Great nights sleep and up early as this is the last day and Susie is waiting for me in Riga. Breakfast didn't start until 0800 and then I got chatting to Mark so wasn't on the road until just after 0900. Was really looking forward to the ride today as the road looked like it hugged the coast all the way.
After a brief cycle soon joined the E67 going south again and off I went. Followed the Eurovelo 13 signs as I decided that taking the inland Eurovelo 10 would not only be a little less interesting but also 40km longer which translates into 2 hours more cycling and no chance of seeing Susie who was catching the ferry back to Stockholm tonight at 1730. At some point the signs took me onto some back roads and what looked like a pleasant few KM through the forests to my right. OMG it was Poland all over again. Can somebody tell the guys who make these bike routes that a road made of sand is not a bike route. Might be fine on the mountain bike you used to scout the road but on a touring bike with road wheels and god knows how many kilos of luggage we just sink into the stuff. It was a nightmare because the forest floor was to littered with branches to go around and find an alternative route. Took me an hour to do 6 KM and I saw my time with Susie ticking away
Rejoined the E67 and vowed to ignore all subsequent signs to leave the road and just put my head down and ground out the distance. The day started heating up and temperature was soon up to 29 degrees and the sun was relentless. No cover at all and of course the closer I got to Riga the traffic started getting heavier. At one point I ran out of water so had to try and cross over to the other side of the road and to a cafe where I could restock my water. Also took the opportunity to slap on more sun cream as I was baking. Thank goodness I did as I was able to avoid getting sun burnt.
Hardly saw the sea all the way down as it was always tantalizingly close but just the other side of the never ending trees off to my right. What glimpses I did get were off glorious sandy beaches. Also the closer I was getting it became slower and slower because of the junctions and lights and I was getting very frustrated
Found the hotel that Susie had booked for me and where she had stayed. Was great to see her again and she made a big fuss of me having arranged a protein drink for me and an evening of luxury in the spa with a massage. What a lovely way to finish the ride :)
Tuesday 30 May 2017
Day 4 - Pivarootsi to Ainazi
Slept better than lastnight and was served breakfast in my chalet by Peter. He had even gone to the effort of making me an omelette along with copious amounts of bread and cheese. An early start which was good because today is my longest day of cycling
Good cycling in the morning due to the fact that its all back roads. Again the scenery was very pleasant consisting mainly of farms and woodland with the occasional glimpse of the sea off to my right. Reached the half way point at Parnu and decided to grab a quick bite to eat and chose the "Parnu chicken burger" which was a mistake :) Lovely lady said it was the best choice and it turned out to be a chicken burger with marinated vegetables all smothered in some sort of sauce. Well the sauce went everywhere and the combination of marinated vegetables and chicken wasn't unpleasant but it is probably an acquired taste :) Still it was much appreciated especially as she let me refill my water, charge up my mobile and use her loo :)
Parnu was quite a big town so I avoided the main streets and instead stuck to the river on the banks of which the city had been built. Lots of derelict buildings so it has a slightly run down feeling but Estonia hasn't had it easy the last few years. Actually Estonia hasn't had it easy full stop if you look at her history. She has had centuries of being ruled by the Germans, Denmark, Sweden and finally Russia until she declared independence from Russia and broke away in 1918 only to me taken back in 1941 by Russia who then ruthlessly got her own back. Deported 10% of the population to slave labour camps she press ganged her men into the Russian Army. May fled to Finland where they joined the Finnish army which ended up fighting the Russians in the Winter War. Brother fought brother and father fought son. A tragic time. Estonia suffered 25% casualties during WW2 making her one of the highest proportions of losses, a true tragedy
The afternoon ride was a lot different from earlier as it was now on a bigger road the E67. Though the traffic wasnt heavy there was some traffic and a few trucks so it was a question of head down and just keep going. Luckily the Estonian roads have a strip down the side of the road that is fairly wide so I didn't have to cycle on the road itself and could just go down this strip. Strange thing is that the driver tend to drive with the right side of the car over this line so as to create an additional lane on the road as the drivers are doing the same on the other side. This means that overtaking is quite easy as the cars don't cross over the centre line
Took a little detour to the village of Tahkuranna where I bumped into a very interesting character and fellow cyclist called Mark. He was taking a photo of a rather splendid church which had also caught my eye and we chatted. Turned out he was a 75 year old American of Finnish heritage who every years explores the lands of his grandparents going back to his roots. A retired engineer he spends a lot of his time helping charities with affordable homes and was very interesting to chat with. Turned out he was booked in to stay at the same hotel as I was that evening so we exchanged business cards and agreed to have dinner later that evening at the hotel. It's these random encounters with other fellow travellers that I enjoy so much when doing my touring. Interesting people with interesting stories :)
