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Cycle Tour Iron Curtain Tour, part 1: Klaipeda-Grense Jakobselv

Dag 17: Hviledag i Tallinn

Added on 30 Jun 2017

on 17 Aug 2017

ridden on

17 May 2017

Weather

Overcast with a few sunny spells. Chilly and windy.

Accommodation

ALUR Hostel Tallinn Old Town
Lai 20
EE-10133 Tallinn

Properties

The Iron Curtain Tour's second rest day between the third and fourth parts. Comprised a bike tour, a lot of wheeling my bike and two walking tours. Unfortunately, I did not register any gpx file to day.

Remarks

Ridden distance: 6 km. Max.speed: ? Odometer after the stage: 1,443 km. Remaining distance: 2,442 km.

Travel report

FB post, May, 17, at 7.59: Dear friends. I've made it, then, to Tallinn by way of two fairly easy stages from Haapsalu and have enjoyed sleeping in a bed again. The photos are from the episcopal castle at Haapsalu, good cycle route signposting and the beautiful waterfall at Keila Joa in the evening sunshine. It's six metres high and quite a sight. Before that I visited Paldiski, yet another Russian enclave in the Baltic states. It was founded under the zars as Baltiyskiy Port, and Paldiski is an 'estonification' of the first word. In Soviet times the town was closed and didn't feature in atlasses and on maps. The reason was a Soviet nuclear submarine base of the Baltic fleet. Today many Russians still live there, but under somewhat better conditions than in Karosta outside Liepaja. And roads are good. It's quite clear that Estonia has invested huge sums in its infrastructure. The smaller towns have to wait for a brush-up. Tallinn's suburbs seemed very modern. As if I cycled into Copenhagen. But on even better and especially wider cycle paths.

Today I have another rest day, number two of eight (seven it turned out) My hostel is situated in the old city at the foot of the cathedral- and castle hill, which soars above it. But first I'll have breakfast and  solve some practical things. I'll ask at a pharmacy, if I can treat my right Achilles' tendon with a liniment. It's swollen and hurts, when I grub it. I do feel it on the bike. I don't want it to become my Achilles' Heel on the Iron Curtain Tour. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Thank you for all your likes and comments. WONDERFUL!!  Yours Helmuth.

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by-sa: CREATIVE COMMONS Attribution-ShareAlike

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taken over / edited on

16 Aug 2017

taken over / edited by

Ottocolor

Morgenmad i hostellets spisesal/Breakfast in the hostelʹs dining room
Morgenmad i hostellets spisesal/Breakfast in the hostelʹs dining room
Cykelsmeden holdt til i en middelalderlig kælder/The bike repairerʹs shop was in a medieval cellar
Cykelsmeden holdt til i en middelalderlig kælder/The bike repairerʹs shop was in a medieval cellar
I denne jagt- og campingbutik købte jeg en gasdåse/At this hunterʹs store I bought a gas canister
I denne jagt- og campingbutik købte jeg en gasdåse/At this hunterʹs store I bought a gas canister
I dette slol holder det estiske parlament til/In this palace Estoniaʹs parlament resides
I dette slol holder det estiske parlament til/In this palace Estoniaʹs parlament resides
Alexander Nevskij-katedralen på borgpladsen/The Alexander Nevskiy cathedral on the castle square
Alexander Nevskij-katedralen på borgpladsen/The Alexander Nevskiy cathedral on the castle square
Min frokost var sild på estisk manér/My lunch was herring Estonian style
Min frokost var sild på estisk manér/My lunch was herring Estonian style

Text message, May, 17, at 13.55 Tere (hi in Estonian). I'm waitng at a hairdresser's in Tallinn's beautiful old city. It has already struck me with it's charm, as little as I yet have seen of it. But practical matters must be solved first on a rest day, laundry, bicycle service (the gear shift yet another time) and now a haircut. That finished, I'll find a pharmacy to buy Voltaren liniment for my sore Achilles' tendon. I arrived here okay yesterday, but made the mistake to trample much to hard in the pedals in order to make a quick arrival. When I arrived, I was completely wasted. That's stupid, because the sun was out and my goal was not far away. Had spent some time at Paldiski, a true remnant of the cold war, because here the Soviet Baltic Sea fleet ran a nuclear submarine base. It was founded under the zars. Later I admired two fetching waterfalls, the last of which was six metres high in a palace garden. Absolutely enchanting in the evening sunshine. A huge schnitzel at a Russian run trucker café, a stop at a high cliff with a view to the sunset, a small shopping stop at a huge hypermarket and the following loss of the bag on the tarmac took a looong time, as did riding on the small, cosy cobble stone alleys, teeming with relaxed tourists. So it was glorious to arrive at my hostel, where I feel like a young backpacker among youngsters from the whole world. I love those places compared to the comfort of a hotel. But mind, compared to a nature camp site the comfort of a hostel is splendid. In the meantime I have solved all my practical issues, and sightseeing can begin after my lunch, herring Estonian style, on the cathedral hill of Toompea. More about my visit of 'Dane castle' tomorrow. Have a nice Wednesday, where you are. Warm greetings from Helmuth.

