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Running across Kihnu ladies


As soon as I get onto the ferry to Kihnu Island, I head to the front deck. A tourist group, German or Finnish, also comes out to the deck and gets start shearing breakfast from a vat. It's a bread. Looks so delicious. "Ammm excuse me, let me take a picture of the bread" I ask them. "Sure. It's a handmade Pizza.You can also eat it" Oh, thanks. Yummy!


As the ferry cruises in the deep blue Baltic sea, we get a strong sea breeze. Beginning of June. The high temp.of Estonia is just above 10 degree in mainland. The coolest June in my life. It's lower on the sea. The passengers on the deck is getting into the cabin by one and twos. While some of them are still stick on there. I know their excitement to the island that they've never seen. We wanna see even slight change of the sight on ahead. A passenger who has checked with binoculars is pointing out faraway. "Kihnu?" No. The ferry passes a small island. It seems the Riga bay has many small islands. The cruising time to Kihnu is an hour and half. I recall the cruise to Nantucket Island, US in my old days.



Finally, I get to the island port. I see Kihnu ladies in sunglass and traditional costume on the wharf. "They must put a welcome flower garland on my neck when I get off the boat"
However the tourists who has just got off the ferry now get on minibuses and sightseeing truck. And the Kihnu ladies ride on the passenger seat of each cars and have gone. They must be a guide for group island tour.
After all whom left behind are a couple of individual tourists and me. There is a rent a bike stall near by. I chose one from the long lines of brand new bike. It gonna be an life line to me for next couple of days. 2km for central village, 3km for the guest house I'll stay.


On the way, I come across to a group of local ladies unexpectedly. They wear a scarf and striped skirt just as I saw on the internet. And take a look! one, two, three ... so many.
They are coming by buying flowers from mobile wagon. Can't get a chance twice in Photography. So I park the bike and throw off the bag on the grass and take a snap shot. The ladies might think who's this Asian guy.


I close watch the picture once again. Ironed scarf and neatly dressed skirt. Seeing the tidy dressing, I feel their pure parsonality.


On the other hand, as I anticipated, it would become only chance to see a group of residents during my stay. In the small island, 600 population, chance to meet a local people is limited.



Jun. 2016



Today's piece
" Flower vendor " Kihnu Island, Estonia 2016




fumikatz osada photographie