Limitations are blessings

The Ryanair checkin desk complained about my luggage - in a way I knew they would - that deja vu thing. The restrictions are 15k for the checkin bag and 10 for the cabin bag. They weighed both.

So I dumped the Sony R1 and its charger with Eeva and Philippe and changed shoes from winter felt boots (huoppakengat) to my light summer shoes and in so doing shed 3 kilos from the bags. Of course I could have paid something for the extra weight, but I saw this as an opportunity to increase my mobility. Less is less.

Rene sent a txt message, somehow expecting me to have landed already with an invitation to join him doing some last minute shopping for the wedding. I updated him and at the same time sent a message to Dace in Andrejsala so they would know when to expect me. I also asked what the temperature was in Riga and got a +2C with rain reply which somehow managed to make me feel good. Having come from -12C in blinding snow storm on the motor way, +2 and rain is relatively comforting.

In the departure lounge I met Gintautas, a Lithuanian engineer on his way home from Tampere via Riga. And so once boarded we sat together and Gintas and I chatted against a background of announcements from the cabin crew and the noises outside.

I have driven from Riga to Tallinn in 4 hours by car, and as Tallinn is less than 100k across the Baltic Sea, the flight took around one hour start to finish and in minutes I was in the airport shuttle on my way into town.

And so I found myself sitting around a table in A-Residence sipping tea and catching up with Dzintars and his family until tiredness took over and I headed for bed. This morning I'm off into town to meet Rene and Kristiina at his offices where we will catch a taxi to the airport. I'm nicely rested, thinking coffee and looking forward to a change of climate. Next stop Istanbul.