It´s over. No more pedalling, no more hills, no more cokes or snickers. Despite misfortune´s best efforts in attempting to delay my departure from a cold and rainy Tallin - I had a flat tire en route to the ferry - I arrived in Finland on Monday afternoon.
The weather was just as cold and miserable in Helsinki. There was no accommodation left at the Helsinki YMCA´s hotel, so following an attitude adjustment conisting of Chinese food and hot tea we set off in search of the Rastila Hostel on the east side of the city. I do not think I have ever slept in a hotel/motel/hostel on its first day of opening before - but that is exactly what we did in the school turned Hostelling International site.
The next day it was off to Sysma and I found out the hard way that Finland is not as flat as I thought. Combined with the all-day headwind it was one of the harder days I have had on the trip and I had not geared down this low since coming through the High Tatras into Poland. After a long day in the saddle the night was spent at the Sysma campground - next to the lake. We ate pizza in bright sunshine at 10 pm.
The final day to Jyvaskyla was a relatively short one of 116 km. I was on the road early and enjoying the lack of wind. I zipped through the first half of the day, despite the continuing undulations of the countryside. My fastest speed of the trip was set (in Finland of all places) of 70 km/h. I was flagging by lunchtime and very pleased to see Lene with food around noon.
After an injection of caffeine and sugar in the form of Coke (what else?) I pushed on for the final 35 km into Jyvaskyla. The sun was out and I told myself to enjoy the final 90 minutes of cycling on back roads. At 2:30 pm local time I had arrived. By 2:45 it was pouring with rain and I was grateful to be inside and warm/dry. I had finished and though happy, all I wanted to do was sleep. No big celebration, just rest.
Today is Midsummer´s Day (Johannus in Finnish) and I will be celebrating: Food, drink, Sauna and watching the midnight sun.
Full updates for each day since Tallinn (and photos I hope) will be posted over the weekend I hope. However, as this is Johannus, most stores/cafes are closed from tonight on.
A big thank you to all who have made this ride possible and offered support throughout the last 4 weeks. I will write more soon, but now I hear the sauna calling my name!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
June 16 - Tallinn
Woke up to bright blue sky and sunshine and little wind. Lene was slee
ping so I made myself some coffee and went for a walk around the Olympic harbour.
Having cooked breakfast and taken my bicycle to the nearby store for a 'drivetrain clean' we ventured into the Old Town, taking advantage of the cheaper 'book' of bus tickets that the Swedish biker had told us about rather than paying the driver. With the good weather there were crowds of people in the city. We had deliberately not taken a map - instead opting to wander and discover the city be chance.
As usual I was hungry and having toured various cafes restaurants we settled on a traditional Estonian establishment, opting for the Estonian Sausage Feast. It was indeed a feast and most of it was bagged up and taken with us - the idea being to have a cooked breakfast of sausage, egg and beans on the morrow.
We continued to explore and gradually discovered all that Tallinn has to offer - craft shops, narrow cobbled streets, churches and other historic buildings, posing for photographs and making important decisions such as where to eat dinner tomorrow. For me, Tallin had much more to offer than Riga, though in fairness to the Latvian capital I did not make much of an effort to explore it.
Following a bus ride back to the marina it was time for grocery shopping to ensure our breakfast feast went off as planned. We returned to the tent where the wind had died down and were under a crystal clear sky. I slept well.
ping so I made myself some coffee and went for a walk around the Olympic harbour.Having cooked breakfast and taken my bicycle to the nearby store for a 'drivetrain clean' we ventured into the Old Town, taking advantage of the cheaper 'book' of bus tickets that the Swedish biker had told us about rather than paying the driver. With the good weather there were crowds of people in the city. We had deliberately not taken a map - instead opting to wander and discover the city be chance.
As usual I was hungry and having toured various cafes restaurants we settled on a traditional Estonian establishment, opting for the Estonian Sausage Feast. It was indeed a feast and most of it was bagged up and taken with us - the idea being to have a cooked breakfast of sausage, egg and beans on the morrow.
We continued to explore and gradually discovered all that Tallinn has to offer - craft shops, narrow cobbled streets, churches and other historic buildings, posing for photographs and making important decisions such as where to eat dinner tomorrow. For me, Tallin had much more to offer than Riga, though in fairness to the Latvian capital I did not make much of an effort to explore it.
Following a bus ride back to the marina it was time for grocery shopping to ensure our breakfast feast went off as planned. We returned to the tent where the wind had died down and were under a crystal clear sky. I slept well.
