Episode 13
On a lovely sunny morning with a cool breeze we strolled along the promenade of Haapsalu where once the Russian Tsars and nobility did the same along with people such as the Russian composer Tchicovski (L can’t spell it properly). Very few others were out and about this early 10am.The promenade has been rebuilt in recent years as it fell into disrepair during the Soviet period and an unusually high flood in 2005 nearly finished it off. We read about all this in a little octagonal building that sits just off the promenade, where there were also photographic history of the place. The floods are very interesting too. They are caused by wind direction primarily. First the wind has to blow a lot of extra water into the Baltic Sea though the Ossund or Denmark Strait and raise the level of the Baltic considerably. Then again the wind has to be just right to force a build up of water around this region. It didn’t mention that it has to be a particular high tide and from the dates it doesn’t seem so. The highest recorded flood was in 2005 (none since then) at around 2m above normal height and it would engulf most of the town that sits on a low promontory. It can also retreat to 1 metre lower than the normal lowest tides, leaving an extensive mud and reed covered flat exposed. It can go 30 or 40 years between such flood or have three with 12 months. This part of the shoreline was a popular bathing spot in the late 1800’s early 1900’s but one wouldn’t want to take a dip it in now. It was murky with lots of reeds and a muddy bottom, though plenty of small fish seem to live in it. It also seemed to be clear of rubbish. The swimming beach is now on the other side of the promontory where there is a nice bit of sand and some cleaner looking water but still not good enough to temp L.Here too, is an impressive railway station with a long covered platform and large waiting room, built so for the Russian Nobility. While in the centre of the town is a large Episcopal Castle built in the 14th century and the seat for the Bishopric. It seems that these Bishops of the Holy Roman Empire didn’t get on with each other very well and were frequently at war with one another as well as with anyone else that was out to claim new territory. This castle saw many conflicts. It lost its significance in the 16th century by which time it was in the hands of the Swedes and fell into ruin. Presently the church within its walls, now of the Lutheran faith is being extensively restored. The town is also renowned for its health spas and mud treatments, neither of which interested my lot especially.We took a large and expensive ferry for the 20 - 25 min crossing to the island of Muhu from where there is a causeway to the island of Saaremaa. Once on board people rushed upstairs to the cafeteria where they were queueing up for coffee as though their lives depended on it. We sat outside and enjoyed the view and the fresh sea air and I insisted on having my photo taken despite some funny looks from other passengers.The main thing to see on Muhu is the fishing village of Koguva that is a sort of living museum. The houses are mostly of the traditional style built of split logs or stone with a thick thatch roof. Most of the auxiliary buildings are of split log. The roads are lined by moss covered stone fences that also divide one property from another. We walked around one morning and had the place absolutely to ourselves, we didn’t see another soul despite the fact that it really wasn’t all that early being just before 10am when we returned to the car.We came across the tiny little harbour with a few boats moored in it. One was a speed boat with a 7.5lt engine. don’t think that would be very traditional. There were lots of old wooden boats used as roofs for small garden shelters around the village and a few more up on shore near the harbour. Either for repair or left to rot, probably the latter from what we could see. Again I had to do a lot of posing here and there, and sitting on mossy fences is not improving my already grubby state.Just a short distance away we found a popular swimming beach or at least that was L’s understanding. Don’t think even the most mediocre of Aussie beaches has any fear of this place overtaking them in the popularity stakes. The ‘beach’ wasn’t even as good as the one we’d seen at Haapsalu. There is, however, a swimming event that starts from here, a 2.5k swim to the next island. No mention of when that it held on any sign L read.So, we crossed the causeway and headed off across Saaremaa. One of the main attractions here is a hole in the ground. Now I ask you, how can a hole in the ground be all that fascinating, and it’s not all that big either compared to others formed by the same cosmic event.Yes, it’s a meteorite crater. Only about 3500-5000 years old, so a fairly modern one at that. It’s 110m across and 22m deep. There is a small lake in the bottom that wasn’t at all attractive being quite stagnant green slimy water, YUK!. It seems it’s much more shallow than normal, they have had quite a hot, dry spell, and it relies