I first encountered Estonia through the Funeral Industry. In my work as a Celebrant, I was invited to create a funeral for an older Estonian woman. The family was keen for me to create a ceremony that honoured the whole of this woman’s life particularly her harsh childhood and youth in Estonia and the passion for that country that stayed with her for as long as she lived.
I began researching; listening to the music, the poetry and the stories of Estonia. I became obsessed with this country and its story of triumph through terrible adversity. I was inspired by the passive, musical resistance that characterized the Singing Revolution. In 2013 I travelled in the north of Estonia, listening to the recollections of older people and the exuberance of the young.
I learnt about the beauty and traditions of the textiles and ceramics and the astonishing technological lead this country has taken. I sat in buildings older than I have ever been in and walked through kilometres of villages and wetlands. In this photo I am walking through the wetlands near Haapsalu; a beautiful way of encountering the locals and appreciating the reclamation work that has occurred here.
