Still life - Winter wonderland in Ireland *** Talvine vaikelu Iirimaal

Could you please remind me what day it is today? According to the calendar, it's the 29th of November. Last night, we experienced -8 degrees Celsius in Ireland, which I believe hasn't happened in the past 50 years. This marks my fifth winter here, and typically, snow arrives at the end of January for about 3 days, with the coldest temperature reaching -2 degrees Celsius.

A couple of nights ago, we had thunder. It's quite intriguing when thunder and snowfall coincide!

Life in Ireland practically comes to a halt when it snows. Since there are no winter tires, cars struggle to navigate hills, and other challenges arise. Despite this, I'm still cycling—let's see how long I can keep it up! 😛

Meanwhile, in Estonia, it was -23 degrees Celsius today. That's chilly! It's so cold that even small children can stay home from school. So, my little brother had a nice day off!

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Mis kuupäev meil täna ongi? Kalender näitab 29. November. Eile öösel oli meil -8 kraadi Iirimaal. See on 50 aasta külmim öö. Ma olen siin olnud juba 5 talve ja tavaliselt sajab lund jaanuari lõpus - 3 päeva ja kõige külmem on olnud siis -2 kraadi.

Paar päeva tagasi oli meil ka äike. Lumesadu ja äike koos. Põnev

Iirimaal jääb elu seisma kui lund sajab. Autodel ei ole talvekumme ja künklikul maastikul on raske liigelda. Mina ikka jätkan oma rattasõitu! Vaatame kui pikalt veel.

Eestis oli täna -23 kraadi. See on krõbe külm. See on juba isegi nii külm, et väikesed lapsed saavad koolist koju jääda - külmapühad. Seega mu väikevennal on täna vaba päev!

Stockholm *** Stokholm

STOCKHOLM 2010

 

Troll on a main street of Stockholm

I recently returned from a weekend trip to Stockholm, and it was fantastic! Everything was meticulously planned in advance, so everything went smoothly. The amusing part was when the night train, meant to transport us from the airport to our hotel, was unexpectedly canceled, and the chilly weather outside added an extra twist. Fortunately, the absence of rain made it bearable, and the kindness of the people around us made the situation more manageable. We navigated from one bus stop to another and eventually reached our destination within an hour—a journey that would have taken a mere 10 minutes by train!

Considering our budget constraints, we opted for a budget hotel booked online. The room we received wasn't quite what we had anticipated; despite reserving a double bed, we were greeted with bunk beds and no windows! Although I inquired about changing rooms, there was only one alternative available, and it offered minimal improvement, so we decided to stick with our original accommodations. Surprisingly, after a restful night's sleep, I realized that the room wasn't all that bad. It was clean, the mattress was comfortable, and the complimentary breakfast was excellent, which alleviated any lingering complaints I had.

In retrospect, I would say that hotels in Paris and London are certainly more budget-friendly compared to those in Stockholm.

The highlight of this tour was undoubtedly the Terra Cotta soldiers at the history museum. Additionally, I highly recommend visiting the Medieval museum, which offers free admission and boasts a captivating atmosphere. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses represent one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. The museum showcases life-size terracotta figures of warriors and horses meticulously arranged in battle formations, serving as the centerpiece of its exhibits. 

First Emperor (Terracota warrior exhibition)

Terra Cotta Warrior exhbition

In 1989, a spherical building was unveiled in Stockholm. Despite residing in Stockholm for a year, it remained undiscovered to me—truly captivating, I must admit. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate, and we endured a dreary, mist-laden day while exploring the Globe. Nevertheless, the encounter paralleled the allure of the London Eye. From atop, the entire city seemed to lie within arm's reach, an awe-inspiring sight. Furthermore, navigating the spherical route aboard the spherical-type machine added an exhilarating dimension to the experience.

View from the top of the Globen

Dining and imbibing in Stockholm come at a premium, comparable to the prices in cities like London, Dublin, Paris, and others. We stumbled upon a couple of extraordinary restaurants that I would wholeheartedly recommend to others: Jennson Bofhouse and the Mongolian-Asian buffet.

