On to the island of Muhu

Saturday 23rd May.  Sunny day with a cold but not icy wind, mainly behind us.  We diverted down a dirt road to find another of these very old stone churches at Poide. This time we were successful and it was open.  It had been struck by lightening in 1940 and the steeple and roof was burnt.  The roof must have been repaired but not the steeple and the tower that was left had a large crack in it. In Soviet times it ceased to be used as a church and hay was stored in it.  Now it is being used as a church once again and starting to be restored.  There is a lot of work to do, but it has a stark beauty as it is.  

There was also the remains of a fort built by theTeutonic Orderburg.  That doesn't seem to have lasted as long, there were just a few stones left to mark its place.

Returning to the main road, we went over a cobbled stretch with beautifully shaped and laid cobbles.  Poide is now tiny but looking at the cobbles and the size of the church, it must have once been quite important.

Next we went over the causeway to the island of Muhu.  Here the weather was not a kind and we had a strong wind against and to the side of us (yes winds can come from more than one direction when you are cycling. They gust around)  It was hard work for 4kms and when a team of lorries came in the opposite direction, I (Katherine) just had to stop.  The causeway was first built in the late 1800s and has been enlarged and improved many times since.  The downside has been that it disrupted the spawning routes of the fish, so fish were no more. But they wouldn't have thought about that in those days.  Probably not much different now.  We had another diversion to find an ostrich farm with cafe. Yes it was there but not open in May. However the campsite we wanted was open and very welcoming. It was a horse riding establishment,breeding horses and offering horse riding holidays.  There was a party of Finns there, so the sauna was booked out. However, there was also a large dining room with a log fire and buffet meals.  We pitched our tents and settled happily into the room with food and log fire. There were pictures all round the room about the area and the mystical properties given to the stones and groves in ancient times, practices not entirely abandoned.  There was also a picture of Martin, pouring oil on a fire to appease the spirit of an oak tree that was about o be cut down and placed in the dining room.