Some afterthoughts

Some afterthoughts, remarks and suggestions for those who think about doing something similar.

1.                                  It is really very well possible to do such a big cycling trip.

2.                                  Good preparation is crucial!

3.                                  The system of Hospitality club works great. I have met so many nice people, have had loads of help and hospitality. It makes a trip a lot more worthwhile if you can meet so many local people.

4.                                  Going alone does not mean that you will be lonely. You can more easily make contact with other people, and it is easier to organize things at peoples places, as you are one person with one bike and one amount of luggage. If you are with 2, you need much more place.

5.                                  I have very seldom felt lonely, and actually I had more social contact with different people than in my normal life.

6.                                  Think very carefully about what you really need to take with you. You can not take everything with you “just in case if I need it”.

7.                                  Take care that you have a really good bike. Roads in other countries are not always top quality, and your bike really gets to bear a lot. Discuss with a good cycle shop which spare parts and tools to take with you and which NOT.

8.                                  A bicycle lorry is not practical. When you have to take it in the train it can be a problem. When you go into people’s houses or into hotel rooms it is not practical, and on the road it can be unpractical too, as there are quite often gates etc, trough which a fully loaded bike just fits, but a bicycle lorry probably not. Try to limit your amount of luggage to 4 bicycle bags and tent, sleeping bag and mattress on top, combined wit a small backpack for when you walk around. I am glad I left my bicycle lorry at home.

9.                                  Buying an extra mobile phone to take with you to put in prepaid cards of the country where you are (for phoning locally) is very, very practical if you stay in a country more than a few days, and can save you loads of money.

10.                          Do not think you are the only one who goes on a long cycling trip. I met tens of people who went cycling for more than a week, from many, many different nationalities, and of many ages. You can also do this when you are 60 and in normal health.

11.                          You need not go fast or do many km/day to have an interesting trip. “It is not the amount of kilometers what counts!”

12.                          I can advise anyone to do such an adventure sometime, alone or with two. You will really come back enriched.

13.                          ALL TOGETHER, FOR ME IT WAS A GREAT TRIP!!! I ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH.

If people have questions and want to contact me: slager@planet.nl.  

From Stockholm back home

13^th till 18^th of August 2009

      After 3 days of Stockholm (nice city, but some things can be organized much better, more staff would do wonders) I cycle to the railway station. I do the distance quickly (now I know my way around), and arrive very early to the railway station. I meet 2 French guys who have cycled 7.000 km in 3 months from France, via Eastern Europe to the North Cape ( Norway), and who plan to take the train to Copenhagen, and cycle back from there to Strassbourg. Compared with them I am still a beginner. But they tell me very wisely: “it is not the amount of kilometres that counts”. Due to the amount of time I spent in preparing my trip, I have no problems. That’s different for the French guys. Even though they followed the instructions which were given to them, they are refused entrance to the X2000 train to Copenhagen, because there is no place for such big pieces of luggage as packed bicycles. They are very disappointed. I see everything happen, and advise them to take the same train as I am in to Goteborg, and from there by “local train to Copenhagen. When our train leaves they are not in. I do not know what they have done.

The trip by train goes well. During the trip the weather is very bad, so I am worried what it will be in Goteborg. But when we arrive there it is sunny again. After a short meeting with another member of Hospitality Club, I cycle out of town. It is really, really difficult to find my way here. There are loads of cycle paths, but it is not clear which one is going where. With help of some other friendly cyclist I manage to find the main coastal path to the south. Again I meet holiday cyclists, this time from Germany. I cycle along the way of an old railway line to the south. The views are great. Finding accommodation is more difficult, but Kungsbacka has a hotel. Nothing special concerning quality, but really expensive. There is nothing else and it is already nine o’clock. After some talk with the receptionist, I can have the room for 30% less. “She says: My boss will kill me tomorrow, but okay.” I tell her she is a very clever woman. Now she earns some money with the room, while otherwise the room would have been empty, and she would have earned no money. Her boss should be proud of her. My bike gets a safe and comfortable place in one of the meeting rooms.

