Lighthouses on Hiiumaa

The Surfers Paradise was very close to the Ristna Lighthouse with cafe, open May to September.  A second breakfast was in order.  As with is much in this part of the world, the opening hours were just someone's optimism. It was very shut. Onwards to the next lighthouse. There are a lot in this part of the  world and the next one at Kopu is the third oldest in the world, starting to be built in the 16th century on the orders if the Hanseatic League.  At that time it was lit by a fire on top.  Later it was extended and lit by other means.  Not only was it open, but so was the cafe with a very good lunch.

Then back along the road that had seemed so awful yesterday.  Now in the sunshine it was a pleasure to go along, apart from George getting a puncture.  This ensured that we were definitely too late for the afternoon ferry to cross to Saaremaa, and would take the morning one at 8.15.  There was accommodation marked on the map close to Soru, the port.  But there was no telling whether they existed.  We passed a field with some holiday huts and investigated.  They had keys in the locks and looked fine.  But who did they belong to?  We tried several houses round about and eventually found some one in and who spoke English and who kindly phoned the owner.  Yes we could stay.  Choose any hut we liked and leave 40 euros under the coffee pot.  We chose one with a sauna and log fire and had a very pleasant evening.  And woke in time to get the ferry the next morning.

Two more days on the island of Hiiumaa

We cycled down the Kassari peninsula a little way till the path got too stony. Lots of bird song and a beautiful sandy coast. Then on towards the tip of the Kopu peninsula where there is a lighthouse.  It began to rain.  The short cut along a dirt road got stonier and stonier.  We had to change route and go a longer way round, passed this beautiful looking Orthodox Church. As with most churches it was shut. 

The orthodox community used to be very large but with the war, deportations and the closure of churches in Soviet times, it had dwindled.

We also passed signs of collective farming that has now been abandoned.

Cycling in the rain with the wind against you is very dispiriting.  The road seems endless.  We had booked a hut a a place called Surfers Paradise on the tip of the peninsula. We did eventually arrive, cold and wet, to a very basic site.  The hut just had beds.  Did we really need a heater?  Yes we certainly did.  The pit latrine was a little distance away and the one outside, cold tap quite a bit further.  But there in the hut next to the tap was not only a hot shower, but a sauna.  All was forgiven.

The next day it had stooped raining  and we could enjoy our surroundings.

On the island of Hiiumaa

We spent the morning in Haapsula, enjoying what remains of he old town, including the castle.  Castles in these parts go back to the Livonian order of Teutonic Knights.  As far as we can gather they came with the Pope's blessing to spread Christianity but, for them, much more to conquer lands.  The castles were ruled by the bishops, one if whom was the younger brother of the king of Denmark.  The history gets complicated as all nations round about tried to take over the lands: Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Russia, etc.

We now diverted to see the islands of Hiiumaa and then Saaremaa.  

On Hiiumaa we thought we would stay in a campsite in Kassari, advertising having barrels for huts.  They were indeed large barrels but seemed miserable things, so we went on down the peninsula to look for something better.  And there was a clearing in the forest and another free campsite.  The facilities were a semi-detached pit latrine, barbecue stand with plenty if wood to be gathered, an old fashioned village swing and the most amazing concert of bird song, both in the evening and the morning.  It was a beautifully sunny evening but very cold once the sun went down.

The swing was well used, by young children, then older children, followed by teenagers and, as the evening progressed, by young adults.  In the morning it was the turn of the oldies.

Continuing to Haapsalu

A railway line makes an attractive cycle path. There are no cars and the gradient is never too steep.  However 64 kms of straight line, with forest on either side, however beautiful, can get a little boring.  It is worse when it starts to rain.

The path is called the 'HealthTrail' and we did encounter some fast cyclists who soon left us far behind.  There were only a couple of stations with anything to see.  One seemed to be a youth club if some sort. There was a fire burning inside and rain outside, so it did seem attractive.  However, we really couldn't pass as Estonian youth, so eat our lunch on a bench outside.  The other was rather sadder as a memorial to the hundreds if Estonians who had been transported to Siberia in cattle trucks along the railway, in 1941 and 1949 by Stalin.

