More on Kuressaare and Saaremaa Island

 

The islands are big holiday destinations, but not in May. So much was closed until 1st June, or said it was open and wasn't, or said it was there but was actually under construction. Here is the first Ttourist Information office.  Inside was 'work in progress', planks of wood, tools, but not a soul in sight.

There were nice places by the sea to stop for lunch and the occasional cafe, usually a village store selling everything and with a table outside for a cup of coffee or beer. Biscuits and sweets were often sold in the old fashioned way, weighed out loose from open boxes. And very good.

Kuressaare is an old town with still some cobbled streets and old houses.  Like much else it had suffered in war and occupation years and these were recorded in huge museum.  As Tom mentioned there was also humour, as in the stairs if jokes. Read them going up.

And then the meal in the windmill, which you could explore whilst waiting for the food to come. It went up four floors, with tables on each.  I pitied the waiters when the place was full.  The stairs got quite steep.

Kurassaare

We took a day off the grind of perpetual onward-ness. We were in Mandjala campsite, where we had taken a cabin.  This was about 10km form Kurassaare, which is the largest and principal town on Sarimaare island.  The ride in was pleasant; along a main road, but not much traffic and separated bike track that was very well maintained. 

Started at a bike shop, because Katherine's bike had a problem that I forget what it was; they also replaced her rear inner tube and, as we have observed before, the mere fact that a professional did this meant it has not had to be reflated since  Then coffee and lunch.  The magazines of both the Cycling Touring Club and The Lindon Cycling Campaign stress the vital importance of cafes to cycling and cyclists.  We agree.  This was a very pleasant one. 

Then to the information office for a few enquiries and to the castle and museum.  One started with something about someone, actually an inquisitor, who got walled in on the orders of a medieval bishop.  Walling in seemed to be a punishment used both here and in Haapsalu.  Who knows how many as yet unknown walling-ins remain unknown, forgotten and undetected (this one was only found in the 19th century)?  This gentleman had been seduced on purpose and then condemned for breaking his chastity vow ..... he was unwanted in the first place.  The museum was rambling and very good. The best bits were about life in the Soviet years, including jokes written on the treads of the stairs.  Did Stalin like jokes?  Yes, he had two prison camps full of them.  Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man; communism is the opposite.  Etc.  There was a section on individual persons' recollecdtions of significant events in their lives that was also good.

After the museum, dinner in a restaurant in a windmill, which we enjoyed.  Cycling back 10 km in the evening in good weather was excellent .

Katherine has some photos of the castle.  For some reasdon, I do not.

Tom

Continuing the railway theme

The platform at Haapsalu had to be lengthened to take the Tzar's train.  It's a hard life being a Tzar.

A diversion to previous - for railway nerds

M

In Haapsalu, before crossing to the islands, we saw the outside of the railway museum, with several old steam locomotives and other rolling stock outside the buildings.  Here are a couple of photos of the largest locomotive, a 2-10-0.  Estonian railways are with the Russian broad gauge and these locomotives may have gone serious long distances.

Day 2 in Saarimaa

Which was Wednesday 20 May 2015 (just for the record).

The first part was crossing a peninsula to (close to) the West coast.  Went past what may have been a Soviet submarine harbour, but then it may not have been.  South a bit to Kihelkonna, and apart from thoughts of where else a name like this might come from, appraised one of the guide books description as "bucolic".  Quite a lot of Soviet era flats, but a tiny bit of village with ordinary houses near a stream which we would have missed if we had not taken a wrong turning.  Anyway, the shop had a sunny outdoor table and we stopped for coffee and hamburger/panini from the shop's microwave. 

Near Kihelkonna is a museum based on an old farm that escaped modernisation and we went to this.  The old farm buildings were grouped round in a circle and contained implements, tools etc from the past.

There was also a traditional swing as part of the museum

As demonstrated by Katherine and George (we all 3 had a go).

The on, to Mandjala campsite near Kuressaare, the principle town of the island.  We departed from the "official" route here for a short bit and went down the main road that runs past the farm museum, where we had a following wind and gentle gradients and did it rapidly (relatively).  Turned off to get to the coast, where we met the proper route again, and about 10km on the best of dirt roads where we did the same sort of speed..  In  Mandjala took a cabin for two nights.  Campsite rather run down and a large party of Finns. For me, a consequence was that when I took a shower the water was tepid.  It was also timed and 2 euros a go.  Not good.  We had previously cycled past anoither campsite that might have been better - but who knows?

Over to Saaremaa

We took the ferry between the two islands, to Saaremaa.  There were only 2 sailings daily (at this time of year) so we had to be there in good time for a 08.15 departure.  This was not really a problem and we got there in good time and had to wait.  Reasonable weather and left on time.  Cycled a short distance to Leisi village where the cafe opened on 1 June, so not good. But the shop did coffee and we settled down In the bus shelter.  The place was dreamy and where "everything is happening" except is wasn't.  Then on cycling along the North coast of the island.  Nothing exceptional really.  Mixed pine and birch forest on and on.  Finally, went to camp site marked on map at Kuusiku not quite fully in the West of the island.  Took a cabin for the night.

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.