June 15: Tallinn
Woke up tired and wet. Had not slept much due to the noise from the st
orm - the coverings on the masts stored near me had rattled thoughout the night, the tent had shook, and one guidrope/tent peg had been blown out of the ground the ferocity of the wind had been such.
The precipitation had now stopped though the gail force winds prevailed. I took the opportunity dry what I could: the sleeping bag was strapped around the masts and thrashed around in the wind like a kite; my sleeping pad was tied around a tree facing the wind; the tent was staked out on its side faceing the wind - like a sail. I went to the bathroom and took refuge there, sending text messages and generally trying to get warm. I walked to the nearby grocery store to get breakfast supplies - it was 8:10, they did not open until 9!
When I got back to camp the Finnish couple were lying in wait and summoned me. They had prepared hot tea and a salami/cucumber roll for me! This was just what I needed. I was running on empty and the banana/apple I had eaten had been burned off long ago. No sooner had I finished than they packed up and left for the ferry port.
The wind was so strong my gear was now dry and I repitched the tent and stored the relevant sleeping equipment. I found the tennis club adjacent to the yacht club/marina and paid the 40 EEK for a shower. To wash in hot water and shave was truly a luxury. Decided not to sit in the sauna today but knew I would be back to enjoy this pleasure before leaving for Helsinki.
Two chocolate pastries, a baguette and fruit juice were purchased from the now-open store and I boarded a bus to town. Following some confusion as to where I was su
pposed to go, I made my connection to bus number 2 and was en route to the airport to meet Lene. The gray, windy weather had become sunny, windy weather but I felt desperately tired as I arrived at the airport.
Lene and I spent the rest of the day relaxing, eating pizza and grocery shopping. We chatted with the biker from Sweden as the sun set behind the masts - he had lived in Tallinn for 5 years and provided us with valuable 'local' information. When I could no longer keep my eyes open I went to bed.
orm - the coverings on the masts stored near me had rattled thoughout the night, the tent had shook, and one guidrope/tent peg had been blown out of the ground the ferocity of the wind had been such.The precipitation had now stopped though the gail force winds prevailed. I took the opportunity dry what I could: the sleeping bag was strapped around the masts and thrashed around in the wind like a kite; my sleeping pad was tied around a tree facing the wind; the tent was staked out on its side faceing the wind - like a sail. I went to the bathroom and took refuge there, sending text messages and generally trying to get warm. I walked to the nearby grocery store to get breakfast supplies - it was 8:10, they did not open until 9!
When I got back to camp the Finnish couple were lying in wait and summoned me. They had prepared hot tea and a salami/cucumber roll for me! This was just what I needed. I was running on empty and the banana/apple I had eaten had been burned off long ago. No sooner had I finished than they packed up and left for the ferry port.
The wind was so strong my gear was now dry and I repitched the tent and stored the relevant sleeping equipment. I found the tennis club adjacent to the yacht club/marina and paid the 40 EEK for a shower. To wash in hot water and shave was truly a luxury. Decided not to sit in the sauna today but knew I would be back to enjoy this pleasure before leaving for Helsinki.
Two chocolate pastries, a baguette and fruit juice were purchased from the now-open store and I boarded a bus to town. Following some confusion as to where I was su
pposed to go, I made my connection to bus number 2 and was en route to the airport to meet Lene. The gray, windy weather had become sunny, windy weather but I felt desperately tired as I arrived at the airport.Lene and I spent the rest of the day relaxing, eating pizza and grocery shopping. We chatted with the biker from Sweden as the sun set behind the masts - he had lived in Tallinn for 5 years and provided us with valuable 'local' information. When I could no longer keep my eyes open I went to bed.
June 14: Kabli to Tallinn - 214 km
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.
June 13: Riga to Kabli, Estonia - 130 km
I had wondered why the computer in the Y office and in Gunta's house w
as an hour fast. However, I was too tired to question this as much as I should have. Through various hand signals Gunta's mother had told me she would be leaving this morning at 6:30 am and then returning at 8:30 am. I, in turn, told her I hoped to leave at 9:30 am.
I awoke at 7:30 and went to the kitchen - Gunta's mother was there. Strange I thought - she was not supposed to be back for another hour. And then what should have dawned on me two days ago struck me like a hammer blow: I had changed time zones! (I did not expect this until Helsinki) I checked the clock radio - 8:40. I would not be on the road for 8:30. Oh well, I knew the road was flat and hoped the wind would favour (or at least not oppose) me and knew I had a relatively short 130 km day.
Somewhat unusually for a capital city I instantly found the correct road and was soon rolling up the A1 toward Estonia. The wind was kind and was cutting across me from behind giving me slight push. This was the first day of riding I'd had a tailwind. Thank you Mother Nature. I was running straight up the coast and it was not long before I saw the Baltic Sea for the first time. I stopped at a beach for a break and a photo.