During our visit to Drottningholm, I couldn't help but think that the experience would have been even more emotionally stirring in the summer, with its expansive lime tree alley, among other features. Moreover, I find it intriguing that the royal couple resides permanently in the castle. Drottningholm Palace holds a distinguished spot on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Renowned for its impeccable preservation, it stands as the foremost example of a royal castle erected in the 1600s in Sweden, emblematic of the architectural styles prevalent across Europe during that era.

I greatly admire the transport system in Sweden; it's far more user-friendly than those in London and Paris, in my opinion. It encompasses buses, trams, various types of underground and above-ground trains, and more. With just one ticket, you can access them all.

Visiting the Butterfly House (Fjarilhuset) during wintertime was a fascinating experience—it maintained a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius inside!

Owl Butterfly (Caligo eurilochus)

So they are born :)

The Vasa Museum left a lasting impression with its life-sized ship. As it slowly decays, scientists continue their diligent efforts to preserve the timber and iron nails within it.

Naturally, there were countless activities I would have loved to explore further, so I am definitely planning to return! Sweden feels like a second home to me—I'm familiar with the people, culture, and I even speak Swedish, which I learned during my au pair year there several years ago. My affection for Sweden knows no bounds!

Have you been in Sweden? What experience did you have?

  

Saabusin just parasjagu Rootsist, ega sa pole Rootsis käinud? Üks tore nädalavahetus seljataga. Korralik eeltöö ja reisikava oli tehtud, seega kõik läks libedalt. Noh välja arvatud siis kui ikka nii libedalt ei läinud. Jõudsime Stokholmi suht hilja ja öine rong, millega hotelli pidime minema, ei eksisteerinudki.Väljas oli suht külm, aga õnneks ei sadanud. Öises Stokholmis seigeldes selgus, et kõik inimesed on sõbralikud ja abivalmid. Sõitsime ühest bussijaamast teise kuniks jõudsimegi kohale. Sõit, mis pidi võtma 10 minutit oli 1 tunni pikkune :D. Vahva oli :). Ööbimisele me väga palju raha kulutada ei raatsinud ja seetõttu otsisin odavama hotelli internetist. Kohale minnes saime halvema toa kui alguses võtsin - meie kaheinimese voodi asemel oli toas narivoodi :D. Küsisin, kas neil on asendustuba, aga ainult 1 oli ja see polnud ka väga parem, siis jäime ikka esialgsete plaanide juurde. Tegelikult polnud viga - tuba oli väga puhas, lõhnas värskelt ja madratsid olid super mugavad. Lisaks kõigele muule oli rikkalik hommikusöök igal hommikul. Ei ole põhjust virisemiseks :)! Hotellid Pariisis, Londonis ja Islandis on odavamad :P.

Läksime Stokholmi, et vaadata Stokholmi ajaloomuuseumis rändnäitust Hiina Terrakota sõduritest. See on üks 20. sajandi kõige tähtsamaid väljakaevamisi. Ja elusuuruses kujud sõdalastest ja hobustest olid väga põnevad. Jäime väga rahule ja tegime palju pilte - jah seal muuseumis võib pildistada!

Teine põnev asi oli "Gloobus". 1989 aastal ehitatud ümmargune klaashoone. Sealt saab alla linnale vaadata. Meil oli udune ilm seekord, aga gloobuses sõit kõrgustesse ja alla oli omaette väga põnev

(olime selles pisikeses ümaras väliliftis, need 2 tükki mis paistavad).

Väljas söömine on sama kallis kui teistes Euroopa suurriikides, nii et meile üllatust ei tulnud, kui hindu nägime. Kõige rohkem meeldis Jennson Bofhouse ja Mongoolia-Aasia buffee.

Külastasime ka Rootsi kuninglikku paleed Drottingholmis. Suursugune. Palee kuulub UNESCO maailmapärandisse ja on ehitatud 17. sajandil. Suvel oleks seal kindlasti mõnus aias jalutada - neil on hästi suured ja liigirohked aiad. Aga seeski oli põnev.

Rootsi ühistransport on väga mugav ja lihtne.

Läheks sinna, ikka veel ja veel :)! Rootsi on mõnus! Rootsi on kodune - oskan keelt ja tunnen kombeid - elasin seal pea aasta aega kui aupairina töötasin.

.

