ESTONIAN ISLANDS

 An early start saw me cycling the five miles or so down to the small ferry terminal in time for the 07.45 sailing to Vormsi which takes around half an hour. It was a simple enough ferry that could work in either direction so simply ploughed a straight line across the smooth Baltic waters.

Vormsi is the smaller of the three islands I intended to visit and had a deserted flat perimeter road with various side tracks down to beaches, coves and fishing jetties. The houses were generally beautifully kept and sported substantial wood piles of split silver birch often stacked on top of the dry stone walls to assist with seasoning. A set of bee hives at one place was very colourful and out at a marine navigation aid a group of sea kayakers had pulled in for a break.

Before long I was back at the ferry with enough time to enjoy a coffee and ice cream along with a German couple who had done more or less the same route.

 

Back at the camp site in Haapsalu I sorted out the van with regards to domestic services and cycled in to the town with its pretty lake and collection of old engines and rolling stock at the now disused station with its remarkably long platform : apparently sleeper trains used to arrive there from Moscow and on that theme I enjoyed a good night's sleep after a less than strenuous day. 

 

I was away next morning after a Dutch guy came over to ask me to fill in an ACSI questionnaire about the site which I was happy to do giving them full marks. After a food shop I headed back to the same ferry terminal, but this time caught the larger ferry to Hiumaa that takes about 90 minutes. It was a sublime crossing but I had been reading up about the winter ice road that is created most years for a month or more - You Tube videos made it look quite an experience. The shallow, almost tideless waters of the Baltic allow this remarkable event to occur but there is a 2.5t weight limit, a minimum speed and no stopping for selfies - plus wearing seatbelts is forbidden.

Anyway once on dry land I headed north to a cape where camping was allowed on an old Soviet listening station that for many years had been off limits even to the few islanders who hadn't been forcibly removed. There was a sign up asking you to pay before staying or risk a 100% penalty so I walked up the long beach to the rather laid back surf school and snack bar to hand over my 10 euros.

I then returned to the van and took a book and beach blanket down on to the sand for a couple of hours with the breeze keeping any biting beasties at bay.

As I settled in to the van a few hours later I heard a continuous buzzing noise and looked outside to see a drone hovering in front of the windscreen. I jumped out to wave at which point it veered off over the trees. Not long after I saw headlights on the beach and within minutes Andrus had roared up on a powerful quad to check that I had paid - - they'd not taken any details at the bar which seems daft but as there were only a few handsome young English guys travelling solo in blue long wheelbase hightop T4s with mountain bikes on the back and UK plates I was soon regarded as legit. Andrus was a really nice guy and said the drone was operated from the surf school owners' house and had a 7km range - impressive.

He said in his four years working there I was the first UK visitor and indeed it has been a month since I saw any UK plated  vehicle.

 

After a great night's sleep in this remarkable place with birch and pine woodland, sandy beaches, rocky outcrops and crumbling Soviet bunkers it was a shame to leave for the ferry across to Saaremaa (all ferries are very cheap and regular as they are lifelines for the islands) but as I hadn't booked I thought best to arrive early for the next sailing. On my way I visited and climbed two impressive lighthouses meeting Andrus again at the first as it was near Milicamp - he would like to visit England and work as his wages here were only 800 euros a month and yet again I cursed Brexit for its narrow minded and short sighted approach to labour mobility, let alone the ludicrous restrictions on my personal freedoms, although I genuinely appreciate how fortunate I am to do what I do.

Down at the port there was no queue and tickets were on sale in an hour, one hour before sailing as all prebookable tickets had gone. Thus I made some lunch watching  the machines at work modernising the marina facilities and boarded alongside a lorry loaded with cut reeds that are still used as a roofing material - in fact I had seen then under box profile tin sheeting being used as insulation on some buildings. They crammed in the final vehicle and left off a delivery van who would have a three hour wait so I was glad I had arrived early.

The Angla Windmill collection was made up of 9 mills that remained from I think 17 that had once occupied the site, each was slightly different and three were available to go inside giving an opportunity to inspect the wooden workings. A venerable collection of old tractors added to the scene and the beautiful building alongside had all manner of farm tools and domestic equipment from a bygone era on display.