The next day (Friday) I cycle further to the south. The first part of the route is inland, later I can cycle along the coast. This gives the most beautiful views. The wind is profitable, from the NW. In the course of the afternoon I already arrive in Varberg. Varberg is a harbour town, with a big fortress. Once this area was in Danish possession, and many wars have been fought here, as Varberg was about   the border. I find a good B&B out of town, go there, park the bike and then I walk back to town. When I arrive in town everything is already closing. I manage to find a good place to eat, and have a little walk before and after dinner around the town. Varberg is a nice town, but the loud advertising texts are too much honour for Varberg. After reading for many times how fantastic and super Varberg is, I am a little bit disappointed. A nice provincial town, with some monuments and probably some nice shops (which are closed already), but nothing spectacular.

Saturday morning the weather is cloudy and windy. I leave Varberg, and follow the signposted bicycle route through Halland. The road is not quite interesting, and with many cars. The whole coast here is full of big campings, holiday resorts etc. Not really nice for cycling. Shortly after I depart it starts raining, and the temperature is only 15 degrees Celsius.

At lunchtime I arrive in Falkenberg. I buy a new battery for my bicycle computer, as the present one really needs replacement, at the end of the trip. I eat a pizza in the pizzeria, to dry a little bit and become a little bit warm again. After lunch the rain soon starts again. I had planned to reach Halmstad, but in this weather with this wind, it does not seem realistic. I continue cycling along the Halland cycle trail, and slowly come more south. But actually I want to have good accommodation, and stay for the night. It has been raining almost the whole day. Only after 4.30 pm it becomes dry again. Fortunately it does not feel cold. In the end I still do a lot of km and end up near Halmstad, some 10 km before. I get a whole summerhouse for myself, as the centre does not want to let me stay in the main building in a room, and prefers me to have a summer cottage for the same price. I notice that for a single traveller it is quite difficult here in Sweden to find suitable accommodation for one or two nights when you are travelling around. Booking cottages for a week with a family is easy, and I think relatively cheap, but hotels and B&B’s are scarce and expensive.

Sunday morning the nearby supermarket already opens at nine, so I buy some food when I leave. My plan is to come near to Ängelholm today. I skip Halmstad from the program. Only after Halmstad the road becomes interesting again. I cycle through little villages, and view the church of Trönninge, and get a warm welcome with coffee and cookies. The vicar is very interested to hear the story of my trip. Well, it is almost finished. One of the last days that I am really cycling. The cycle trail goes via the parking place of the nearby motorway. Something else, I have never before cycled at such a place. Along the coast I reach Båstad. I see the hills rising, and I know that I have to pass them. That means a lot of climbing. The hills are steep, and a little part I have to walk, as I have to climb with a fully loaded bike and against the strong western wind. This climbing is different from Finland. When you have finished climbing, you have at least some great view. And that makes it worthwhile. Going down I exceed the speedlimit in Grevie. You may only go 30 here, and I come downhill, passing the sign at a speed of 36,4 km/hour. Fortunately there is no police present to fine me. Along the coast I cycle southward. The youth-hostel of Magnarp is still closed, so I decide to   continue to Ängelholm and find accommodation there. Also this youth hostel is not opened. Strange situation. I find private accommodation at the edge of the town. I leave my bike and luggage there, and walk back to the town centre to have some food and a look around. Nothing special, and the temperature goes down quickly.

Monday: really the last day of cycling. This evening I have to be in Copenhagen to take the train back home. The weather is not great, strong wind from the West, and all the time the threat of rain.
I do the last part of the cycle route which I have followed these days. Sometimes it is comfortable, but at other moments it is hard, against the strong western wind. It goes slowly. But even though it goes slowly, I arrive after the last 35 km in Sweden in Helsingborg at 11.30. As it is too early to have lunch, I take the ferry immediately. Again, I as a cyclist get a very good treatment. I can go on board as the first one, and go off as the first one too. Before I know I am on the coastal way (the 152) to Copenhagen. The cyclepaths along the road are often of a bad quality. What a difference with Sweden. Big parts I cycle on the road, to avoid the bad cyclepath. I meet a Russian guy, who has cycled for something like 3 weeks in Scandinavia, and will take the plain back from Copenhagen to St Petersburg. It is hard to talk Russian with him. On my way I pick up a map of Copenhagen at one of the local Tourist Information centres. The cycle paths in Copenhagen are too small for the load of bikes in the city. You need a lot of concentration to cycle here, as people are cycling very fast and rushed.

