It's coming... 

From the same exhibition room that gave the wooden furniture, a recent show of hand-painted silk and whatnot dresses. 

Volunteer or conscript park cleaners skyving in the shade to watch a game of football, or possibily biology students on a field trip to study Pavlovian responses in Homo photographicus. 

There is no such thing as innocence. Each photo I take alerts me to the preconstructed vision in my mind. Why did I even see this image? From now on, I shall take more happier pictures. It's not that I dislike the existence of reality, it's more a question of why I choose one variety of it rather than another. I now intend to present views that enlighten or enliven, and see where that takes me too. Remind me if I relapse, please... 

Well, this is my new home, for the moment. It's the one on the right. But may be moving out again very soon: bathroom floor slopes down and away from waste pipe; skirting board attached (well, sort of) with one-inch nails; no electric socket in kitchen; no drawer for cutlery; and a host of other vices and defects. Trouble is you (I) don't notice these things on first inspection. Ho hum. 

When not raining, snowing, drizzling, or delivering other entertaining versions of celestial ejecta, the Estonian sky can be remarkably blue. 

Odd shot I got while in the bank the other day. Somewhere down the bottom among the red neons the tellers are taking coffee. 

Elderly lady alone in the park, almost. 

At first, I wondered what this bizarre guy was doing, then I realised it might have been me... 

Some of my visitors, and no prizes for guessing the gender, have been bewailing the absence of pretty ladies in my lens. Here then, a teaser of sweeter things to come. 

From the top of which you see some of the country's countless marshes. Not everyone's cup of tea, maybe, but Estonia's a bird-lovers' paradise: eagles, redshanks, quail, bullfinches, and mews of every denomination. One day I shall buy a camera that lets me do close-ups, one day... 

When you see one these fabulous towers with big "Do not whatever" signs, there's only one thing to do: you climb to the top.

I cycled up to the Paljasaare region of Tallinn to take a look around. There's a bird sanctuary, a waste water processing plant, lots of old docklands and as much mud as you like. Landscapes like these are not spontaneously what I'd think of as beautiful, but even mud has its charm, depending of course on how deep in it you are. This, by the way, is a road. 

Away from the glum and grizzle drizzle, spring is definitely on its way - it's not even raining. The redecorating is moving slowly to its completion, tonight we should have a lock on the door and, perhaps, a rail to hang clothes on in the wardrobe. Soon, these earthly issues will be past, the sun will shine and summer sights will beckon. To whet the appetite, for those who live in skyscraping or other metropolistic styles, a simple street. To pique it even more, the street's in Tallinn town centre too, a few hundred metres from the capital's main department store. You might also be right in guessing we still don't have an underground (subway, metro, U-Bahn, etc.) yet. 

Then there's this one, a lovely little locker too. 

Another remarkable piece of marquetry by another unknown (again by me) Estonian art student. I'll try and find a www address for the gallery that exhibits these things for future postings. 

Spring seems definitely to have arrived, so this will be the last of the snowy virgin whites. You can sense the trees are getting itchy fingers, stretching their aching bones. Colour soon. 

This one's for Joe in Rome. On the left, we have (probably) a Russo-Estonian, on the right, (almost certainly) an Esto-Estonian. The details should look better if clicked on to enlarge. Still in the throes of moving, re-tiling (guy's been here for 8 days and so far only managed 8.5 m² of wall), and negotiating removal of electrical sockets from floor level in temporary rental accommodation bathroom where the drainage evacuation has been judiciously positioned at the top of the slope...). One day: the light, then, Joe, I shall try better. 

How about that? A grainy effect with a digital, and totally unintentional too! 

Cacophony in grey: a factory in Tallinn. 

I am woefully ill: too many sleepless nights (little missy is only 13.5 months old and not to blame), maybe some dodgy food the other day... So virtual vitamins, skins an' all.
Another sign of the times: to ensure credibility, the apples in this basket have the scars and blemishes we would not touch in our everyday supermarket, but for that good old-fashioned, rustic look in the local café...

Flea market outside Tallinn. 

Estonians are not a voluble nation, but they are highly computer literate. Here, three cyberbuddies (rendered anonymous to avoid invading personal privacy, which I probably wouldn't do with an African tribesman or Russian cleaning-lady...) together for a good old finger-wag in the local café. The gentleman behind, talking, must be a tourist... 

The name says it all. 

Drizzle.