 

Up at Cape Panga  I stayed in a large open car park on a very hot evening - day visitors had gone and it was very peaceful even if the cliffs and treacherous sea below were perhaps less fearsome than you were led to believe - a death defying 20m or so which counts for high round here.

The Mihkli Farm Museum was remarkable as after the death of most of his family the former owner had gifted the traditional buildings and land to the state and it remains almost unchanged from the way it evolved through generations of ownership - the carriage shed contained carts and snow sledges that would be required through the long harsh winters they experience here.

Down at the very south of the island stands Saare lighthouse built in 1960 (a particularly good year for many reasons). I was again tempted by the 300 plus steps for a panoramic 360 degree view before being even more tempted by the fish restaurant nearby where I enjoyed herrings as a starter and sardines as a main washed down with a local apple cider all for around £15.

A proposed free camping site down a side track on the coast turned out to be a small marina but it was a good place to stay and the owner was very friendly - he'd studied for his degree in England and was now benefitting from a huge European push to promote sailing along the Baltic coast with many small marinas evolving from old fishing jetties. His facilities were top notch and the 20 euros included hook up thus eking out my gas a little longer.

I decided not to bother with the island's largest town as it is billed as a swanky spa resort and gets busy at weekends so it was a short hop down to Muhu, my final island which is reached by a 2km causeway. Most people rush on through this one as they are on their way back to the mainland but I knew there were two good rides to be done and followed the Caravanya Apps's coordinates down a series of unsurfaced roads to a free camping spot out on the coast. It was idyllic and comprised of an open camping area with fire pits and a couple of wooden shelters, bins and a long drop toilet. I tucked away off the track itself and had a sea view with total privacy, apart from a pair of black adders dozing on a rock who slipped quietly away.

 

Further round the coast I found a small wood and polythene shack that was used as a makeshift sauna with stones piled on to the stove and a rudimentary shower outside cobbled together from an old immersion tank.

Anyway it wasn't for me and instead I jumped on the bike to enjoy the first ride - a circuit of the northern half of the island with a signed route taking in another bluff bluff, quiet farms, picturesque cottages and empty tracks. One farm had a honey shed with 8 different varieties on sale but as I still have some of my Welsh friend's in reserve I decided to resist temptation. It was a lovely evening with a good sunset and next day I rode the southern half of the island coming across another small marina where I was tempted by the fish soup served with dark rye bread and a decent lager at the small cafe.

So after a second night in blissful solitude I drove down to Kuivastu which I had checked out the day before, in plenty of time for my booked ticket - in fact the earlier sailing hadn't actually departed so I was waved on without even stopping and soon we were off on the 20 minute crossing. Far fewer passengers were allowed on the next return as certain sailings are reserved for hazardous goods, namely gas and fuel, as the islands have as much availability of commodities, food and so on as the mainland, and in fact probably more than the quieter parts of Eastern Estonia I had been in a couple of weeks back.

Heading south along the coast I crossed almost unnoticeably back in to Latvia and eventually turned off on to the old road that parallels the shore and arrived at another free camping spot amongst pines and just yards from the beach where I enjoyed another afternoon in the sun.

Yesterday I had planned to stay longer in the Gauja National Park after visiting Cesis with its lovely castle and Ligatne with its three lovely castles but most of the activity in the park is based around hiking or canoeing the meandering Gauja River and both wild camping sites I reached were down very rough tracks and being primarily for canoeists would have been prone to mosquitoes.

Ligatne has a cable car across the river and once it has crossed to the far side two people at a time can whizz down the cable to the low point in a kind of flying trapeze. The returning cable car then pushes them back to the start point. In the evening it is possible to do bungee jump from the car as well, shame I had to crack on!

Thus I have arrived in Riga on a marina based campsite just a twenty minute bike ride from Old Riga - as I passed through town a large escorted convoy shot past with the prime minister in there somewhere and followed by an ambulance and more police and soldiers - quite a sight as all traffic was held up by yet more officers along the route. One British van is also here and I got talking to my German neighbours who had lived in Melbourne for twenty years so had very good English. There is a lovely view across to the city and with all facilities available including a guarded entry barrier it will do me very well for two nights. My ferry departs two weeks on Sunday so before heading fully south I will be up to the Kolka Peninsula for a few days once I have sampled the delights of sunny Riga.

Piccies here folks..