I’m back on the road, well 12 miles today plus a few hours on the boat from Helsinki to Tallinn. I’m in the hotel that I booked a while back. I knew it was not in central Tallinn but I was more interested in getting off on the road to Riga the next day and in somewhere with secure parking. I imagined dropping in to the local supermarket or taking a walk into the centre of town from here. Actually I am 5 and a half kilometers from the centre and actually not near anywhere at all. This is a pleasant place, where the slightly affluent suburb meets the country with rather attractive villas and allotments – but not much else.

Thankfully there is a restaurant here though I don’t have high hopes. As long as it is not an alcohol free establishment (unlikely) I will be satisfied. It is sweet here but slightly odd. The person on the desk speaks great English and is very keen to be helpful leading to some comedy misunderstandings which I won’t go into. My bathroom has an odd smell as if people have been using it to go and smoke cigars for generations. I paid an extra 8 Euro to bring the bike inside the gates (everyone warns me about theft in Estonia and about dangerous driving so I am extra careful on the road) and another 8 Euros for breakfast. There are no other vehicles inside.

The sun is shining into my attic room and the weather is showery and a little cold.

Tomorrow I head down the coast to Riga which is just over the border in Latvia. Its just over 300k and Google maps says about 4 hours.

Today’s journey from my Air bnb in Lautassari went extremely well (I always imagine every possible disaster – the bike has disappeared, it wont start, I slip over on the cobbles, the terminal has mysteriously relocated hundreds of miles away, it will be pouring with rain, the bike falls over on the boat, there is an unspecified problem on disembarkation, I have a heart attack, I lose my sight suddenly, I am hit by a reversing truck at the terminal…) They fitted my bike in behind the trucks which is where I am comfortable. I was the only bike rider on the ferry. I felt so organised. In my small rucksack I had a packed lunch and remembered a beanie to fend off the wind. I managed to spend most of the journey on the sun deck though the wind was fierce and most people emerged in shirtsleeves for a minute or two then retreated. Inside was heaving with people forced to constantly consume because the only inside seating is in restaurants. There was a ‘family cafe’ area and at the end of the trip the floor was covered with food (I remember that). Given what I had read about bad Estonian driving the trip from the port to here was very easy.

So my regret today is not tarrying in Tallinn before heading over here. I had plenty of time. I should have planned it. WikiTravel paints a rather bleak picture of Estonia and warns travellers about saying anything to locals about the former USSR because of ‘sensitivities’. I just hope I can order my meal tonight and a glass of wine without needed to refer to this.

Here is the odd GPS trail for today.