At 5 pm I arrive at the train station, very well in time for the train back. I HAVE DONE IT, WITHOUT BIG PROBLEMS. The trip is almost over, but the cycling part IS over. And my repaired luggage carrier has done the job!

Our train arrives 10 minutes before departure, and there are many cyclists who have to go in. We must take off all the luggage from the bikes, and getting in the bikes is a job which must be done with 2 persons. We have 7 bikes and a lot of luggage. It just fits in the part of the wagon for the bikes. Only long, long after we have left Copenhagen, everything is organized, and we can find our places, which are in other wagons.

When we have left Odense, we are all called back to our bikes. There are problems. In Odense 3 persons have come into the train who have reserved places for their bikes as well, and 2 of these places are occupied. One of them claims their places in a very, very arrogant and unpleasant way. The nice atmosphere we had when getting in in Copenhagen, helping each other is immediately spoilt. Something has gone wrong, and the French girls, who do not have a reservation, are in tears. Another problem is that the chief conductor of the train commands us to take all our luggage to our cabins. I have to bring 5 pieces of luggage to my cabin, walking through 3 wagons of a riding train. This takes 2 times. A very pleasant experience (not really of course!). And our conductor stands there, hands on his back, and watching how his commands are executed, as if we were his subordinates.

Again, I get the feeling that the different European railways are not really interested in transporting cyclists, and prefer to tease them, in the hope that they will not come back.

The reason for this whole operation: Deutsche Bahn is not responsible for the luggage which lies near the bikes. Of course not. But if we take it to the cabins, Deutsche Bahn warns us that it is not responsible either. I can understand this, but then I can decide where I prefer to leave my luggage.

After this whole operation, I do not catch the sleep until very late. And the next (Tuesday) morning I wake up very early. I am glad that I manage myself to put back the bed to it sitting position, so I have a normal chair again. The train rides very slowly, and a long way. It takes us > 3 hours for example to come from Cologne (Köln, Keulen) to Arnhem. Yes, in Emmerich the locomotive has to be changed, and this takes about half an hour. But even then, less than 200 km in 2,5 hours is not really fast. Anyway, it goes faster and easier than cycling or walking.

The last part from Arnhem to Leeuwarden is with the NS (Dutch railways). I miss my connection in Zwolle just in 15 seconds. When I exit the elevator I see the doors of the train closing before my eyes. And of course the next train has a delay of 15 minutes, also as usual. Welcome back in the country where everything is better than in other countries! Fortunately I have great company in the last train, some youngsters who go to a nature summer camp on Vlieland. I used to be member of this same (very typical) organization 20 years ago, so I know what they are doing.

From Leeuwarden I cycle back home and arrive at 13.05 on the 18^th of August 2009, without trouble with the bike or anything. At home things are normal. The garden has grown enormously, but my friends have taken good care of the house and everything.

The rest of the day I spend by unloading the bike, getting things in order in the house etc. etc.

It was the end of a great, great trip of 103 days!

 

Stockholm

9^th till 13^th of August 2009

I spend the first morning at the main railwaystation of Stockholm, trying to find out what are the rules for taking your bike in the train, how to buy a ticket for the bike, how to buy a ticket for yourself etc. I am sent from one desk to another, and everywhere I hear other rules. If you buy a ticket for a bike, you do not have to buy a ticket for yourself anymore, the ticket-clerk tells me. Fortunately I have a good brain myself, as this clearly is nonsense. Buying a ticket at the counter asks a lot of patience, as the cue is something like 40 numbers long. And then the ticket costs about 7 Euro’s more than when you buy it from the computer. But when I try to do that, the whole system goes down several times. Welcome to the well-organized world of Western Europe! Altogether the whole operation costs me 1,5 hours, only to prepare a trip of about 5 hours by train.

At the main tourist information the queues are even longer. I spend more than half an hour waiting before some one can even try to answer my questions. Welcome in Stockholm, tourist!

After that I start discovering the town myself. And that is much more pleasant. I walk a lot ( as I usually do in big cities). I end up on Södermalm again, where I cycled yesterday. The view to the old city is fabulous, but the possibilities for having dinner, along the canal, are minimal. In the end I find some pub who serves some food. Not bad, but little and very expensive for a pub in a park.

