TALLINN — Mart Jürgenson, a 35-year-old IT specialist, thought he would escape the chaos of daily life by taking a week-long silent retreat in his backyard sauna. However, in true Estonian fashion, he forgot to lock the door.
Neighbors were quick to catch wind of his plan. “We just heard the steam, and it smelled like good leib baking. How could we resist?” said Reet, a retired school teacher who showed up with a basket of homemade rye bread and fish.
Mart reportedly attempted to shoo everyone away, but the more he tried to be peaceful, the more the sauna filled. By the end of the day, he had unwittingly become the host of a neighborhood gathering.
”I just wanted to focus on the sound of my own thoughts, not on hearing Jüri’s stories from last summer’s laulupidu,” Mart lamented.
As the night went on, a sauna etiquette dispute erupted. “If you don’t bring a towel, you’re not welcome!” shouted one guest, while others debated the proper kvass to bring to such gatherings.
Eventually, Mart accepted his fate and joined in, resigning to share not only his sauna but also several pitchers of homemade beer. Neighbors left the sauna not only slightly more steamy but also feeling suspiciously more interconnected.
At press time, Mart was considering a chugging contest for the next silent retreat.