Europe on a Shoestring

"Europe on a shoestring" - is the title of my lonely planet guidebook.
We've had some good times together, my guidebook and I. But, suffice to say, it has let me down on more than one occasion. In fact, many of my "trusty", backpacker essential items have let me down. There's the shorts that were so handy, with the big zip-up pockets, but would not stay up with the added weight. There's the trusty camera, which every now and again decides to turn itself off and not turn on for a few days. And most recently there's my beloved daypack, which i've had for years and has never let me down... until now. It always seemed like, no matter how much you crammed in it, there'd always be room for something else. Well, i was wrong about that. After having had to walk to the bus station with my backpack on my back, and my daypack cradled in my arms (on account of having busted both the zips trying to close it), i had a good (when i say "good", i mean good as in long, not as in enjoyable, because it was the single most unenjoyable experience with a bus i think i will ever have) 26 hour bus ride to decide what to do about it.
I spent what seemed like a long time, but probably wasn't long, trying to force the zip back on with a pair of pliers. After that idea went out the window, i started looking for other objects that may be able to aid me in my quest. It was then that i stumbled on my trusty guidebook, and remembered back to the night before my plane left melbourne - the night i spent packing. Maybe i was reading too much into the title, taking the metaphor a little too literally, but on that night i decided to pack a few shoestrings... just in case. Bingo! I'd already been using two of the three shoelaces, one has been my trusty belt, for those trusty shorts that just won't stay up. I use another one, when i can't be bothered going to a laundry and just wash my clothes in the sink, then hang them up on my shoe-lace-come-clothesline. But here it was, the purpose for my final shoestring. Out came the pliers, and within a couple minutes, my daypack was operational once again. It is a slightly less effective daypack, on account that opening or closing it involves sewing or unsewing it with the shoelace, but a daypack nonetheless. Now that i've had a couple of days of road testing, i can safely say that the trusty shoestring is one of the greatest inventions of mankind.
Now because that little story had nothing to do with anything, here's what i have actually been up to:
I arrived in the capital of Estonia Saturday afternoon. After 26 hours in a bus, i could barely walk, but somehow i made the usual rounds around the city, wandering around until i could find somewhere to stay. Unfortunately, i think i set a new record. Normally, i think i crack it and give up after about half a dozen. But on saturday, it took me 8 hostels (scattered on all sides of the city) to find a place that wasn't booked out. I've since found out it is a long weekend here in Tallinn. They're celebrating their "re-independance day". They were independant for a brief period between the two world wars, until they became a soviet state. Then they became re-independant in 1991, and have since joined the european union.
Tallinn is very similar to alot of the old european cities. It's old town has the eldest, preserved town hall in all of europe. It also is home to Oleviste Church, who's tower was the tallest tower in medieval Europe (159m). It was a decent climb for me, let alone for the poor old ladies who i was stuck behind. One of Estonia's traditional cuisine is smoked meat enclosed in giant pancakes. Yesterday i had the chicken fillet, today was the smoked ham and i think tomorrow will be the turkey - but when the entire plate of food only costs around $4, can you blame me?
Tomorrow i'm heading to Estonia's largest naional park, Lahemaa. It's full of rivers, islands, lakes and bushtrails so i've been told. Don't know what is in the way of accomodation out there, so i might be living in the wilderness for a day or two!
Not sure what's on the agenda after that. Quite possibly a ferry to Sweden, but who knows?

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