Peter, Andrea and I looked at the flag blowing strongly in the wind and Peter said 'you might fly to Tallinn today.' At our current location the wind was blowing strongly in the directio
n of Estonia's capital city and if it did not change direction I would have a tailwind the whole way.
The Luck express was en route to Tallinn: having got slightly delayed due to a search for my sunglasses I screamed through the first 50 km at close to 29 km/h. This was awesome. Ever since I decided last night to 'go for it' and make Tallinn in one day, I knew a fast start was important and I certianly had done that. My speed continued most of the way to Rabla, past bonfires built to celebrate Midsummer's Day on June 21 and windswept landscapes. I loaded up on dinner supplies and was accosted by the local drunk in Rabla.
Though
there were sections against the wind that made me work very hard, the tailwind accompanied me most of the way. Until the final 20 km that is. Then it turned and blew into me, bringing the rain with it. I found shelter and dressed against the elements. I rolled into Tallinn about 7pm.
Finding a campground proved harder than getting here. I found Kalevi camping which looked derelict and non-operational, even though the gate was open. I found the 'biker's bar' inside the grounds and a shaven-headed, goatee-bearded biker told me the campground was closed. He directed me to another campground, which I could not find. Instead a German couple told me I could camp at the marina. I pulled up, asked how much it would be and was expecting the worst. 'Three euros' was the answer! Deal.
No sooner had I pitched the tent and cooked dinner the storm clouds rolled in. The Finnish couple in the camper van near me beckoned me over and offered my some red wine. We communicated as best we could for about 10 minutes until the sky was black, the wind howling and rain was driving into us horizontally. They climbed into thier van, I zipped myslef up in the tent. I stayed dry for about an hour. I have never experienced a wind/rain combination so fierce from within a tent before. Rain was driven under the tent, between the fabric and ground sheet. The floor of the tent was soaked before I went to bed. I woke up with a wet back, wet head and wet legs. EVERYTHING in the tent was soaked by morning. The one consolation was that I was warm.
n of Estonia's capital city and if it did not change direction I would have a tailwind the whole way.The Luck express was en route to Tallinn: having got slightly delayed due to a search for my sunglasses I screamed through the first 50 km at close to 29 km/h. This was awesome. Ever since I decided last night to 'go for it' and make Tallinn in one day, I knew a fast start was important and I certianly had done that. My speed continued most of the way to Rabla, past bonfires built to celebrate Midsummer's Day on June 21 and windswept landscapes. I loaded up on dinner supplies and was accosted by the local drunk in Rabla.
Though
there were sections against the wind that made me work very hard, the tailwind accompanied me most of the way. Until the final 20 km that is. Then it turned and blew into me, bringing the rain with it. I found shelter and dressed against the elements. I rolled into Tallinn about 7pm.Finding a campground proved harder than getting here. I found Kalevi camping which looked derelict and non-operational, even though the gate was open. I found the 'biker's bar' inside the grounds and a shaven-headed, goatee-bearded biker told me the campground was closed. He directed me to another campground, which I could not find. Instead a German couple told me I could camp at the marina. I pulled up, asked how much it would be and was expecting the worst. 'Three euros' was the answer! Deal.
No sooner had I pitched the tent and cooked dinner the storm clouds rolled in. The Finnish couple in the camper van near me beckoned me over and offered my some red wine. We communicated as best we could for about 10 minutes until the sky was black, the wind howling and rain was driving into us horizontally. They climbed into thier van, I zipped myslef up in the tent. I stayed dry for about an hour. I have never experienced a wind/rain combination so fierce from within a tent before. Rain was driven under the tent, between the fabric and ground sheet. The floor of the tent was soaked before I went to bed. I woke up with a wet back, wet head and wet legs. EVERYTHING in the tent was soaked by morning. The one consolation was that I was warm.
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