But there was also beauty along the way. We have been seeing these flowers in ditches and marshes along the way since Russia.  They are nearly over now.

We had fortunately booked an apartment for the night in Haapsula so were able to dry out and warm up.

A wet forest campsite to Haapsalu

.I don't seem to be able to save, only publish. I hope I don't lose this. iPads remain a mystery to me.

In the morning we were warmed by a fire, had breakfast and admired our surroundings.  Then on.  But after about 5kms there was a cafe. There are so few that it is a shame not to support them. We enjoyed a second breakfast if pancakes. On leaving we encountered a couple of Germans doing the route in reverse. Long distance cyclists are also rare, so we stopped for a chat. They recommended a change of route, going inland to a campsite at Kasepere, where they had arrived wet the previous night and been given a sauna and from there you could follow a disused railway line all the way to Haapsalu. This seemed attractive. The road we were on was fairly busy and there was a long unpleasant stretch of roadworks. We turned off onto a quiet road with the wind less against us. Regretfully there was no sauna that night but we did have a nice hut, an excellent supper provided and breakfast the next day.

The road the next day started well, but then disintegrated to a very stony dirt road.  The disused sectioned of the railway line started at Riisipere but we reckoned we could pick it up one station later at Turba. We stopped there for the supermarket and a little market outside with a stall selling biscuits and sweets, another clothes and another pototoes from the back of a van. The biscuits were good but we didn't try the potatoes.

Then it hailed.  Not a good omen for the rest of the day, but we were able to shelter in the supermarket.

I shall now publish this for fear of losIng it. 

Lack of blogs

We don't seem to be managing to keep up with the blogs.  We are now in Latvia and will reach Riga hopefully in a couple of days.  But the blog is way back in Estonia,  I wrote quite a bit yesterday but then pressed something wrong and the whole thing froze.  The only way out was to lose everything I had written.  It had  not been saved.

Next bit from Tallinn

This covers the same part of our journey a post that Katherine wrote about earlier.

We left, with George, Tom's brother and therefore Katherine's brother-in-law after our stay in Tallinn.  The exit from the city was almost entirely on reserved cycle tracks; they seem to take these seriously in Estonia. Stopped at a supermarket, and after this the amount of traffic grew less and eventually no more reserved cycle tracks.  Stopped at a cafe for [pancakes (which have become obligatory for us when we see them) and it began to rain.  The rain went on the wind was against ..... etc.  We were going along the cost Westward, but one did not see the sea much because of the pine forests.

Eventually, time to find somewhere for the night.  A campsite was marked on one of our maps, and when we got to it, it turned out to be a forest site with minimal facilities, called Meremoisa, basically a toilet and some places to light fires.  We stopped here, rather wet and cold and put up our tents.  It was near the sea.  Supper in our tent, during which one of us, don't know who, made a puncture in my air bed - as I found out later.  A restless and cold night.  I woke early when the other two were sound asleep, at about 06.00 and went for a walk to warm up.  The forest and the seaside were beautiful in the early morning and it looked as if a sunny morning was in store.  But still quite cold.  We made a fire and managed to dry out some wet things to some extyent5.  Then off on the next stage.

Tom

Cattle

On the whole we have not seen very many farm animals in Estonia.  Some, but a lot of grassland seems to be given over to harvesting hay and, presumably, selling it.  Quite apart from this, we saw a couple of highland bulls, just like in Scotland, and they came over to be talked to.  Were they imported for stock improvement, or just for fun, or do highland cattle come from the Baltic in the first place.

