Back in Tallinn

Arrived back in Tallinn three days ago after travelling two hours away from Tallinn on the north coast, 50 kms from the Russian border. We stayed in a spa hotel on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Finland. The hotel was good but expensive and the weather was very cool.
We travelled to the border city of Narva - very austere buildings and very Russian. All around the country is block after block of housing commission type apartments constructed by the Soviets to house the workers.
Saw many Soviet and German cemetries from World War 2.
We caught up with Maree's 90 year old aunt and learnt some of the history of Maree's father but the aunt was not fothcoming about too much of the family history as I think it is too painful going back to the times of the Soviet and German occupations. This country and it's people have suffered so much - so many were killed or shipped off to Siberia.
Maree's cousin and her husband were very good to us and acted as tour guides - the area is heavily into mining and we toured an underground shale oil mine that is now a museum while we were there.
We hired a Citroen C4 and it was interesting driving on the wrong side of the road with a manual car.
Maree and I caught a train two days ago to a country town and went walking and had a picnic lunch with food we bought at a local supermarket.
My brother in law Peter arrived from Oz yesterday and last night we had a session with 3 Norwegian's - bit of a sore head this morning !!
Tomorrow we head off to Saaremaa, an island south west of Tallinn where Maree's mother was born. Looking forward to that - have hired an automatic Mazda 6 for that drive so should be easier than a manual. Will be away for 5 days and staying at a guest house recommended by Maree's cousin.

Great time in Tallinn

Yesterday Maree's cousin's wife took us on a guided tour of the Old Town. Visited old church after old church and various museums. Climbed to the top of a tower which was part of the old fortified wall. Had  lunch in a restaurant that was in a building 700 years old. Managed to find a great farmhouse ale from the island of Saaremaa where Maree and I will be travelling later.
Luggage eventually turned up yesterday at last !!!
Had an SMS at 5.00am to say that Maree's brother Peter will be arriving here from Oz on Sept 26.
Leave here tomorrow for Saka, about 2 hours drive east towards the Russian border. Will organise a rental car today and more sighting this afternoon with Maree's cousin's wife.

Jockless in Tallinn

Arrived in Tallinn yesterday without our luggage. Qantas flight was late leaving Melb as a problem with door not locking; this was not an external door but an internal door - very frustrating. Then the passenger airbridge would not disengage from the aircraft. Left Melb over 1 and half hours late and had to run to catch our connecting flight in Singapore to Helsinki.

Arrived in Helsinki without our luggage but caught a ferry to Tallinn and went shopping for the basics - jocks, shirt, socks, jeans. Hopefully our luggage will arrive today.

Toured the old town of Tallinn yesterday afternoon and walked so I finished up with blisters. The old town is unbelievable with all the mediaeval buildings.Naturally had to sample the local beers; not all that impressed until I had a craft house red beer at a restaurant last night. The food is great - went to a restaurant with country style Estonian food - I had wild boar and Maree had roast pork - fantastic.

Meeting up for lunch with Maree's cousin's wife for lunch and probably dinner in the old town again tonight in search of another good home brew.

One More Sleep

Almost on the A380 - yoo hoo !!!!

Only two more sleeps

Then off to Helsinki via Singapore.