Text and Photos: Mari Palgi

This was my very first NPA meeting after joining NPA in 2024. There were three of us coming from Estonia.

The accommodation was in an old water mill building rebuildt for a big family house with a mill museum. The owners gladly told us the story of the place and showed the museal part. Actually the heating of the big house was still coming from the waterfall energy.

The atmosphere was already familiar from the Estonian 2023 PDC course (led by Cat as well), hard to describe in words, but something like caring, loving, sensitive, open, learning from each other. Just makes your inspiration to fly and flow. The weather was kept amazingly perfect – sunshine, the first warm days of spring , northern lights and nightsky full of stars. The schedule was planned challenging – three diploma presentations in one day. The main pressure was on Cat and Andreas with peer-reviewers and the presenters of course. The others had just a little time in between to relax or to cook 😉 All three diploma presentations (Emma, Erkki and Marja) were very different from each other, showing the personalities behind the designs – but equally inspiring and a lot to learn. It was also my first time to be in the peer-review group, very educational to see the way it was implemented.

In the evening there was a beautiful ceremony of crowning or more exactly hatting the three new diploma holders – candles, king size chairs and some magic in the air. More magic was coming as Erkki improvised for us a night walk in the pitch dark forest with candles to the fire and he introduced us the result of his one design – a shaman drum and drumming. Everybody sent good wishes to brand new diploma holders and the universe.

In Finland there is usually no event without a finnish sauna. All who had a spark to experience it enjoyed Erkki’s high log-built, a bit smokey hot sauna and a warm bathtube outside under the starry sky. Many of us said it was the best sauna they have ever had.

The next day was a day of resume and feedback and circles with good meals.

And a bit pity it ended so soon.

But see you soon in Estonia, reserve the dates 13.-15.06.2025!