Tallinn to Meremoisa

We left Tallinn in the early afternoon intending a shrt ride of 40km.  It was soon raining.  Getting going again is always hard.  Getting going in the rain is not fun. The route out was well sign posted and was soon going through a National. Park with beautiful forests.  The campsite was marked on the map and we thought longingly of the hot showers, and possibility of a cabin as it was cold and very wet.  The campsite was duly marked off the road and into the forest.  We followed the paths and there it was: a space where you were allowed to put up a tent, a barbecue but no wood and a pit latrine ... and exceedingly beautiful scenery.  It had just about stopped raining. We got tents up fast, eat supper in one of them and went to bed fast.  In the morning we woke to beautiful bird song and could admire our surroundings in the sun.  A fire made it even better.  We were also very close to the sea, which was much prettier with less wind and no rain.

More in Tallinn

We stopped to read a notice about an old timber building.  Several people were going in, so being curious I followed and found it was a pub serving food.  We stopped for a beer and ended up witha. Full meal.  Great atmosphere and, as everywhere else in Estonia, were surprised at the provision of play space for children.

Other things we remember was the string quartet called the Insomniacs, we never discovered why, but they were good, performing in a oalace built by Peter the Great.  Where did he not build a palace?  Also a gallery of Estonian art and the Dance of Death in the St Nicholas Church.  There were several done in the Middle Ages, showing Death dancing with everyone, from the Pope downwards, though emperors, cardinals, bishops, kings and onwards down to the lowliest person.  Only a small section of this one remains.

Sadly we only had a short time here.  Debbie flew back to England and we cycled on with George. 

Days off in Tallinn

 It feels funny to spend a day walking when one his spent so many cycling.  Tallinn is an old medieval town that, though, damaged in the war, managed to retains a lot of its old buildings.  It is built on a hill and there are nt many in Estonia and by the sea, so a good place in olden times.

Tom, George and Debbie.

 

There is a lot to see and we only visited a small part, which included a guided walking tour done by a student which gave a good overview. Also a visit to floor 23 of the Viru Hotel, where the KGB had their office and listening equipment.  The hotel had been built when the ferries to Finland began and many Finnish people came to visit.  Visitors that were at all suspect, or interesting, were put in there rooms which were bugged.  At mealtimes plates or ashtrays with hidden microphones were put on their tables.  Cameras were also trained on them.  There was the story if someone complaining in their room that there was no toilet paper.  It arrived a few minutes later.

Viinistu to Tallinn

Tom, I think, forgot just how windy it all was.  114km against the wind.  The only good thing was that it didn't rain and the sun shone.  It was Sunday, so the motorcyclists were out and we were passed by several noisy groups.  When you are cycling through clean, clear air, you really notice the smell of motorcycles.  Then we joined the route of a bicycle race.  We must have joined when the stragglers were coming through. Several rather weary cyclists passed us and it must have cheered them to glide easily passed us.  Then we got to their count down, 10km to go, 9km, 8km.  I was looking forward to arriving to cheers and perhaps a cup of tea, but at 2kms they turned off.  The weary race marshal held up the traffic to let me turn, but I was going on.  It was quite tempting to finish the race!  Then it was heads down and against the wind.  We went over a high (for Estonia) plateau with open fields, so no wind breaks.  In the far distance was a white house and trees.  I cycled on and there in the far distance was a white house and trees.  The speed dropped to 7km / hr and there in the far distance .......  Well we did eventually arrive and there was a bench thoughtfully provided for us to collapse on.

There were, of course, some good bits to the day.  The submarine degaussing base was interesting and we only knew about it from the hotel manager in Viinistu.  There was nothing to show its existence, except a no entry sign.

By 6pm we were passing near a waterfall, so there was the shop which also served coffee and ice cream. Both much needed.  Also beautiful scenery.

We also appreciated that the way into Tallinn was well marked and on dedicated cycle paths for most of the way.  Once or twice we were in doubt but could work it out with the help of the Gallileo map on my iPad.  We arrived at 9.45 and were thankful to be staying in the apartment that Tom's brother George and his wife, Debbie, were renting.  