Fruits *** Puuviljad

I must be hungry as various fruits are on my mind. One of my dreams is to taste various exotic fruits and vegetables in their original countries. I can cross off some of them: grapes and almonds (I stole some in Italy), grapefruits and bananas that I ate in St. Lucia with friends (I will make a separate post about that trip - it was fabulous). A local guy climbed up a big tree and started throwing them down in piles. We did see some pineapples there as well, but these were not ready to be eaten yet.

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Olen vist näljane, sest mõtted lähevad erinevatele puuviljadele. Üks unistusi on mul maitsta erinevaid eksootilis puuvilju/juurvilju nende päritolu riigis. Mõne juba saan nimekirjast maha kriipsutada: viinamarjad ja mandlid (näppasime mõned Itaalias), greibid ja banaanid - neid sõime Kariibidel Santa Lucial (teen sellest reisist eraldi jutu). Nagu üleval pool videolt näha ronis üks kohalik kutt Benjamin puu otsa ja hakkas meile greipe alla loopima. Ananasse nägime ka kasvamas, aga need polnud veel valmis.

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I got some fresh pineapples in Azores - it tasted like honey - very sweet and I learned that it takes 2 years to grow a pineapple. 

What else is on my list: definately kiwifruits from New Zealand, watermelons from Ukraine, Dragon fruit etc the list is long. 

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Assooride ananass - magus kui mesi, valmis viljaks küpseb 2 aastaga. Nimekirjas on veel Uus-Meremaa kiivid, Ukraina arbuusid, Draakonivili jne. Nimekiri on pikk.

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I have been lucky to have had a chance to handpick some plums, cherries, and apples from my own garden. Also, Estonians like to go to the forest to pick up blueberries, lingonberries, wild strawberries, raspberries, and many more :). Unfortunately, there is no real forest like the forests in Ireland.

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Eestis elades ja kasvades olen olnud õnnelik, et olen saanud puust korjata ploome, kirsse, kreeke, õunu, pähkleid. Lisaks sellele armastavad eestlased käia metsas ja korjata mustikaid, jõhvikaid, metsmaasikaid, vaarikaid jne. Iirimaal kahjuks ei ole selliseid marja ja seenemetsi nagu Eestis.

Winter time *** Talverõõmud

Private Collection (erakogust)

All seasons are my favorites, but in winter, I celebrate my birthday, and it's Christmas time! Birthdays seem to become less important as the numbers grow, and the stress of organizing them increases, haha. I remember as a child, I counted down the days until my next birthday because I loved having a big cake, dressing up, receiving presents, and having all my friends around to play and dance with. The dearest present of them all so far has been a big piece of junk - thick green glass. It was wrapped up like candy. It was from my friend Rain; he found it, and I just couldn't take my eyes off it, and voila, he was so nice to give it to me. My family moved a lot when I was a child. Well, I gained more friends out of it, so all good 😊. At one stage, both of my best friends were boys (Kalev and Rain), so I was doing something different: climbing trees, building little houses, putting deodorants into the fire – don’t try that at home as the "Mythbusters" usually say - we threw it in a pile of smoking ash, and after a minute, this steaming burning bottle flew out right to Kalev's foot, and he started screaming, someone came out of the house and started shouting at us, and we all had to run! All very exciting, haha. I have lost contact with both of them now, but Rain has turned out to be a famous inventor.

Christmas. In the beginning of the Soviet Union, Christmases were abandoned; you were not allowed to have a Christmas tree, etc. People still celebrated them in secret, with windows all covered up. Then, when I was born, times changed, and we had 2 Santas, one with a red cloak and one with blue. Red was Nääridvana, and Blue was Jõuluvana (Santa Claus). Children my age had presents and a Christmas tree. Näärid was a very joyful and playful season; Christmas, in my opinion, is more serious. In my family, we celebrate both Christmas and Näärid. The latter one starts after Christmas, peaks at New Year's Eve, and ends on 6th January. Blue Santa disappeared a long time ago. Churches are packed on Christmas Eve. Going to church every Sunday is not very common in Estonia, but during the old times, Estonians used to go to church often. The Soviet Union restricted religion. Somehow, the Christmas Eve tradition remained.

I love Christmas decorations and snow. I enjoy spending time with my friends, family, and all the people celebrating the holidays at the same time. I admire the special food served during the holiday season. I like writing Christmas cards to my loved ones - one of my traditions is to write my own Christmas poem each year. I just finished this year’s poem yesterday.