Tuesday morning I start buying a Swedish telephone card (my Finnish one does not work abroad), and then I take the museum tram to the open air museum, which is a big park not far from the city centre, and near to many other museums. When I see the program, it turns out that the folklore songs and dances are mostly in the late afternoon and evening, and today I will have armwrestling training at Team Stockholm Armwrestling. So I change the program, and visit the Vasa museum today. It is impressive to see how such a big ship is conserved, and how much you can tell about such a ship. While I am in the museum, it rains a lot. But when my time has come to leave and go to armwrestling training, it is dry again. Fortunately.

The armwrestling training is nice. I meet a few people in Sweden who can not speak English, and what do they speak: Russian. They are really surprised that I can speak some Russian. Sarah Bäckman tells me she likes that I have come. The training is not really strict. I practise with a lot of different people. Sometimes I win, sometimes I loose. Many people tell me I am strong. It’s good for my technique to have been here. From every training I learn something.

The last day in Sweden I need first to send a package with souvenirs, clothes which I do not need and many other things. It saves me almost 11 kg of weight on the bike. After that I take the Tunnelbanen back to the point where the ferry to the open-air-museum (Skansen) leaves. I arrive at Skansen after 12, and spend a lot of time there. There is indeed a lot of folklore dancing, we get dance instruction (Swedish dances are quite difficult for me, especially the Hambo), and then, in the evening there is time for couples to dance. I do not have a partner to dance, so it is a little bit difficult. But I am surprised where all these dance couples come from. Often there are as much as 20 or 30 couples dancing, with live music of a folklore orchestra.

From Helsinki to Stockholm

4^th till 9^th of August 2009

Leaving Helsinki is not so difficult. With a good map and dry weather I find my way quite easily. When I am well out of town, bicycle paths are finished and I have to cycle on the road again. My feeling is that cars drive more aggressive and sharp here than in the east of Finland.

The day should not be too long, as it is only 60 km to Karkkila, and from there a few to my accommodation. It is the same pattern as in the east of Finland. The roads are hilly, going up and down all the time. You go uphill 20- 30 meters and down, and this repeats all the time. The landscape is the same: forests, here and there a lake and some fields. It is not really special. In the end of the afternoon I arrive in Karkkila, and do some shopping and eat a warm meal. The kebab tastes well, after a whole day of cycling. The cottage I have rented is located near a lake, outside Karkkila. The small asphalt road to it has a lot of very steep small hills, and the last 3 km is gravelroad again. Well, the effort will be rewarded, as the cottage is situated at a magnificent place, and equipped with everything you can wish. I have the whole evening for myself here, and enjoy it very much. This is one of the locations which is worth a longer stay. And I do not even have a problem with mosquito’s. Surprising, here in the middle of the forest near a lake with standing water.

The next morning: back to the “main”. The hills are so steep here that I have to walk uphill several times. It’s too steep to cycle with a fully loaded bike. Later there are less hills in the road. I arrive in Forssa early. Eeva’s younger sun helps me with the bike and the luggage and immediately wants to talk about judo with me. He is really serious about it, and so is Eeva. They are not satisfied with 2 trainings of 1,5 hours a week. They (green and yellow belts) want more. They travel 25 km to training. In the evening Eeva has more time to talk. She manages to be a really nice host, even though they just came back from holidays and she has Estonian friends (4 persons) over as well. No problem, Eeva handles it.
The next morning before I leave she wants to do armwrestling with me. I don’t mind. She can not beat me, but is really strong!

I have a long and warm day to go to Turku. Through the forests, many fields and hills again. I manage to arrive in Turku before Kirsi has to leave to pick up the children. I enjoy all the luxury of their nice house. It is a big difference with the flat where Eeva and her children live. But I can not say that one is really better than the other, or the other way round. Also Kirsi is busy with her children and their friends. So, only late in the evening we have time to talk a bit. And I am so tired already after this long day of cycling (nearly 110 km in hilly area). I go to bed early, as tomorrow it is a long day again.

