Peddling the Dirt, Saaremaa, Estonia
2012
Introduction
For me, Saaremaa was a hidden, windy Baltic gem. I totally enjoyed our relaxing 326km five day cycle around the island.
Mr Google was a bit reluctant to give out much information about this north-western Estonian island, consequently I am very grateful for the help of Andres Tatter and his local knowledge. I also learnt much from ‘The Sportswool Diaries‘, a tour cycling blog by Esther Tacke and Warren Sanders. And thanks also for the literary encouragement of cycling authors, Mark Beaumont and Anne Mustoe.
I am also thankful for the advice from our host at our farmstay and to fellow guests who happened to be members of a random Estonian film crew who among other things fed me excellent smoked fish plus beer. Also thanks for not waking us up, when you rose at 5am.
Because our cycle trip was a holiday and studying history, culture and language is just too close to work, I totally neglected to do so. Consequently I cannot offer you any factual historical or geographical information on the area that you cannot already find in a two minute on-line search.
However I can tell you that we drove north-east from Klaipėda, Lithuania, around Riga, Latvia, got lost travelling through Pärnu, Estonia, and arrived at the ferry from the mainland to Saaremaa at dusk.
After a peaceful night and a fantastic cooked breakfast we set out on the road. I am not sure what time we left, but it was probably somewhere between nine and ten am.
Mr Google was a bit reluctant to give out much information about this north-western Estonian island, consequently I am very grateful for the help of Andres Tatter and his local knowledge. I also learnt much from ‘The Sportswool Diaries‘, a tour cycling blog by Esther Tacke and Warren Sanders. And thanks also for the literary encouragement of cycling authors, Mark Beaumont and Anne Mustoe.
I am also thankful for the advice from our host at our farmstay and to fellow guests who happened to be members of a random Estonian film crew who among other things fed me excellent smoked fish plus beer. Also thanks for not waking us up, when you rose at 5am.
Because our cycle trip was a holiday and studying history, culture and language is just too close to work, I totally neglected to do so. Consequently I cannot offer you any factual historical or geographical information on the area that you cannot already find in a two minute on-line search.
However I can tell you that we drove north-east from Klaipėda, Lithuania, around Riga, Latvia, got lost travelling through Pärnu, Estonia, and arrived at the ferry from the mainland to Saaremaa at dusk.
After a peaceful night and a fantastic cooked breakfast we set out on the road. I am not sure what time we left, but it was probably somewhere between nine and ten am.