on rainwater catchment only. An archeological dig here a few years ago brought to light a stone fence near the top from around 500BC and it seems that sacrifices may have been made into the lake. The information didn’t sound all too sure on that. There are 8 smaller craters within 1 sq K of this one.The principal town of this Island is Kuressaare: Have you noticed the way they just love to use double a’s in their spelling, and quite a few double u’s, L’s glad she’s not a school kid here she would never learn to spell. Even after all these years she’s not much good in English.Anyway this is a most pleasant large town with nice parks and a restored Episcopal Castle from around the same period as the last one. This one comes complete with restored moat and it’s possible to take a boat on the moat.Inside, the former Bishops quarters now houses a small natural history museum and L says it’s probably quite good if looking at stuffed animals and birds is your thing. My lot would much rather they had been left out in the wild. We have seen a lot more birds here than in Russia and it seems that the national park at the end of the island is a very important bird sanctuary as well as being the oldest national park in Europe. All thanks to a lighthouse keeper who loved the birds, and got sent to a Soviet Gulag and never heard of again, poor sod! Another few rooms were devoted to the Soviet occupation as it’s referred to here. These people definitely don’t like the Russian and with good cause, although there is still quite a large ethnic Russian population living here. These islands were isolated during that time, from 1944 till 1989. No-one was allowed to visit here, the info didn’t say if the Islanders could visit the mainland or not. There was a Soviet garrison stationed here to make sure no-one came over who wasn’t meant to. The Estonian flag was raised for the first time since 1944 in February of 1989, almost 9 months before the Berlin Wall came down. We drove out to the National Park and called at the Visitors centre to start with. Again it was quite well set up but this time there wasn’t much information in English and even the video that was in English decided to seize up halfway through.The lady at the visitors centre took a bit of a shine to me despite my grubby appearance. She spoke reasonable English and was very helpful. She told us that it’s possible at present to walk across to Vilsandi Island. The sea level is very low at present and the deepest part is only about 1m apparently. We did go out to the place to begin this 5k walk. Here we saw a couple of flatbed trailers that look as if they might be used to ferry cars across but didn’t appear to have been used for a while. No-ome was around to ask. My lot were definitely not going to try walking that 5k’s, although only a bit of it is through water between the chain of small islands. Wading through metre deep water was not an option L’s leg isn’t totally healed and the chances of dropping me, camera and/or everything else is too high. It seems that people strip off and hold their clothes above their heads on the deep bits. Wearing some sort of footwear is a must because of sharp ancient corals on the sea floor. We gave up on any idea of heading out there.We did encounter some much better beaches both inside the National Park and outside it. There were some lovely sand dunes and a long sandy beach without a soul in site in the northern part of the park. It was hot and sunny here too but still the water didn’t look all that good and it still has that rotting seaweed smellWe came across an old windmill that operated through to the 1960’s when the area around it was part of a collective farm. It was open so we could look inside but there didn’t seem to be any mill stones in place and no sign of them anywhere around. My lot couldn’t work out just where they should be situated in the mill. There is a group of old mill further on with bus loads of people clambering about them, we were glad we’d had one to ourselves.Finally, before reaching the ferry terminal for the ferry to Hiiumaa (double a again and i this time), we looked at the pagan images that are painted on the ceiling of the Karja church, apparently during the time of it’s construction. This is a very large church for one tiny little village.On a hot sunny morning we took the ferry across to Hiiumaa, about an hours trip this time on a much smaller ferry with very few other passengers. Still it was amazing how everyone rushed the coffee shop as soon as they could.This island has about 80% forest coverage but there still seems to be plenty of open farmland with fat cows resting in the shade or fields dotted with white plastic wrapped silage ready for the coming winter.Here we visited a couple of lighthouses. The Kopu lighthouse is the 3rd oldest one in Europe that has been in continuous use. This one started out in the early 1500’s as a fire beacon to warn ships of a dangerous sandbank. It now stands 102M above seal level as is automated. As it’s well back from the coast in all directions my lot couldn’t work