Saturday, December 4
Raitamaentie, 11:15
I go for a short walk in the freezing cold while continuing to listen to the Hawaiian stylings of Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues Band. As I look back down Raitamaentie the cold seems majestic for a few seconds, and the colours seem just right.
Later it will turn out that the weather has reached peak warmness, and the temperature will slide down again.
We will find things to do that involve staying indoors or driving somewhere indoors. We will buy some Christmas presents at bookshops and this will include driving to the centre for the first time in months. Miraculously a parking space will appear just where we want it and we will walk ten metres to Akateeminen Kirjakauppa.
I will find myself amazed at the underground walkway between Akateeminen Kirjakauppa and Stockmann, and not work out whether the amazement comes from memory loss or whether the new arrangement has appeared since I last tried to walk between the two.
We will also fit in a return trip to the cobbler’s shop. I find it pleasing somehow to find craftspersons going about their business. (I also find it pleasing that you can still buy shoes that require mending.)