Back onto the E67 and south and eventually onto the back roads after Papisilla. This area is where a lot of people have summer houses and come to spend their vacation time. Also smoked fish seemed to be a big thing around here with the smell of the smokeries filling the air. Arrived at Ainazi which was just over the border and into Latvia which is where my ride stopped as this was the hotel. Met another cyclist here and had chat with Lotta, a young German women, who was planning to cycle all the way up to Vaasa and then catch the ferry across to Umea before cycling back to Hamburg which is where she was from. Best of luck because she was cycling without any maps and was loaded down with a lot of stuff to carry. But she looked fit and up for it :)
Mark arrived a hour or so later and we had a very pleasant meal together. Turned out he was a Vietnam veteran and had served over 600 days in country at Danang in the US Navy. We had a lot of things in common and chatted for a few hours. However both of us were tired so retired in good time
Good cycling in the morning due to the fact that its all back roads. Again the scenery was very pleasant consisting mainly of farms and woodland with the occasional glimpse of the sea off to my right. Reached the half way point at Parnu and decided to grab a quick bite to eat and chose the "Parnu chicken burger" which was a mistake :) Lovely lady said it was the best choice and it turned out to be a chicken burger with marinated vegetables all smothered in some sort of sauce. Well the sauce went everywhere and the combination of marinated vegetables and chicken wasn't unpleasant but it is probably an acquired taste :) Still it was much appreciated especially as she let me refill my water, charge up my mobile and use her loo :)
Parnu was quite a big town so I avoided the main streets and instead stuck to the river on the banks of which the city had been built. Lots of derelict buildings so it has a slightly run down feeling but Estonia hasn't had it easy the last few years. Actually Estonia hasn't had it easy full stop if you look at her history. She has had centuries of being ruled by the Germans, Denmark, Sweden and finally Russia until she declared independence from Russia and broke away in 1918 only to me taken back in 1941 by Russia who then ruthlessly got her own back. Deported 10% of the population to slave labour camps she press ganged her men into the Russian Army. May fled to Finland where they joined the Finnish army which ended up fighting the Russians in the Winter War. Brother fought brother and father fought son. A tragic time. Estonia suffered 25% casualties during WW2 making her one of the highest proportions of losses, a true tragedy
The afternoon ride was a lot different from earlier as it was now on a bigger road the E67. Though the traffic wasnt heavy there was some traffic and a few trucks so it was a question of head down and just keep going. Luckily the Estonian roads have a strip down the side of the road that is fairly wide so I didn't have to cycle on the road itself and could just go down this strip. Strange thing is that the driver tend to drive with the right side of the car over this line so as to create an additional lane on the road as the drivers are doing the same on the other side. This means that overtaking is quite easy as the cars don't cross over the centre line
Took a little detour to the village of Tahkuranna where I bumped into a very interesting character and fellow cyclist called Mark. He was taking a photo of a rather splendid church which had also caught my eye and we chatted. Turned out he was a 75 year old American of Finnish heritage who every years explores the lands of his grandparents going back to his roots. A retired engineer he spends a lot of his time helping charities with affordable homes and was very interesting to chat with. Turned out he was booked in to stay at the same hotel as I was that evening so we exchanged business cards and agreed to have dinner later that evening at the hotel. It's these random encounters with other fellow travellers that I enjoy so much when doing my touring. Interesting people with interesting stories :)
Back onto the E67 and south and eventually onto the back roads after Papisilla. This area is where a lot of people have summer houses and come to spend their vacation time. Also smoked fish seemed to be a big thing around here with the smell of the smokeries filling the air. Arrived at Ainazi which was just over the border and into Latvia which is where my ride stopped as this was the hotel. Met another cyclist here and had chat with Lotta, a young German women, who was planning to cycle all the way up to Vaasa and then catch the ferry across to Umea before cycling back to Hamburg which is where she was from. Best of luck because she was cycling without any maps and was loaded down with a lot of stuff to carry. But she looked fit and up for it :)
Mark arrived a hour or so later and we had a very pleasant meal together. Turned out he was a Vietnam veteran and had served over 600 days in country at Danang in the US Navy. We had a lot of things in common and chatted for a few hours. However both of us were tired so retired in good time
Day 3 - Kilhelkonna to Pivarootsi
Slept well enough though legs were aching and kept me awake as everytime I moved I woke myself up. Also a little bit too hydrated which is a good thing because it would be hell if I wasn't. However meant I woke for a pee a couple of times. Up in good time for a tasty breakfast of boiled eggs and other bits and bobs my host had left over.