out just where that sandbank is situated in relation to the lighthouse. From the observation deck we got a great view of the forest all around but no idea where the sandbank is. There does seem to be a lot of logging taking place at present and later we saw where there are great piles logs stacked but not sure if they are milled here or shipped to the mainland.In the north of the Island there is another light house, the Tohkuna lighthouse, only 43m above sea level and right on the point. Beside it stands a memorial to the children lost in the sinking of the ferry Estonia, on 28th September 1994. Why just the children, who knows! L has been racking her brains but can’t seem to remember hearing anything about this accident. There had been 989 people on board and only 137 rescued alive. Of the 852 who perished only 94 bodies were recovered. This is the nearest landfall to where it sunk. It was quite a major event for L to have totally missed, D on the other hand probably wouldn’t remember it anyway.A family run woollen mill made an interesting visit. The machinery in use is 120 years old and made in Poland, the sheep that supply that wool are not near so old, live in a neighbouring field and are very fond of the black bread that is an island tradition and L likes too. They get shorn twice a year with the autumn shearing coming up soon, their fleeces are nice and long.We watched some of the machines working, one of the carding machines, these prepare the wool for spinning by getting rid of any debris, and making the fibres run all the one direction. Such carding isn’t necessary for hand spinning, then it’s usually only carded when it’s very short and/or very dirty.There was the spinning machine and the one that plies the wool. They were all being operated as they would have been when they were new, so no new health and safety initiatives have been put into practice here. We were able to go and stand right beside all these machines. L kept a tight hold on me otherwise I could well have ended up shredded and ready to be re-spum, I shudder at the thought!Upstairs are the knitting machines where they make all the garments they sell in the shop. Their prices were much more reasonable than we’ve seen elsewhere too. The lady apologised for having so little stock, they have had a really good summer season and almost sold out. It was chilly here too, until mid July and that was good for business.while on the island we did a couple of walks, through the forest and along a kilometre long spit of land that lies in a crescent shape from the tip of a headland. The sea on one side was very rough with big waves while on the other was very calm. We visited some more churches too, one that dates from the early 1500’s about the same time as that lighthouse or beacon.Then we caught the ferry back to the mainland to Haapsalu and headed down to the Matsalu National Park that is a migrating bird habitat. Not so many birds here at present but soon when those that breed in the arctic begin their long journey south this is one of their major resting sites. There is a big swan population, they breed here.A glass museum and glass blowing works made a very interesting visit. I wasn’t allowed to get too close to the glowing molten glass incase I caught fire. In the museum there was a display of glass items that had all been made in various places in Estonia including at the factory that was in this town Jarvakandi. Most of these glass works are now closed and the man at the museum told us that all the flat glass that is used in the construction industry is now imported. The glass blowing works had a 3 day workshop going on where visitors could get to make a glass item. There were a few other visitors here and some got to blow a vase while others got to make a swan. D had a go and got to make the most vicious looking swan that has ever graced this planet. L, who has a stiff and painful neck decided she wouldn’t be able to get her head in the right position to see what she was doing so didn’t participate which is probably just as well, that way we won’t have arguments about whose item is the best. She did video D’s attempt. Perhaps he better not look on this as a career opportunity. Incidentally they didn’t get to keep the item as these are to go on display for some reasonThen we drove south to the resort town of Parnu where we found a pleasant pedestrianised centre full of the usual run of cafes and restaurants. The towns main attraction is the beach and we headed there for a look. It is a lovely wide sandy beach lapped by gently waves and on the very hot afternoon when we visited there were a lot of people still in the water. It was late in the day and plenty of sun burnt people were gathering their things and heading off back to their place of rest for the evening. Summer officially ends on the 31st August and the kids head back to school on 1st September. It was just as well they were making the most of things that day because the next morning the rain was tipping down as we headed out of Estonia and into Latvia.
© Lynette Regan 27th August 2015