Text message, May, 17, at 14.06 I mean THE PORT was founded by zarist Russia. The nuclear submarines arrived only later. The Russians used them to tease the Swedes. Otherwise they were pretty useless. But that's a fine purpose in itself, of course ;-)

Information about copyright

Rights characteristic / license

by-sa: CREATIVE COMMONS Attribution-ShareAlike

Link to the description of the license

creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

taken over / edited on

16 Aug 2017

taken over / edited by

Ottocolor

Domkirken er en gammel, hvidkalket kirke/The cathedralʹs an old, whitewashed church
Domkirken er en gammel, hvidkalket kirke/The cathedralʹs an old, whitewashed church
Parti fra domkirkens indre/A look into the cathedralʹs nave
Parti fra domkirkens indre/A look into the cathedralʹs nave
Den blev færdigbygget i 1240 og viet til jomfru Maria/It was completed in 1240
Den blev færdigbygget i 1240 og viet til jomfru Maria/It was completed in 1240
Den middelalderlige bymur rundt om domkirkehøjen Toompea/The medieval city wall around Toompea
Den middelalderlige bymur rundt om domkirkehøjen Toompea/The medieval city wall around Toompea
ʺDen danske konges haveʺ til ære for Valdemar Sejr/ʺThe Danish Kingʹs Gardenʺ in honour of Valdemar
ʺDen danske konges haveʺ til ære for Valdemar Sejr/ʺThe Danish Kingʹs Gardenʺ in honour of Valdemar
Bemærk dannebrog i kunstværket/Mind the Danish flag in the sculpture
Bemærk dannebrog i kunstværket/Mind the Danish flag in the sculpture
ʺLindaʺ til venstre og tårnet ʺLange Hermannʺ til højre/ʺLindaʺ and the tower ʺLong Hermannʺ
ʺLindaʺ til venstre og tårnet ʺLange Hermannʺ til højre/ʺLindaʺ and the tower ʺLong Hermannʺ
Sådanne sten spærrede til parlamentet i august 1991/A boulder blocked parliament in august 1991
Sådanne sten spærrede til parlamentet i august 1991/A boulder blocked parliament in august 1991
Her lå Lyndanise, hvor slaget udkæmpedes i 1219/Here the battle of Lyndanise in 1219 was fought
Her lå Lyndanise, hvor slaget udkæmpedes i 1219/Here the battle of Lyndanise in 1219 was fought
I tårnet ʺKiek in de Kökʺ holdt artilleristerne til/This tower was the base of the artillerists
I tårnet ʺKiek in de Kökʺ holdt artilleristerne til/This tower was the base of the artillerists
Rådhuset ligger i den lave del af den gamle by/The city hall stands in the low part of the old city
Rådhuset ligger i den lave del af den gamle by/The city hall stands in the low part of the old city
Marked på rådhuspladsen/Market stalls on the city hall square
Marked på rådhuspladsen/Market stalls on the city hall square
I de små hyggelige gyder omkring rådhuspladsen/In the small cozy alleys around the city hall square
I de små hyggelige gyder omkring rådhuspladsen/In the small cozy alleys around the city hall square
Putin-fjendtlig demo foran Ruslands ambassade/Anti-Putin demo in front of the Russian Embassy
Putin-fjendtlig demo foran Ruslands ambassade/Anti-Putin demo in front of the Russian Embassy
Estere og ukrainere forenede mod Putin/Estonians and Ukranians united against Putin
Estere og ukrainere forenede mod Putin/Estonians and Ukranians united against Putin
Og her er den. En burger med mørkt øl til/And here it is. A burger with dark beer
Og her er den. En burger med mørkt øl til/And here it is. A burger with dark beer
Hyggelig snak med et par estere efter maden/Socializing with a couple of Estonians afterwards
Hyggelig snak med et par estere efter maden/Socializing with a couple of Estonians afterwards
Skt. Olavs kirkes tårn ved nattetide/St. Olafʹs Churchʹs tower at night time
Skt. Olavs kirkes tårn ved nattetide/St. Olafʹs Churchʹs tower at night time
Spiret er hele 124 m højt/The spire is 124 metres high
Spiret er hele 124 m højt/The spire is 124 metres high
Den gyselig Linnahall ved havnen fra sovjetisk tid/The hideous Linnahall is from Soviet times
Den gyselig Linnahall ved havnen fra sovjetisk tid/The hideous Linnahall is from Soviet times
Smukke gavlhuse i gaden Lai/Beautiful gable houses in the street Lai
Smukke gavlhuse i gaden Lai/Beautiful gable houses in the street Lai