Across the great divide

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2 June:
VICTORIA TO CALGARY in a Canadian-built Bombardier jet. I'm surrounded: next to me a young mother with her contented seven-month old daughter, behind us another babe in arms. I take care not to have the little drooler pat my dress pants with her wet hands. These clothes will have to last a while yet.

After a couple hours' waiting time for my connecting flight I'm off in a Lufthansa Airbus 330 on a nine-hour crossing to Europe.

3 June:
FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is rambling and drab; certainly doesn't compare to Paris, London, Chicago. Trying to get useful information as to how one may spend a seven-hour layover is as much of a challenge as the proverbial pulling of hens' teeth. I would have placed my luggage into storage and explored the city, but even the local airport ambassadors, wandering about in their smart, red vests, are at a loss as to what cultural features their city may have to offer on an early weekday morning. So, after nearly an hour of traipsing around I head for my departure gate where I find a table near a wall outlet to plug in my computer. But too tired. It's past midnight in Victoria. Time to go to bed, especially after just five hours of sleep last night. Here it's mid-morning and still a long time to go until my connecting flight... I read a newspaper (there are many free copies ranging from USA Today to Le Monde to Frankfurter Allgemeine), try to snooze with head on luggage...

After a further two and a half hours flying time, with clear, sunny views of the island of Gotland, Sweden, and the Baltic coastline we arrived in Estonia at 5:30 pm local time (7:30 am PDT). Tallinn airport building looks brand-new. Lots of construction on the way into town, too. Heavy traffic. Western cars and advertising. I don't feel like struggling with local bus ticket challenges so I climb into a taxi instead and head for my accommodation, Valge (White) Villa guest house . The driver is an ethnic Russian woman with basic English language skills.

I hit the sack early and wake up with the roar of an airplane overhead, which sound is replaced by birds twittering in the neighbour's garden below my window. Have I missed my eight o'clock breakfast? After squinting at my watch (despite the host's assurance I have found no clock in the room) to calculate local time, I realize it's only 11 pm and still light outside!

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Additional photos below

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Photos

A-travelling we go...
Six-weeks' supply in a two-part carry-on bag!

Cowboy heads
Where else but in Calgary?

Plane with landscape
My flight awaits me, against the backdrop of a distant Calgary city skyline.

Estonian coastline
The northwestern corner of the country comes into view.

Tallinn from above
A first glimpse of Estonia's capital city where I soon will land. It's still remote -- in distance and thought. Tomorrow I'll see it close up. I wonder what it'll be like, what my impression of it will be.