 Carving the blocks (Margaret & Emily) |
 Carving the blocks (Katie, Alyson & Charlotte) |
 Rolling the ink onto the blocks |
 Loading the block into the press |
 Revealing the finished print |
 Hanging prints to dry |
 We are pleased with the results |
 Turning the Roller on the Press |
 We were mostly inspired by Guiding! |
With our bags, we headed back to the bus station for a bus to Nuudi (via the obligatory supermarket stop). Here we would be staying at Mila's family's house, in a tent in the very large back garden. Arriving quite late, we quickly put up the tents and cooked some dinner. Mila cooked us a traditional Estonian meal complete with lots of sour cream, and some marinated (raw) fish. Although we were hesitant at first, we all tried some of the fish, and it was delicious! We hadn't showered at the Scout HQ, so we were looking forward to showering at Mila's, but first we embraced the Estonian Sauna.
Mila asked whether we wanted a 'hot' sauna, or 'not so hot' (90 degrees C, and 60 degrees C respectively). We knew it would be an experience! Fortunately, the new sauna is attached to the house (instead of the spider infested shed in the garden), and opens onto the shower room. Three at a time we alternated being in the hot sauna, and outside in the cold, before taking turns in the shower. We all felt very refreshed afterwards, and stayed up late chatting.
The next morning dawned wet and raining. We delayed heading into the village fair (too wet), and instead wandered into the village mid-afternoon. The chapel of St George is in Tori (the village), and has been recently restored by the locals after its destruction by the Germans at the end of WWII. It is a very beautiful church, and is in memorium to those Estonians who have lost their lives in service of their country, and of soldiers who gave their lives in defence of Estonia. It is a beautiful monument to the freedom granted to Estonians, and well worth a detour to visit if you are ever in Estonia!
While in Tori, we headed to the pop-up cafe (complete with music stage blaring) to meet the local leaders and discuss the new training scheme. Like in Tartu, it was great to catch up with some of the leaders from camp, and meet new friends. We also really enjoyed showing the leaders how their feedback had shaped the new scheme, and gained more valuable insights to take back to refine the scheme. By this stage, it had started raining again and we were very glad when two of the leaders offered to drop us back to Nuudi instead of walking in the rain.
 Walking to Tori |
 St George's Chapel/Church |
 Meeting the leaders & showing them the new plan |
Mila cooked again for us all; chicken in a cheese cream sauce (YUM!), and made heaps. Tonight her whole family was coming home from holiday and we would be meeting her mother and brother for the first time (Melita - Mila's daughter - was already a friend from camp). Once we had met everyone, it was time for bed again.
Our last day in Parnu was not quite as expected, but still good. Unfortunately the session we were going to run with the Rovers was cancelled, so we had a whole day in which to explore Parnu. Parnu is quite small and we walked quickly through the town, and onto the beach for some sunbathing. We also went for a paddle in the surprisingly warm water, and enjoyed our packed lunch on the sand.
 Parnu Beach |
 Walking through Parnu |
 The storm clouds were brewing - but they went straight past us! |
After lunch, we headed into Parnu to meet Relika and collect our printing. It was still a little damp, so we carefully wrapped our shirts in grease proof paper and set off again. For the whole trip (even before we left), Charlotte had been raving about a 'fabulous' statue that they found in Parnu on the recon trip for GOLD Estonia. After a few wrong turns, we found it. Charlotte was very pleased - we were a little underwhelmed, but had a good laugh. Now we were off in search of ice-cream, then cake, then dinner. The ice-cream was good, but the recommended cake shop was too busy so we ended up at the cafe/pub/corner store across the road. But it had reasonably good coffee/cocoa/strange green cucumber-ish drink, and we were able to sit and play cards through the rain showers. We then walked back to the recommended pizzeria to find a queue out the door, and promises of a 1hr wait for pizza after we had a table. Fortunately we had plenty of time before our bus, and decided to wait. The wait was worth it and we were rewarded with steaming bowls of cheesy pasta and crisp pizzas.
 Charlotte's Statue |
 Becomes GOLD Estonia's Statue! |
 Massive Calzone! |
Soon it was time to head back to the bus stop for our trip back to Mila's family farm. We had been warned that coming back early would mean eating dinner from Mila's mother as refusal would offend; so we were heading back later, and hoping for a quiet night before travelling again in the morning.
This quiet night didn't eventuate (but in a good way!). It was Mila's brother's birthday, and we were invited to be part of the family celebrations. The extended family were all there, cousins, nieces, nephews, and it was a fun evening. We were roped into playing running games with the children including buy/sell colours, and duck, duck, honey (part, part, honee). Once we were all tired out, we sat down to dinner (our second), with traditional Estonian BBQ of potato salad, tomato salad, and ribs. It was very delicious, and followed by an amazing 'cake' (Kringel). It is cooked from Mila's grandmother's recipe, and is a bread dough flavoured with sugar, butter, and peanuts - YUM!
 Playing games with the Children |
 BBQ with Mila's Family |
 Kringel |
Finally, we climbed into bed well past midnight, feeling very welcomed into the family, and very privileged to enjoy an insight into Estonian celebrations.
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