Through Turku, and then to the archipelago of Turku. The views are often wonderful. The islands and peninsula’s make Finland nice again. At Eeva’s place, and with her help I have planned today. The schedule is very strict, as I have 3 ferries to catch, and each of them is very important. The first one only goes once per day, so I can not miss it. The second one goes often, and the 3^rd one is the last ferry of the day. I catch them all in time, and sometimes cycling is wonderful. Especially on these islands. After the ferry is empty, there are nearly no cars. The cycling parts are shorter, and more often I have a little rest on the ferry. At the first ferry I meet Russian people who spontaneously offer to take pictures of me and my bike with my camera. It is only here that I see the first foreign tourists coming, a group of adults and children cycling from the ferry that I plan to take (probably Swiss), these Russian tourists etc. Before I have not seen any foreign tourists, except in Helsinki and Porvoo of course. But in the countryside there are almost no tourist, and surely no cyclists. I can understand why. For (especially foreign) tourists there are really NO facilities. Not even a bench to sit on. And shops and accommodation is far, far apart. On top of that, most Finnish people I meet, speak hardly any English or no English at all.

The day over the islands is nice. When we leave the last ferry (arriving at the Aland-islands) I still have to cycle 20 km to Torshalma to reach my accommodation. First I cycle together with two Lithuanians which I met on the ferry, later I continue cycling with a Finnish couple, and the last part I do on my own. Exactly at 10 o’clock I arrive in Torshalma, where I reserved a holiday house. Nice accommodation for a cheap price, and very near to the next ferry, which will leave at 8 am the next morning.

The next morning by ferry to the main island of the Aland-islands, and then cycling to Mariehamn. We arrive at 11 in the morning. The Alands are quite special. They are part of Finland, but have a lot of autonomy. They even have their own stamps. I buy stamps, food and drink at the first supermarket. When I want to leave, the Finnish couple arrives. Waiting for the ferry there were already a father and his son from Russia, St Petersburg. They tell me they make this type of trips by bike already for years.

It is really hot, and after a long day of cycling I am happy when I arrive in Mariehamn. I find with some trouble and help of the tourist information affordable accommodation. But the quality is not that good. At 7 p.m. I go into town to have some food and buy the ferry ticket. The town is already almost dead. Only a very few restaurants are still open on Saturday evening. I meet again with the French family which I already saw at the tourist information. They are cycling with 3 children, I guess something like 9, 11 and 14. It reminds me of the Italian family which I met in Germany 2 years ago, and who are good friends of mine now. I manage to get some food, but it is not a nice place to spend an evening out. I had expected that there would be some evening life,   especially at this moment (summer season).

 
On Sunday morning I spend time in the museum ship which is moored in the harbour of Mariehamn. One of the last sailing ships, a really big ship with 3 masts, which functioned until shortly after the second world war, and which became a museum ship because no one else was interested in buying it than the municipality of Mariehamn. The story aboard is impressive. The shipping museum itself is less interesting. Nearly nothing is translated into English or German, contrary to this museumship.

After the museums I go back to the guesthouse to pick up my bike and luggage, and get some extra air in my tires at the bicycle rental shop. They are very willing to help me. I really need the extra air. And then, after a too short time on the Aland-islands, the biggest trip by ferry to Stockholm is about to start. I am early to buy a ticket, and then it is only waiting. Fortunately there is another cyclist waiting for our ferry. There are leaving 2 ferries, and shortly after that 2 ferries arrive. They are really like floating castles, so incredibly big. Even the lorries which go into their mouths are near to nothing. And you should realize that especially the Finnish almost always ride with extra long trucks, as long as the special ones which ride in the Netherlands only with special permission on the motorways. We are loaded safely after the lorries and the motorbikes. But again, the cyclists are really the first ones to go aboard.

The trip is magnificent. We have great weather, and are sailing almost all the time between many little islands, with houses and trees. Great views! I do not have any dull moment. Just enough time to write my travel report on paper and have some food in the restaurant. When you order fish as main meal, then you get only fish, no potatoes or chips or vegetables. All this you have to order as an extra, at an extra price of course.

At 7 we arrive in Stockholm and have a great view of the city from the ferry. The ferries moor in the middle of the city, just 10 minutes from the city centre.

When exiting the terminal, all the pedestrians from the ferry have to cross the exit for the cars and cyclists. This gives some trouble, as every one wants to go home and is in a hurry. With my good city map of Stockholm and a dose of practical intuition I manage to go through the southern part of Stockholm. After 14 km of cycling I arrive at my B&B in one of the southern suburbs of Stockholm. They receive me really hospitable, and we have tea and sandwiches. The family is very interested to hear some of my stories. Well, a guest like me they will not have every day. I have my own small but nice apartment in the basement of the house, with my own entrance and shower. I can use their washing machine, and everything will be organized. I think that after 6 days with a lot of km (about 450 – 500 I guess) I deserve a break in Stockholm.

