The Sleeping Station Master

Uhh, where to start? Daily work and chores mostly done, I and @raili decided to hike around in our district, enjoying the sights and of course the nice weather.

Our trip would start a bit further from home, so while I was waiting for @raili, I grabbed this shot of the daffodils, just for the luls and to warm the photographing hand. Who doesn't love daffodils? They're the announcers of summer, man!

We drove a bit further and parked our car at the local market. While already there, we bought some fresh groceries and hunted, without any result, for a specific vendor, who sells absolutely delicious marinated fish.

Asking around, it turned out, that vendor only turns up on the weekends, from Friday to Sunday, and he leaves early. Luckily tomorrow is Friday, so if I manage to get out of the house early, I might snag some delicious Friday night snacks. If you don't like fish, the delicacies from this vendor might change your mind ;)

The market was kind of empty, I guess people don't go to the market as much as they used to. I hope this soon changes, local vendors need our support.

They redid this market a few years ago and now this is one of the cleanest markets around, small cabins and stalls for vendors. The streets are clean and nice, so one doesn't feel weird walking between the stalls.

So no dice with our hunt for some delicious snacks, we headed on, to the trails in greenery, right behind the market, along the hills where kids sledge in winter. No-one was sledging now but the road was filled with people. Guess we weren't the only ones who decided to spend some quality time outside.

I know I just told you that the roads were packed, but I waited for this shot, so it looks like we almost alone except that red-jacket lady, who we were stalking.

When we came to a small fork ahead, I remembered that there was this destroyed house, right in the fork, that I always wanted to explore. It used to be gated and fenced, with trees around the building in the middle of the yard, so I was curious of what I would find.

Turns out that the remains are from the old railway station for the narrow-gauge railway, built in the early 20th century. The railway was part of Peter the Great's Naval Fortress and the coastal defence system, in case Ze Germans would come from the sea and threaten the rule of the Russians.

The building should be a culturan monument and thus under protection, but as peeking in through the open gate revealed, was in a rather sorry state of affairs.

In fact, nothing but mere ruins stood.

Anyway, since this yard was right across the graveyard, I always assumed it was some kind of morgue or something of the likes, but noting the address in Google Maps and doing a Google Search on it reveals some nice pieces of history.

Back to the hike then it was.

_{Look how tiny my head is. Enough! Don't look any more!}

We crossed the bridge over the new, modern railway, passed the small building with some nice graffiti art and crossed the road to find us in a totally different neighbourhood.

Old private residences and quiet green streets are a pleasure for the mind. I could walk here every week. Managed to see squirrels playing on every other street even.

A bit further and we stumbled upon this old cobblestone road. Here? Randomly? Why? But it's cool. Probably not for the drivers though, who have to take this road everyday, but for the tourists like us - definitely.

A bit further, passed a small park with a tiny fountain and benches that all have a name. Perhaps someone can name a bench after me as well one day? Please!

But now we came up to what was my highlight of the day, a house with a tower. You see, I hate these modern cube-shaped boxes people build for themselves to live in. They pollute every new neighbourhood, replacing greenery, parks and destroying entire blocks. Why would people build and live inside these? I get it actually - money. The cost of living is high and it seems that most people don't have an eye for aesthetics.

But if I should build a house for myself with endless funds, it'd definitely have a tower! Massive props to the one who built this!

We had almost made it back to the market where we had left our car, with just the Nõmme railroad station to be crossed.

The sculpture by Lembit Onton, "The Sleeping Station Master", looks kind of lonely there, doesn't he? So I offered him and his chicken some company.

I hope it cheered the old lad up a bit.