It was an early start on Tuesday, as we had the ferry to catch. After breakfast, Sarah checked out while I retrieved the car and we then made our way over to the port.
The ferry back to Tallinn was packed this time, presumably with Finns starting out on their summer holiday. In spite of the crowds, we were still able to nab our favourite spot on the cushioned benches inside the Tivoli playing area. From that vantage point, we were able to keep an eye on the children, whilst reading our guidebook.
There was a flat-screen TV playing the animated film, Cars, in either Estonian or Finnish (the spoken languages are hard to tell apart). Eloïse said that it was in Dutch, but that she couldn’t understand it, because they were
speaking too fast. I found that to be an interesting comment, but I’m not sure what, if anything, it reveals.
The drive east took us out through some distinctly ugly Soviet era housing on the outskirts of Tallinn. Before long, though, we were out in the countryside, speeding towards Lahemaa National Park.
We decided to stop for lunch in Võsu, a tiny village just a few kilometres from the equally tiny village of Vämsu, where we would be staying. As we pulled up, here in the middle of nowhere, I saw a Dutch minibus parked at the side of the road. You’re never far from a Dutch person, no matter how far and how remote you travel.
Three tables on the patio were occupied by the bus passengers, a friendly bunch of Nijmegenaars. They, too, were touring the Baltic countries, but at a much more rapid pace than we.
The food was absolutely delicious, so I hereby heartily endorse O Kõrts for a meal, be it lunch or dinner. We were also able to park the car in full view of our table, which, with the windows wound down, enabled us to enjoy a Little Lu (as Eloïse often calls him) -free lunch. Just as importantly, Little Lu was able to catch up on some lost sleep, making him a much happier baby.
After lunch, we drove up the road to Käsmu and checked into our guesthouse,the first lodgings of this trip with no WiFi of any variety. It’s also the first place we’ve stayed where no English was spoken, so we sputtered along in German, our ability with that language arguably better than our Estonian.
In the late afternoon, we went on a hike whose trail head was situated right outside the guesthouse’s gate, which was the cue for the local mosquito population seized the opportunity to feast upon my still living carcass.
Highlights of the walk were the erratically strewn boulders along the shore, dragonflies the size of pterodactyls flying overhead, and toadstools that many a passing gnome would have been happy to park his buttocks on.
Our friend, the sun, was faithful yet another day. With little to do in the area but hike or bike, we hope his patience with us will last at least one more day.
Helsinki was fun, but it’s nice to be in the middle of nowhere again. Our previous eight nights have been in two capital cities. Whilst neither could, by any stretch of the imagination, be called hectic, this more rural setting still feels like a welcome retreat. Here, the problems of the real world seem far removed.
Outside, as I write this, you could hear a pin drop, if a pin falling onto grass could make a sound. Bliss.