 

Helsinki (31rst of July – 4th of August)

On Saturday morning the bus brings me quickly from Miina’s place to the centre of Helsinki. I start with the tourist information. But at almost 10 o’clock they are still closed. When they are open, I pick up a map of the town and know where to buy a 3-day card for public transport.

Armed with this information I walk into town and organize some more things. The main tourist information in the centre can not tell me if there is a hotel in Karkkila. They hardly know where Karkkila is. I enjoy the big market with a lot of (good) souvenirs and also many fruit stalls at the harbour. And of course a lot of stalls which sell fresh fish meals. The fruits are funny: strawberries are not sold per kilogram as we do, but per “litra” (litre). But a litre is much less than a kg of strawberries. After a litre of strawberries I take the ferry to Suomenlinna, which is a fortress-island off the coast. The trip by watertaxi (public transport) is nice. On Suomenlinna there is an open day of the artists who work there (glass, ceramics etc.). Only one atelier is open, the others are closed, due to different circumstances. But also without this, Suomenlinna is very nice. I walk around and take a lot of pictures.

In the end of the afternoon I am back in town. I want to eat pizza, and I find a place where they make fantastic pizza’s. The place is not so good, but the pizza’s are delicious, as good as I have not eaten them in years really. The weather has been great all day. When I am back home Miina wants me to eat a lot again. She is afraid that I will be hungry.

On Sunday many shops are open in the centre, after 12 at least. When I leave the weather seems good. But when I am in town, the weather gets worse and worse. Just before 12 it starts raining, and I am in my Bermudas, so it is not warm. I buy an extra map of the South-west of Finland, including the Åland-islands between Finland and Sweden. After that I enjoy the market at the harbour front again. I eat some seafood. By tram I travel all through the city to a park out of the centre where is a folklore festival. The festival is small, not so many people. The music is surely nice, but it is not really my taste. It is Finnish folklore music, but it is so flat, quiet, not heated like the folklore music from Eastern Europe which I like so much. I am not able to enjoy the music, also because I am a bit cold. I decide to go back home much earlier than I planned. At home I take a nice warm shower, and work with the computer, I can not get myself active to go to the local Hospitality Club meeting. It might have been good to show my face, but I prefer to stay quietly at home and read something (about Russia, while I have left from there already). Miina and her daughter both come back late, so I have the house for myself.
 

Monday morning is reserved for trying to find some new spare parts for the bike. I still want to try, as I do not trust the present stander at all. And the luggage carrier (bagazjnik) is also tricky. The first cycle shop can not help me and is not friendly at all, the second does not speak English and does not even try to help me. After this disappointments I go back to the centre and buy some Finnish Euro-coins. After that I make time for a short look in the cathedral. It is situated on a height, looking over the town. The cathedral is sober white painted from the outside. The inside is sober too, but with some small nice rich details.

Then I try the 3^rd bicycle shop. This man is friendly, but he can not help me either. A new stander seems to be difficult to find. Not to talk about a new luggage carrier. I will have to be careful, and bring everything home on this bike, with these parts. I take the tram to the open air museum. It is situated on (another) island before the coast of Helsinki. Very nicely located. Not big, but there is enough to see. It is the week of folklore there, so there are many small folklore concerts. The explanations are mainly in Finnish, even after they have asked if the visitors understand Finnish, and the big majority says: No. My experience is that English is not a language that most people speak at a reasonable level. Not even in the centre of Helsinki. That’s a pity for both the Finnish people and the tourists.
There are so many squirrels in the park, that’s really wonderful.

From the open-air museum I take the bus back to the city centre, to have a good pizza once more. On my way back I do some shopping at the supermarket which is open 7 days a week from 8 till 22. I will need some food tomorrow, and there are not so many towns on my way.
 

Tuesday morning after breakfast I leave Helsinki. Miina presents me a piece of her delicious bilberry pie, which I enjoyed so much. I have something to remember her.
Together we bring down the luggage and the bike, and I load it. Then it is time to find my way out of Helsinki, heading for Karkkila and later Forsa and Turku.

 

 

Tallinn in 2 days is really a crash course of the city.