Took a spin around the village to check out the church and see if I had missed anything and I hadn't so hit the road and headed south. Had asked my host the night before how come this village had such a large church yet the village seemed so small. Apparently wasnt alwasy like this and the village had been a lot bigger. Once the Russians came in 1941 a lot of people either fled or were deported as the village had been quite wealthy
Best cycling so far with glorious weather and rolling scenery. Passed through the capital of the island Kuressaare and feeling that I was missing some food decided to pop into a supermarket and buy some bananas. Strangest grocery shop ever as it didnt seel any fruit and vegetables. The fortress though was magnificent with lots of school children being shown around by their teachers. Dating from the 13th century it pretty much dominates the town
The afternoon ride was a bit more functional as I had to get to the ferry port and off the island and really there wasn't much choice with regards which way to go. It was a long ride today so i wanted to avoid the unnecessary diversions and detours that Eurovelo 10 wanted to send me on because frankly it was hot and tiring and I still have 2 more long days ahead of me. Traffic was very light and thankfully I was not forced to share the road with any significant trucks which is always good news for us poor old cyclists
Found the ferry and due to its frequency I didn't have to wait too long. Once over on the other side I wound my way through the back roads down to the camp-site at Pivarootsi and what a little gem this place turned out to be. Run by a middle aged man called Peter and his aging mother he had renovated an old Dutch Windmill into a home for himself that also doubled up as a conference centre, disco and dining area. He proudly showed me around on a little guide tour and i was impressed by the quality of the work and the obvious love he has for his little camp-site. Dotted around the windmill he had built a number of summer cabins and amenities such as sauna, jacuzzi and relax areas with grills. What really impressed me though was Peter himself as he was such a friendly and chatty host. He couldn't speak English so he chatted away in German using a lot of hand gestures which I was able to follow. He made me an excellent dinner of grilled chicken and salad which he served to me outside in the warm evening air. Lovely way to have ended a hard days cycling
Took a spin around the village to check out the church and see if I had missed anything and I hadn't so hit the road and headed south. Had asked my host the night before how come this village had such a large church yet the village seemed so small. Apparently wasnt alwasy like this and the village had been a lot bigger. Once the Russians came in 1941 a lot of people either fled or were deported as the village had been quite wealthy
Best cycling so far with glorious weather and rolling scenery. Passed through the capital of the island Kuressaare and feeling that I was missing some food decided to pop into a supermarket and buy some bananas. Strangest grocery shop ever as it didnt seel any fruit and vegetables. The fortress though was magnificent with lots of school children being shown around by their teachers. Dating from the 13th century it pretty much dominates the town
The afternoon ride was a bit more functional as I had to get to the ferry port and off the island and really there wasn't much choice with regards which way to go. It was a long ride today so i wanted to avoid the unnecessary diversions and detours that Eurovelo 10 wanted to send me on because frankly it was hot and tiring and I still have 2 more long days ahead of me. Traffic was very light and thankfully I was not forced to share the road with any significant trucks which is always good news for us poor old cyclists
Found the ferry and due to its frequency I didn't have to wait too long. Once over on the other side I wound my way through the back roads down to the camp-site at Pivarootsi and what a little gem this place turned out to be. Run by a middle aged man called Peter and his aging mother he had renovated an old Dutch Windmill into a home for himself that also doubled up as a conference centre, disco and dining area. He proudly showed me around on a little guide tour and i was impressed by the quality of the work and the obvious love he has for his little camp-site. Dotted around the windmill he had built a number of summer cabins and amenities such as sauna, jacuzzi and relax areas with grills. What really impressed me though was Peter himself as he was such a friendly and chatty host. He couldn't speak English so he chatted away in German using a lot of hand gestures which I was able to follow. He made me an excellent dinner of grilled chicken and salad which he served to me outside in the warm evening air. Lovely way to have ended a hard days cycling
Friday 26 May 2017
Day 2 - Haapsula to Kihelkonna
Was planning on taking the 1000 ferry but woke in good time to catch the 0830. Took a little tour around town and found the castle which was very impressive. Headed off to The ferry terminal going past the railway station which had a bunch of rusting steam trains sitting outside of it. Guess these are the trains that would have serviced the railway line I came down yesterday. They looked rather sad and all I could think of is these were in the UK there would be some sort of historic preservation society restoring them to their previous glory.
