Travels so far

So, an update as to travels so far, as Ihave been really bad at updating blog :(

En route to Estonia, I went to the National Gallery in Copenhagan - which was great - the building had been extended - morphing from an old historical build into a modern structure made of glass and steel. but it looked good.  The collection was quite exciting too.  Similar to that of Tate Britain, only consisting of historical and contemporary Danish artists mostly.

Part of the gallery has been turned into an open workshop.  A small section of the gallery is open to visitors, allowing the public to view restoration work being carried out on old paintings.  The workshop is set behind glass so that you can see the guy restoring and conserving paintings.  Information also given on laws they have to adhere to, and what they are allowed to do and how it's done.  In the past, paintings were sometimes altered, decades, or even centuries, after the artist had originally completed the painting, so they remove the 'new' paint/alterations (sometimes still hundreds of years old).  Very interesting, but complicated.

Since arriving in Estonia, I have a studio in Teleskivi, it's less than 10 mins from the 'Old Town' tourist trap, but is an okay wee area...or so I thought.

It has since been pointed out to me that Teleskivi is a very surreal place, inhabited by Hobos.

The studio is on the third floor, and has a fairly good view, of the surrounding area, and it was not until David, my studio partner in crime, pointed out to me we had a 'piss bush' on the opposite side of the road, next to the train tracks.  And sure enough, hobos (and sometimes those who don't even look that hobo'ish') stagger into, and out of the bush 'fixing themselves'.  Many others simply stand beside the bush drinking cans of 'Rock', or if they're very lucky, swigging from 12% proof cans of 'Maximator'.  Nice.

A less discrete pee stop is the grassy area up at the top of the road, next to the tram stop, and opposite the little cafe we like to go to, which is actually really nice, and quite up-market, selling sweet and savory pancakes, and salads etc.  Yes you can enjoy a bite to eat, will enjoying the spectator sport of peeing in bushes.  And the hobos, well they seem to be under the misconception that because they turn to have their backs to us that we can't see them, cause they can't see us?

In saying all this, I do have one Russian hobo 'friend'.  I've christened him 'No Toes', or Bob for short.  As you can guess, he has no toes.  I usually give him money when I pass him, and the security guards at the Viru shopping centre usually give him beer.  He's always polite, no English, or Estonian, but he does know thank you in Russian (I'm guessing) Spanish, French and Itallian.