The first day I spend more or less running around and trying to get things fixed. I need a spare parts for one of my bicycle bags. This is not so difficult to get. I ignore the advice of my host not to go to the bicycle shop in the centre, which should be too expensive. I expect that they there have what I need, and that they are right. It is not cheap, but I do not want to spend hours in town to save 1 or 2 Euro.

Then I try to find a new batteryholder for my camera. This is more kind of a problem. I am sent from one camerashop to the other (where the man who can check it has holidays) to the third (who does not handle Canon) to the fourth. By now, I have seen a quite big part of the town, and I am back in the centre near the harbour. I arrive at the right shop, but they do not have this spare part. As all the shops before, they are very willing to help me, and offer that the technical service will check my piece, and try to fix it. The best solution for the moment. The technical service concludes there is no problem with the piece. Well, they can do no more, but I know I do have a problem for sure.

The rest of the day I spend seeing the old town, looking for some souvenirs, buying a real Estonian woollen sweater ( I really want to buy one and send it home tomorrow with some other things in a box). In the evening I have dinner in a Greek restaurant in the old fortified town centre. A really chique location, and nice to sit outside on the terrace.

I walk back along the seaside, and see how many people are active cycling, skating, walking etc. The evening is indeed great for this. When I come home, Piret is still busy preparing with her choir for the song festival.

 

The song festival is something typical for Estonia (though Latvia and Lithuania seem to have something similar too). It is not like the European Song Festival. There is much more classical and traditional music. It had a large cultural influence, both at the start (in the 1860's to give Estonians more self-confidence), as in the late 1980's to stimulate the wish for independance from the Sovjet-Union. For Estonians it is a festival where you should have been. Parallel to the song festival there also is a dance festival. But unfortunately for me, the tickets for all 3 performances are already sold out before I arrive.

Saturday morning   I spend going to the TV tower. You can not go in, but for me it is a very special place, as I was here during the putch in August 1991, when the Estonians had the television tower, and the Sovjet troops wanted to get it. Standing aside the long row of Sovjet-tanks with soldiers who were my own age was a very unusual experience. And a couple of days later we were with tenth of thousands of people present at the official declaration of independance of Estonia, and singing the national anthem. So, this place has a special meaning for me. I do not find back the exact place where I stood, but that is not so important.

Then I go to the postoffice to send my package back home. I am the only customer in the whole half our that I am in the office. How can such offices survive with so few customers.

 

Time to go to the centre to see the parade of the songfestival. All 25.000 participants of the songfestival and some of the dancefestival (also almost 7.500 participants) will walk in a parade from the centre of Tallinn to the festival grounds, some 7 km further. It is really impressive. What a world of colours. I see the whole country passing by. Many places where I have been. Tens of thousands of people must have been working for weeks or months to get the costumes and all other attributes prepared. It is an incredible show, accompanied by terrific weather. After 3 hours I get tired from standing, but the parade has not come to an end. I walk with the parade to the festival grounds, where the first performance of the song festival will be. While the concert is expected to start at 7 pm, even at 8 pm there are still dancegroups and choirs walking in. The parade is not yet finished.

The concert starts with a long delay. The festival grounds are full with people, walking around, standing, eating, chatting with each other. This is typical a family outing where you must have been. Later I hear that there were almost 100.000 people, nearly 1/10 of the whole Estonian population. It's incredible with what enthousiasm this Song Festival is done, once every 5 years, with in between a youth song festival.

Soon after the concert begins it starts raining. I am not prepared for the rain, and get cold. Also, it is a bit disappointing that you can not concentrate on the music and see the choirs very well. To avoid catching a cold I go home (not too far away) and watch the rest of the concert (till 11.30 pm) at the TV, while I am packing and organizing my things. I get a much better view and sound than at the festival grounds. I have had the best of both worlds, tasting the atmosphere at the festival grounds and seeing live how the festival is, and watching the performance itself on a big flatscreen, sitting at the couch at home.

Piret comes home far after 12, and is really soaked. She was singing in one of the hundreds of choirs which were present, and had to stay till the end. What a pity for this incredible event.

She agrees with my opinion that for sound and view you can better watch the festival at TV, but says that as an Estonian it is something where you should have been live.

 

The next morning I leave late, after a good breakfast and having had a nice stay at Pirets place, located in the nice and green north-eastern part of Tallinn.