As the place i stayed in last night didn't do breakfast I had a full English in the ferry going over which took best part of an hour. This was then followed by some of the least interesting cycling I've had in a while due to the barren nature of hiiumaa. Combine this with losing my cycling jacket which I can only attribute to a senior moment where I must-have stopped, taken it off, placed it on my panniers and then ridden off made for a crap days cycling. I also very tired as I had gone too fast yesterday and besides day 2 is always tough.
Was going to do the peninsula as I was told it had a nice lighthouse but couldn't justify the extra 30 km so gave if a miss. Consequently was at the 2nd ferry with about 2.5 hours to spare. Thought I planned it quite well as this would leave me plenty of time to chill and eat lunch except their was no food available. Guess we are a little early in the season as the restaurant down at the harbour was closed and the one in the village nearby was half demolished
Still I shouldn't complain as there was a couple of German chaps who had arrived at 1100 as they had been told there was a ferry at 1200. Ferry wasn't until 1730 so they had had one neck of a wait. Another cycling couple turned up (German again) and a Swiss biker. They all had plans to stay just the other side but I was determined to stay on schedule so set my sights on reaching the west end of Saaremaa and Kihelkonna which was a good 60km.
Head down and lights on as well as a high visibility top for what was to be the best cycling so far. Road was empty and the scenery so different from the cycling earlier really lifted my mood.
Was booked into staying at a religious hostel and got there in good time. Lady showed me in and then let me use the kitchen. 2 bowls of frosties and some pasta with butter and ketchup made for a very tasty meal. Shower and Bed
As the place i stayed in last night didn't do breakfast I had a full English in the ferry going over which took best part of an hour. This was then followed by some of the least interesting cycling I've had in a while due to the barren nature of hiiumaa. Combine this with losing my cycling jacket which I can only attribute to a senior moment where I must-have stopped, taken it off, placed it on my panniers and then ridden off made for a crap days cycling. I also very tired as I had gone too fast yesterday and besides day 2 is always tough.
Was going to do the peninsula as I was told it had a nice lighthouse but couldn't justify the extra 30 km so gave if a miss. Consequently was at the 2nd ferry with about 2.5 hours to spare. Thought I planned it quite well as this would leave me plenty of time to chill and eat lunch except their was no food available. Guess we are a little early in the season as the restaurant down at the harbour was closed and the one in the village nearby was half demolished
Still I shouldn't complain as there was a couple of German chaps who had arrived at 1100 as they had been told there was a ferry at 1200. Ferry wasn't until 1730 so they had had one neck of a wait. Another cycling couple turned up (German again) and a Swiss biker. They all had plans to stay just the other side but I was determined to stay on schedule so set my sights on reaching the west end of Saaremaa and Kihelkonna which was a good 60km.
Head down and lights on as well as a high visibility top for what was to be the best cycling so far. Road was empty and the scenery so different from the cycling earlier really lifted my mood.
