Blogs from Estonia, Europe - page 38

From Riga, we drove through the Gauja National Park then back to the Baltic coast towards Estonia. We stopped for lunch in Parnu, a nice place by the sea with lots of wooden houses. The beach was packed with people enjoying the warm weather! From Parnu, we went to Tallinn. I liked the way much of the old town is on a hill (we hadn't seen much in the way of hills for a long time!) so you can look down on the rest of the city and see the port. We wandered around the old town, and then walked to Kadriorg Palace. The gardens at Kadriorg were lovely so we spent a while there before walking back to the old town along the coast, watching the high-speed ferry leave for Helsinki.... read more

Hi all. Sorry we haven't blogged for ages - there is virtually no internet in the northern reaches of Norway or Finland. We head into Russia tonight, so fingers crossed we have enough money to pay the guards off... apparently it's pretty much gauranteed that we'll have to. I don't have any more time to write more sorry. Must dash. See you all again in a week or so. Nigel ... read more

OK, again, great Old Town. Weather is not very good in the Baltics unless you prefer cold and dreary conditions in the summer, but at least you do not need AC. Went for a run around the Old Town again today and had the same filling Russian dumplings I had in Riga today at 6 Pellini *spelling?). This am I walked to the old wooden homes way outside the Old Town. Sort of neat to get off the beaten path, but nothing amazing. Found a great little pizza spot last night with some hostel mates and we had some fun there and at the Beer House which is a replicated German Beer Hall right with the big mugs, outfits on the girls, etc. Good times there too. Anyway, Roger flies in tonight late and we have ... read more

Monday 23rd June About halfway through our tour through France, after the spate of public holidays in early May, I had consulted the internet and proudly announced that we were not going to have to deal with any more holidays; nowhere in Europe had any anniversaries or religious celebrations until after we left. I had not taken Estonia into account! In Estonia today is Võidupüha or Victory Day which is the anniversary of the Battle of Võnnu. This Battle occurred during 1919, in the shadows of World War 1. Germany had, of course, lost the war and the Germans were suffering bread riots and food shortages. Under the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which, after the Russian Revolution, the Russian Bolsheviks had negotiated and signed with the German high command, Germany had occupied the Ukraine ... read more

I pøsende regnvær,ankom vi Tallinn,Estland fra Helsinki,Finland med båt.. Opp med ryggsekkene og på med regntøyet, så var vi klare for å finne en disent overnattingsplass..Fant et par hostel-options med dormrom som var billige & ok, og i tillegg et par strippeclubbs som nærmeste nabo,ergo suverent!!. Slengte fra oss sekkene, så var det ut for å utforske byen, ja fortsatt regnvær..Endte opp med etaplass så tilbake til hostellet for å vaske klær,skrive dagbok osv pga været som aldri ga seg.. Dag 2: super dag med sol & råkk ænd råll!! Startet dagen med en tur til togstasjonen for kjøp av togbilletter til St.Petersburg,etterfulgt av frokost på et digg bakeri.. Mette & klare for nye inntrykk, gøyv vi løs på byens Oldtown og dens gamle bygninger..Arti med trange gater & praktfulle kirker & katedraler.. EEENDEL sliitsomme turister ... read more