Tuesday, September 11

 

 

I skipped breakfast, opting instead for an early morning sauna. I saw nobody else there that I knew but, in the end, I spent very little time in the sauna, preferring to sit in the various pools. I have discovered that sitting in a whirlpool constitutes a fine way of waking up.

We began at precisely 9:30 and again worked at breakneck speed. Eija commented that nobody seemed to have any objections to anything at this meeting. We had finished the entire day’s work by lunchtime, if we allow for the fact that we all got to lunch seventeen minutes late.

We had also, to everyone’s surprise, decided that Nobanet should not finish, but should live on as a series of practical projects, coordinated on Zoom with occasional face-to-face meetings as and when we can fund them.

The rapid conclusion of the day leaves Micke and I with a dilemma. We have checked out so we can no longer access the pools. Our bus will leave Pärnu for Tallinn at 16:30, and the weather forecasts all prophesy rain. Helen phones the bus station and tells us that the bus driver might (but only might) let us onto the earlier bus if it still has empty seats.

I suggest to Micke that we walk to the bus station after lunch, and we do. We pass the old town where I pause to photograph a church that I could have photographed yesterday evening on the way to the restaurant. We get to the bus station, and the bus driver does indeed let us onto the 14:30 bus.

We will get to Tallinn and decide to walk to the port, since we have three hours before the ferry leaves. I will manage to fill most of this time by confidently leading us in entirely the wrong direction. The forty five minute walk will take us just over two hours. The rain will hold off, and begin coming down in torrents about five minutes after we have entered the ferry terminal.

I will buy Micke a beer and he will notice that his return ticket does not include the business lounge. He will upgrade, and we will spend our time on the Megastar eating salads and ribs, and working through a reasonable cheese plate. I will restrict myself to two glasses of sparkling wine to accompany this; along with coffee to accompany the cheese, and sparkling water to accompany the boxing matches that I cannot help but watch on the big screens scattered around the lounge.

We will leave the boat in a downpour. Micke will get a taxi to Espoo. I will get a number 7 tram to Kamppi, a metro to Itis, and a 97V to as close to our house as public transport goes.

Miraculously the rain will stop as the bus approaches Itäväylä. I will arrive home at 23:00, and find myself deep asleep shortly before 23:23.