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Mulle meeldivad kõik aastaajad, aga lemmikuks on talv, sest siis on jõulud ja mu sünnipäev :)! Lapsena oli sünnipäev kuidagi olulisem kui ta on nüüd. Siis sai loetud päevi, tunde ja minuteid - maitsev tort, ilus kleit, kallid sõbrad ja ilusad kingitused ju ootasid. Nüüd on ka see kõik olemas, aga siis oli kokatädiks emme, aga nüüd olen ise :P.

Jõuludel tuleb ka kokata, aga see on kuidagi mõnus kui toas on hapukapsa ja kringli lõhn :).

Iga-aastane traditsioon on mul ka kallitele jõulukaarte saata ja tavaliselt kirjutan selleks jõululuuletuse.

2012-aasta jõulusalm:

Punap6sksed 6unad salves juba ammu,

Peedid-kaalid-porknad annavad meil rammu.

Luiged l2inud – lumi taga,

Metsakoopas karu magab.

J2lle k2es on tali!

Polegi vist nali?

Tuiskab j2lle nii mis maru,

Ymber ajab mesitarud.

Mesilinnud p22stetud,

V2iksed elud s22stetud.

V2lja toodud kelgud-suusad,

K2ima pandud jalad-puusad,

Valges lumes tuhiseme,

omaette nohiseme.

“Kyll on tore – puhkus k2es”!,

Ytleb Anni r66muv2es.

S2ra silmis, naerul suu,

S6idab vastu kuusepuud.

Polegi see kisa suur,

Hoopis viga j6ulupuul.

Jalalt katki ragiseb.

Uhkes kuues j6ulukuusk,

Lisaks veel ka poolik suusk,

Koorem ruttu koju sai,

Emme tegi Annil pai.

Kuusk sai s2rav, kaunis, helge.

T2hteist helkiv taevas selge.

J6ulud tulid nagu ikka,

S88gid, joogid, ootmist pikka.

Nii kui tulid l2bi said

Ootme n22re l6busaid

Vana aasta kulus ruttu

Uuel aastal kolmest tuttu

Kaardid, kingid, maiustused,

Soovid, musid kallistused

K6ike vaja ikka rohkem

Kadund nutt ja pikad ohked.

Aga juhtus sama siin,

N22rid l2ind ja n22riviin

Mis siis nyyd on suures plaanis

Lihav6tted ajasaanis!

Kena päeva!

Outdoor sport *** Spordime õues

If you enjoy outdoor sports all year round, Ireland is the place for you! Temperatures here don't fluctuate much, so you can cycle, run, play football, etc., outside in winter as well as in every other season. I cycle to work almost every day.

Since we turned our clocks back 1 hour on Sunday, it was nice and bright this morning. I could see the sunrise :). It seems like I'm experiencing these funny incidents in a row because this morning I had a puncture, just 1 km before reaching my destination. I used to have punctures frequently with my previous bicycle. There was a week where I had 3 of them, so I got really tired of changing tires. I found a solution - Marathon Plus tires (with kevlar in them, the material used in bulletproof vests, for example). I didn't have a puncture for a year. Now, even with my upgraded bicycle and previously reliable tires, my back tire was still flat. Fortunately, today I and my bike managed to get a lift home (this opportunity only arises once a week :)), and hopefully, tomorrow my tire will be fixed again. There's nothing more invigorating than a 10 km ride in the morning :). It leaves you feeling refreshed and gives you a bit of adrenaline :)

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Kui sa armastad väljas sporti teha: rulluisutada, rattaga sõita, jalgpalli, joosta - siis on Iirimaa sulle täpselt sobilik. Temperatuuri kõikumised on siin väiksemad kui Eestis. Ma sõidan tööle ja koju rattaga praktiliselt aasta-ringselt.

