Helsinki to Tallinn

• By admin
• July 29, 2016
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I picked Helen up from Helsinki airport at about 1.30am local time, and after about 4 hours sleep at the ferry port we were checking in for the 3-hour ferry crossing to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia and the most northern of the Baltic States. The ferry was crowded with everyone making for the restaurant for a breakfast of meatballs in gravy and potatoes; we opted for a couple of Bloody Marys and a croissant.

The spires of Tallinn Old Town greeted us as we neared the harbour. We made for the city campsite, a mere five minutes from the port and were soon settled in at the marina in Pirita, a smart coastal resort two miles from the centre, built for the rowing and sailing events for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Booking into the campsite the person on reception asked if we were mad? His question, we learnt, referred to the leave result of the referendum. We have since been asked this many times on our travels. We assured him we were not mad just very disappointed.

Overlooking the estuary, we spent the rest of the day sorting and unpacking the huge case Helen had brought back containing among other things a Brompton folding bike, lent to her by her brother Martin, to replace her injured bike. Unfolding the bike attracted much attention which was unfortunate as having never unfolded the bike before the process was less than slick and eventually required a facetime call to Martin.

New neighbours arrived; a delightful couple from Minnesota, Chuck and Barbara. They commiserated with our Brexit pain and us with their Trump suffering. We spent the evening sampling various bottles of red wines we had all purchased (being American their bottles were much bigger than ours) and watched a glorious red sky as the sun set over the sea. Made all the more splendid, no doubt, by the red wine and amusing company.