated to building again. First, however, one of the last infrastructure construction sites had to be completed: We need electricity! Krista has already gotten us a propane-powered emergency generator for this, which we get up and running after a quick set-up. The batteries of our power tools thank us. But then it’s finally full speed ahead to the really important building sites: The barn is cleared of old hay. A dusty work. Luckily, we have masks with us. Finally, the foundations, which we want to repair soon, are visible again.

The main house also gets a bit of love. The beams we ordered from the sawmill on Sunday become a scaffolding so that we can finally repair the roof. By the end of the day, it is already accessible and reveals a close look at the faulty areas.

One floor below you can hear a knocking sound. The hole in the roof has also left its mark on the inner parts of the house after a few years. The incoming water has damaged ceilings, walls and floors. Petra starts with the walls and knocks off the plaster.

Progress is also being made in the garden area: in addition to cutting gras and shrubs and clearing away dead wood in front of the barn, a few pine trees that were too close to the house are quickly felled just before the end of the day. Lola is delighted with a tree that has fallen perfectly.

After an eventful day, we enjoy a cool dip in the river and a delicious dinner. Shortly before the dinner bell rings, there is another happy surprise: Marju and a friend have found two 50-meter-deep old well pipes with a metal detector. We’ll discuss how to get water out of them tomorrow. See you soon!