I was making great time due to the good road surface and the tailwind and figure I would only be in the saddle around 5 hours today. Awesome. The road was not too busy though busy enough to prevent much looking around. I turned off onto a quiet road near Ainzi that led to a small border post with Estonia. Upon entering Estonia there were several small villages with brightly coloured buildings and I passed a couple of fellow adventure-cyclists.
Having averaged 26 km/h for the day I made camp early, before 6 pm, at a beac
hfront site and could hear the waves crashing about 60 metres away. The other cyclists pulled up and made camp. Following dinner we talked about the stunning array of alcoholic beverages available at petrol garages compared to the very limited non-alcoholic selection. And that the only refrigerated drink coolers that worked were the ones with beer in - a warm coke was something I was getting used to. Andrea told the story of buying a bottle of tonic water, only to notice once the liquid touched her lips that it was already mixed with vodka! Seeing 1-2 drunks a day was common.
We watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon at gone 10 pm and then tried to sleep under the 'white' sky.
as an hour fast. However, I was too tired to question this as much as I should have. Through various hand signals Gunta's mother had told me she would be leaving this morning at 6:30 am and then returning at 8:30 am. I, in turn, told her I hoped to leave at 9:30 am.I awoke at 7:30 and went to the kitchen - Gunta's mother was there. Strange I thought - she was not supposed to be back for another hour. And then what should have dawned on me two days ago struck me like a hammer blow: I had changed time zones! (I did not expect this until Helsinki) I checked the clock radio - 8:40. I would not be on the road for 8:30. Oh well, I knew the road was flat and hoped the wind would favour (or at least not oppose) me and knew I had a relatively short 130 km day.
Somewhat unusually for a capital city I instantly found the correct road and was soon rolling up the A1 toward Estonia. The wind was kind and was cutting across me from behind giving me slight push. This was the first day of riding I'd had a tailwind. Thank you Mother Nature. I was running straight up the coast and it was not long before I saw the Baltic Sea for the first time. I stopped at a beach for a break and a photo.
I was making great time due to the good road surface and the tailwind and figure I would only be in the saddle around 5 hours today. Awesome. The road was not too busy though busy enough to prevent much looking around. I turned off onto a quiet road near Ainzi that led to a small border post with Estonia. Upon entering Estonia there were several small villages with brightly coloured buildings and I passed a couple of fellow adventure-cyclists.
Having averaged 26 km/h for the day I made camp early, before 6 pm, at a beac
hfront site and could hear the waves crashing about 60 metres away. The other cyclists pulled up and made camp. Following dinner we talked about the stunning array of alcoholic beverages available at petrol garages compared to the very limited non-alcoholic selection. And that the only refrigerated drink coolers that worked were the ones with beer in - a warm coke was something I was getting used to. Andrea told the story of buying a bottle of tonic water, only to notice once the liquid touched her lips that it was already mixed with vodka! Seeing 1-2 drunks a day was common.We watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon at gone 10 pm and then tried to sleep under the 'white' sky.
June 12: Riga
Lazy day today. Had a long, relaxed breakfast and the apartment to 
myself as Gunta had travelled to Tallinn and her mother had left early to work at the church. I wrote in my journal before updating the blog again. Felt like I should visit the Old Town and explore the UNESCO World Heritage city, but I felt devoid of energy and preferred to sit and write rather than walk (very unusual for me).
Finally the need for food was overwhelming and I decided to eat in the Old Town as an excuse to get there and at least see some of what the city had to offer. It was a hot day and what little strenght I had seemed to be draining from me. I rejected the 'Dickens Pub' as a lunch option and after and extensive search settled for the less than traditional pizza option. Still it was cheap, good, filling and above all, was what I felt like.
The small part of the Old Town that I did see was beautiful, though I did not spend long there. I had other needs that needed to be taken care of while in a major metropolitan area (as opposed to out in farmland) - namely I had one shopping purchase to make and needed a haircut. With both these tasks accomplished it was once again back to the apartment and some rest time.
I could not figure out how to use the washing machine - all the dials seemed to be in the right places but it would not start. I called in resources in the shape of Linda, who was working in the Y office next door and seemed a sort of permanent 'drop-in' tenant at Gunta's to help. No use, the washing maching directions were not in Latvian or English - personally, I think it was Finnish as there were a lot of 'Us' next to each other. So, I waited for Gunta's mother to come home.
