4 church pentecost, 5 room flat

The apartment that Sarah and Aivis has is so peaceful, I look out from my broadband enabled, pine floored, large double room onto mature trees in parkland, then there's a hint of the railway sidings on the route out to St Petersburg and more trees beyond that. The only intrusions from the outside world here are all slight and occasional. So far the ones I notice come from three sources; the heaviest trains which wobble the building, the odd bass line from the flat below (they were playing Bohemian Rhapsody last night), and the smell of the next flat's cooking and cigarettes (only if you stand close to the ventilator in the toilet). I'd be glad to stay here longer, the company is delightful though, so I'd never get any writing done.

Neither the Salvation Army, the small Russian Orthodox church or the large Orthodox cathedral were observing Pentecost today ... all the same I popped into all three (Orthodox do Holy Spirit next week I think). The Army were experimenting with Tom & Jerry and Mr Bean. The simple songs used in the 'All Age' worship at the Citadel enabled me to learn how to sing along to 'Jesus is: strong / Lord / love' in Latvian.

Just a little further into town the Evangelical Lutherans were marking the coming of the Holy Spirit, musically, with a set of Bach flute duets plus organ continuo. Another fifty metres along was a church which operated through the communist period: the Orthodox divine liturgy gave off a sense of longevity through feeling both everyday and intimate. It was enlivened by a youngish group of cantors.

The cathedral, another 500m towards the freedom monument had just finished its service by the time I arrived, there were many still praying. The icons were well presented and there was sufficient space between each of them to prevent the 'rogues gallery' feel. The little shop at the rear sold religious memorabillia and passport wallets.