Kella keeramise tõttu (1h tagasi) oli täna hommik väga ilus ja valge. Nägin päikesetõusu! Mulle tundub, et olen praegu naljakate seikade tsüklis, sest täna hommikul läks mul 1 km enne kontorit tagumine rattakumm tühjaks. Oma vana rattaga oli mul päris palju auke kummides. Ühel nädalal koguni 3 tükki. Muudkui lapi ja paranda ja ka uus kumm läks kohe niuhti kodust välja minnes kohe katki. Siis ostsin marathon plus kummid (kevlar materjaliga, sama materjal mida kasutatakse kuulivestides) ja auke ei tulnud. Nüüd täna kui oma uue rattaga väljas olen (vana varastati ära), sain kohe suure klaasikillu tagumisse kummi. Rattaparandaja ütles, et seda juhtub väga harva. Loodame. Minu õnneks on täna see päev, kus mees ei tööta ja saab mulle tööle järgi tulla :P. Ei tahaks oma ratast siia töö rattaparki jätta ööseks ja äkki saan ka oma ratta jälle töökorda - pole midagi mõnusamat hommikul kui üks 10 km rattasõit - see on mõjusam kui hommikukohv!

Halloween *** Halloo viin

Our pumpkin this year, Meie selle aasta kõrvits

Halloween is one of the main celebrations in Ireland, following closely after St. Patrick's Day. Houses are adorned with decorations, and people wear costumes. There are grand parties, parades, and fireworks on that day. Even young children dress up and go from house to house, asking 'trick or treat'?! Estonia doesn't observe Halloween, so this was a new experience for me. Typically, fireworks are prohibited in Ireland, but on these two days, they are permitted, and young people make the most of it. A few weeks ago, someone kept me up all night with their fireworks antics until 4 am. Quite something, right?

Now, back to today's festivities. My flatmate read online about a parade and show in Dublin from 7-9 pm. 'Alright, let's go for it,' we decided. We arrived at the starting point at 6:45 pm, only to find few people around us, which raised our suspicions :D. Turns out, the parade never materialized :D (after returning home, we discovered that the event was from 2007, a few years too late :D). Nevertheless, we witnessed a few fireworks and enjoyed the vibrant city atmosphere with people dressed in costumes, etc. Despite the mix-up, we had a great time: good craic, as the Irish would say :), it was quite a laugh.

Have you ever experienced any funny incidents where your plans didn't quite go as planned?

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Halloviin on koos Püha Patriku päevaga üks Iiri tähtsamaid pühasid aastas. Majad on kaunistatud, inimesed kannavad kostüüme. Igal pool on suured ja väikesed peod, paraadid ja ilutulestikud sellel päeval. Lapsed ka riietavad ennast Batmannideks, piraatideks ja luukeredeks ja käivad ukselt uksele öeldes: Trikk või Maius? Mis peale neile tavaliselt komme, pähkleid ja raha antakse. See raha asi on täitsa uus ja pähklite peale kirtsutatakse nina juba :P. Eestis on Halloviin täitsa uus komme ja pole eriti omaks võetud. Meil on ikka pigem Mardi- ja Kadripäev selleks. Iirimaal on ilutulestik ebaseaduslik, aga nendel kahel päeval aastas on see lubatud ja nagu ikka hakkavad poisikesed paar päeva varem pihta ja pärast ei saa pidama. Paar nädalat tagasi näiteks lasi üks väikeste pausidega kella 4jani hommikul neid pauk paugu järel- Magada ei saanud ja pidi tööle minema järgmine päev :D. Mõnus

Ja tulles tagasi nüüd Halloviini pidustuste juurde siis korterikaaslane luges internetist, et täna on paraad kesklinnas. Läksime ka aegsasti kohale, aga paraadi alguspunkt oli nõnda rahvavaene, et tekkis kahtlus, et midagi on valesti. Tuligi välja, et see interneti kuulutus oli 2 aasta tagune. Olime kõigest paar aastat hiljaks jäänud - pole midagi. Aga linn ise oli lahe - ilutulestikud siiski toimusid ja inimesed olid rõõmsad oma kostüümides. Good crack - nagu iirlased ütlevad!

Halloo viin - jah pigem on ta ju tere viinale, sest kõik on purjus, kuigi iirlased armastavad rohkem õlut juua kui viina. "Pint of beer" - see on siis natuke üle poole liitri vedelikku.

Kas Sul on olnud naljakaid seiku, et lähed kuskile kohale ja seda mis seal olema peaks ei olegi? Nagu selles multikas, kus mutt ütleb oma härrale: Aga meie, kuidas siis meie ja pidu toimus hoopis teises kohas :P