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
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