Bomb shelters and Kunda

Backtracking to Kunda, it had rained in the afternoon, by the time we arrived we were cold, soggy and tired from cycling against the wind. The map on entry to the town showed two hotels, one in the same place as my map and another at the far end of the town.  The first one was in a very closed up soviet style building that looked as if it had not been used for several years, a little depressing. There was a cafe opposite and they were terribly helpful in getting us booked in to the other place at the far end of town.  I don't think we would have found it without their help, as it was really at the far end down a path that looked as if it went nowhere.  Where we actually stayed was another soviet style building round a square, some of there buildings looked deserted, some were done up and looked good and in the middle was what looked like an air raid shelter.

We have seen these in many towns and villages and considering the amount of bombing they suffered in the war, it is probably not surprising.

And what is this?

It sort of looked like ventilated pit latrines built into an old air raid shelter.  Or maybe each family had their own air raid shelter.

A day in Viinistu

We arrived damp and tired at the hotel in Viinistu but first was it there? Then how to get in?  The place is in a fish factory.  Well. What do you do witha. Fish processing factory when the political situation changes and the Russians stop buying your fish?  If you have a good art collection and money then a gallery, hotel and restaurant.  But May is still out of season, so things were not operating so much.  We did find our way in and all was revealed by a Spannish man who was staying there with his parents.  Everything was closed that night but the restaurant, gallery etc would be open the next day.  We spent the morning in the gallery which we thoroughly enjoyed and the afternoon cycling round the peninsular.  In Soviet times it was closed to all unless you lived there, because if radar and submarine bases.  This has left the area undeveloped and so is now a National Park.  When the Rusians left Estonia the buildings were just all left to decay.

The factory buildings made into the hotel and museum.

Some art work outside.

Abandoned radar buildings.

More erratic boulders.

An enormous building for submarine research, now reverting to forest. We were told it was quite safe to go in and wander round but it was getting late, so we just walked round the outside.  Somewhat sad to see such a fine building rotting away.

Onwards to Viinistu

Tom has forgotten just how wet it was cycling to Viinistu.  It stopped briefly while we went to a nature centre about the beavers and then again while we walked round the beaver trail.  But we ate our lunch in the drizzle and were totally soaked by 5 when we arrived at the next nature centre. It was shut but the baronial hall was open and with shortage of time we had a choice of going round the house, or the cafe 200 metres further on.  We chose the cafe.  It didn't look like a cafe, more like posh stables of a wealthy establishment, which is probably what it was.  We would never have gone in if we hadn't been told.  Inside was not only warmth, but the wonderful atmosphere of long wooden tables in a long hall, friendly service and excellent food.  We couldn't stay long as we still had some way to go but by the time we left we were warm, drier, fed and it ahead stopped raining.  Our spirits were lifted.

The beaver dams that Tom remarked were untidy. But then he has never tried making a dam with twigs.

The whole of the coast and coastal areas are littered with rocks, called erratic boulders, left from receding glaciers.  A few are really large, many have myths or spiritual meaning attached to them.

Photos etc of the first days in Estonia

It's my (Katherine) job to add some photos.  I still haven't learnt how to manage these within text, nor to get them in the order I want. These ones are of Narva.  It was very heavily bombed in the war, so very few buildings remain, apart from the castle, the Orthodox Church and townhall.  We were pleased to find the route 1 cycle sign, which has been very good throughout the ride so far.  Also the highest waterfall for Estonia. No it doesn't look very high but then Estonia is pretty flat.  The padlocks left behind are presumably symbols of undying love.  I don't know the symbolism of the tree. Waterfalls tend to have cafés next to them. The pancakes were excellent.

Orthodox Church in Narva.

Medieval town hall in Narva.

We are following he Baltic Sea Cycle Route 1.

Highest waterfall in Estonia.  The shale layer is where they were getting the uranium from.

This worked better than expected!