When she arrived she had strawberries, cakes and cookies from the church. She insisted I eat. Though I had eaten only a short while before I could not communicate this and also did not want to offend (that is my story..) So, I tucked in. Gunta's mother spoke no English and me no Latvian or Russian. It was frustrating not being able to communicate even the simplest things such as to thank her for her hospitality. I hope she understood I was grateful.
Finally the washing machine ended, clothes were hung to dry and it was time for bed.
myself as Gunta had travelled to Tallinn and her mother had left early to work at the church. I wrote in my journal before updating the blog again. Felt like I should visit the Old Town and explore the UNESCO World Heritage city, but I felt devoid of energy and preferred to sit and write rather than walk (very unusual for me).Finally the need for food was overwhelming and I decided to eat in the Old Town as an excuse to get there and at least see some of what the city had to offer. It was a hot day and what little strenght I had seemed to be draining from me. I rejected the 'Dickens Pub' as a lunch option and after and extensive search settled for the less than traditional pizza option. Still it was cheap, good, filling and above all, was what I felt like.
The small part of the Old Town that I did see was beautiful, though I did not spend long there. I had other needs that needed to be taken care of while in a major metropolitan area (as opposed to out in farmland) - namely I had one shopping purchase to make and needed a haircut. With both these tasks accomplished it was once again back to the apartment and some rest time.
I could not figure out how to use the washing machine - all the dials seemed to be in the right places but it would not start. I called in resources in the shape of Linda, who was working in the Y office next door and seemed a sort of permanent 'drop-in' tenant at Gunta's to help. No use, the washing maching directions were not in Latvian or English - personally, I think it was Finnish as there were a lot of 'Us' next to each other. So, I waited for Gunta's mother to come home.
When she arrived she had strawberries, cakes and cookies from the church. She insisted I eat. Though I had eaten only a short while before I could not communicate this and also did not want to offend (that is my story..) So, I tucked in. Gunta's mother spoke no English and me no Latvian or Russian. It was frustrating not being able to communicate even the simplest things such as to thank her for her hospitality. I hope she understood I was grateful.
Finally the washing machine ended, clothes were hung to dry and it was time for bed.
June 11: Jelgava to Riga - 45 km
Woke up very tired and was simultaneously hungry with no appetite. If th
e breakfast bar waitress had asked me what I wanted I would have replied 'sleep'. Fish for breakfast was not really what I wanted and so I forced myself to consume bread and jam with strong coffee. My appetite was obviously returning as I cleaned them out of bread!
It was still raining when I claimed my bicycle from 'left luggage' and began the short ride to Riga. It was an easy trip on the busy A8 road and though there was serious congestion once I crossed the river I found the Old Town without any problem. Now the fun started - how to find Gunta and the YMCA? I could not remember the acronym for the YMCA in Latvia, could not locate the email from Gunta on my email, the YMCA Europe site does not have the updated phone number, and so on. Eventually the lady at the Information Center tracked down a cell number for the YMCA and I was soon speaking with Gunta.
I arrived at her/her mother's apartment/YMCA Latvia office a little while later having ridden the cobblestone streets. Gunta made lunch and then told me not to mind her 'normal' dog - Rex, the bulldog - who can become 'homosexual' around men! Great. In the absence of canine amorous advances I took the opportunity to update my blog and catch up on emails in the YMCA office. I proofed an annotation for a research paper on the theory/practice of non-formal education within the youth sector (focussing on the YMCA) and spent the remainder of the day eating and then sleeping.
e breakfast bar waitress had asked me what I wanted I would have replied 'sleep'. Fish for breakfast was not really what I wanted and so I forced myself to consume bread and jam with strong coffee. My appetite was obviously returning as I cleaned them out of bread!It was still raining when I claimed my bicycle from 'left luggage' and began the short ride to Riga. It was an easy trip on the busy A8 road and though there was serious congestion once I crossed the river I found the Old Town without any problem. Now the fun started - how to find Gunta and the YMCA? I could not remember the acronym for the YMCA in Latvia, could not locate the email from Gunta on my email, the YMCA Europe site does not have the updated phone number, and so on. Eventually the lady at the Information Center tracked down a cell number for the YMCA and I was soon speaking with Gunta.
I arrived at her/her mother's apartment/YMCA Latvia office a little while later having ridden the cobblestone streets. Gunta made lunch and then told me not to mind her 'normal' dog - Rex, the bulldog - who can become 'homosexual' around men! Great. In the absence of canine amorous advances I took the opportunity to update my blog and catch up on emails in the YMCA office. I proofed an annotation for a research paper on the theory/practice of non-formal education within the youth sector (focussing on the YMCA) and spent the remainder of the day eating and then sleeping.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