Was booked into staying at a religious hostel and got there in good time. Lady showed me in and then let me use the kitchen. 2 bowls of frosties and some pasta with butter and ketchup made for a very tasty meal. Shower and Bed
Day 1 - Tallin to Haapsula
A full day at work followed by a mad dash to the ferry isn't probably the best way to start a cycling holiday. However with a national holiday on Thursday it was just too tempting not to miss the opportunity especially as I am very unsure what vacation I will get this summer as we have so much to do in the UK
Caught the 1730 to Tallinn and once again risked the cabin share option hoping the other occupants don't show up. No such luck though we did have one no show so just the 3 of us. Treated myself to the buffet but kinds wish I hadn't as it was a bit of a zoo. Next time I thing I go to one of the restaraunts as they seemed a lot quieter
Didn't stay up too late as tomorrow is going to be a busy day so had an early night. Slept terribly as it was so hot and I had eaten too much for dinner which is always bad as I tend to get very hot when eating late
Treated myself to breakfast and again wish I hadn't as it was a zoo again. Ship was very busy packed with people taking short breaks by cruising back and forth. Lots of Chinese in particular, no idea why
Boat arrived at 1000 which was go so headed to the Swedbank office for a full day of meetings. Very useful and glad I came as it's given me a lot to think about
Changed into my cycling gear and then headed off. Using Kamoot for the first time which has voice directions and was impressed because they were pretty good and didn't get too lost. If if junctions were a bit confusing the best bit was that the software would tell me almost instant when I had gone wrong
Found my way out of Tallinn and onto the route I had previously planned. Would ideally have gone along the coast and followed the Eurovelo 10 but simply no time tonight. Very aware that my destination is over 100 away and I didnt get on the road before 1600. Tried to cycle as fast as possible as light could become an issue especially dusk
Bike route was excellent with a number of interesting things. Passed a monument to the almost 10% of the Estonian population that were sent to Soviet work camps between 1941 and 1949. In some areas, hence this memorial, over 90% died. Horrendous treatment and I wasn't really aware of this treatment
About half way the route took me onto an old railway which took me all the way to Haapsula. Great bike route but a little restricted as to what there was to see but was made good progress. Made it in less than 5 hours which was pushing it for me. Was just starting to lose the light so good timing
Found the place I was staying which was an old house which I had to myself. Lady was very nice. Quick shower in a tiny bathroom with a sandpaper towel but who cares was just great to wash all the dead bugs off of me.
Popped out for food and a couple of young lads heard me talking English to susie on my phone so they offered me a chip from a bag they were eating. We shook hands and I thanked them, lovely gesture. Susie said contract it might be poisoned but I think k that the risk factor was low
All I found was a supermarket so bought a microwave pizza. Disgusting, tasted like cardboard smothered with ketchup. Still I was so tired I couldn't care. Bed looked terrible but I was asleep within seconds and slept through
Caught the 1730 to Tallinn and once again risked the cabin share option hoping the other occupants don't show up. No such luck though we did have one no show so just the 3 of us. Treated myself to the buffet but kinds wish I hadn't as it was a bit of a zoo. Next time I thing I go to one of the restaraunts as they seemed a lot quieter
Didn't stay up too late as tomorrow is going to be a busy day so had an early night. Slept terribly as it was so hot and I had eaten too much for dinner which is always bad as I tend to get very hot when eating late
Treated myself to breakfast and again wish I hadn't as it was a zoo again. Ship was very busy packed with people taking short breaks by cruising back and forth. Lots of Chinese in particular, no idea why
Boat arrived at 1000 which was go so headed to the Swedbank office for a full day of meetings. Very useful and glad I came as it's given me a lot to think about
Changed into my cycling gear and then headed off. Using Kamoot for the first time which has voice directions and was impressed because they were pretty good and didn't get too lost. If if junctions were a bit confusing the best bit was that the software would tell me almost instant when I had gone wrong
Found my way out of Tallinn and onto the route I had previously planned. Would ideally have gone along the coast and followed the Eurovelo 10 but simply no time tonight. Very aware that my destination is over 100 away and I didnt get on the road before 1600. Tried to cycle as fast as possible as light could become an issue especially dusk
Bike route was excellent with a number of interesting things. Passed a monument to the almost 10% of the Estonian population that were sent to Soviet work camps between 1941 and 1949. In some areas, hence this memorial, over 90% died. Horrendous treatment and I wasn't really aware of this treatment
About half way the route took me onto an old railway which took me all the way to Haapsula. Great bike route but a little restricted as to what there was to see but was made good progress. Made it in less than 5 hours which was pushing it for me. Was just starting to lose the light so good timing
Found the place I was staying which was an old house which I had to myself. Lady was very nice. Quick shower in a tiny bathroom with a sandpaper towel but who cares was just great to wash all the dead bugs off of me.
Popped out for food and a couple of young lads heard me talking English to susie on my phone so they offered me a chip from a bag they were eating. We shook hands and I thanked them, lovely gesture. Susie said contract it might be poisoned but I think k that the risk factor was low
All I found was a supermarket so bought a microwave pizza. Disgusting, tasted like cardboard smothered with ketchup. Still I was so tired I couldn't care. Bed looked terrible but I was asleep within seconds and slept through
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