Day 45, Saturday 28/4:

After packing up our things at the apartment, we set off to our next transitory destination, Noli. The drive did not take too long and we deviated from the motorway to travel the last part along the Ligurian coast, stopping along the way for refreshment. Our hotel room in Noli was really attractive, with views over the coast. Patsy and Philip were here two years ago and quite a number of things had changed. As it turned out, the coming May Day public holiday meant that the place was packed with Italian tourists. It took quite some time to find a car park. With the remaining afternoon we set off to check out the old town. We bought wine and nibbles to eat on our balcony, which was very pleasant. I was also able to get this blog up to date for the first time since we set off. For dinner, we had reserved a table at our hotel’s restaurant. We decided to have mussels with a tomato and oregano sauce, they were fantastic! We also noticed that their pizzas looked particularly good so we ordered one and took it back to our hotel room to eat on the balcony. A very splendid day.

Day 44, Friday 27/4:

After a fairly leisurely start to the day, Patsy and I set out by ferry to Carzano on the Island of Monte Isola. The main modes of transport on the island are bicycle and motor scooter. Only government cars and busses are allowed. We had planned to catch a bus to Cure, which is near the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Ceriola, at the summit of the island, 600m above sea level. However, when we finally located the bus stop we found that the next bus was some two hours away. We decided to walk instead. We found a walking trail that we suspected to be correct, however it was not until about 500m in until we saw a sign. 

The walk was very pretty and with the temperature hovering in the mid twenties, it was the warmest weather we have had since leaving Adelaide. We reached the summit after about 2.5 hours of walking to be greeted by a large group of Italian high school students, sprawled out in every direction, smoking cigarettes and leaving piles of rubbish behind them for the teachers to pick up. From the walls of the church it was possible to get a near panoramic view of the lake and surrounding townships. We were even able to see Philip through the zooming lens of the camera. We headed back down, this time towards Peschiera Maraglio, at the opposite end of the island. Along the way we stopped to find a geocache near a helipad, which was unfortunately in very poor condition. Down down down we trod.

The walk became particularly steep and rocky so we had to slow down somewhat. As Patsy and I were admiring a newly constructed house in the countryside, I turned around to spot a half-meter snake, similar in appearance to he highly poisonous Red-belly Black Snake of Australia, right next to us at shoulder height on the bank of the cutting for the trail.

 This caused us to rapidly retreat to a safe distance as it scurried off into the grass. It was probably harmless, but one never knows. In Peschiera we stopped for a late lunch of focaccia beside the lake, which was very nice. I inadvertently ordered a shandy, which was not so nice… We caught the ferry back to Salzano and walked home from there. We had left over pasta marinara for dinner.

Day 43, Thursday 26/4:

The main activity for today was to drive around Lake Iseo in an anti-clockwise direction. The first stop was at the so-called Pyramids of Zone, which overlook the lake, accessed by an extremely narrow, windy road. These where formed by a somewhat rare type of erosion in a particular type of dolomite. For each pyramid, a large rock sits atop. These rocks have prevented the pyramid below from eroding away. 

We continued along the coast, along a road that became extremely narrow, hugging the bottom of a cliff face at near water level. Unfortunately we struck a pack of lycra clad cyclists who where extremely difficult to pass, with motorists lined up behind and blind corners in front. We stopped in the delightful town of Lovere where we had a coffee lakeside before exploring the old town, which was particularly pretty in today’s lovely mild weather. 

We continued on, back around the lake, through the town of Iseo, stopping at the tourist information centre to collect some tourist brochures, and back to Sale. We had a seafood dinner at a nearby restaurant. We chose to have a selection for three, which came in three courses and was extremely nice. 

Day 42, Wednesday 25/4:

Today we awoke to find that the main door into the apartments was not functioning, meaning we were all locked in! We had noticed yesterday that there would be a market on so we were keen to get out. Eventually, the problem was solved – a flat battery that would take a week to replace. It was a public holiday (Liberation Day) meaning all of the lakeside towns were buzzing with activity. We did our shopping in the market before returning home for lunch. In the afternoon we decided to circumnavigate the lake via the public ferries. Patsy somehow managed to work out a route using the very complex timetable. The trip was very good and we were able to take lots of good photos of all the different and varying views around the lake. 

The trip was split up with an hour long sojourn in Iseo. Here we had a coffee ad explored the very pretty old town, before re-boarding the ferry back to Sale. Philip and I cooked seafood pasta marinara with ingredients that we brought from the market earlier in the day. It turned out very well and was very flavorsome. 

Day 41, Tuesday 24/4:

We were up B&E again today to farewell Bonnie. We said our goodbyes, cleaned the house a bit and then hit the road towards Italy. Along the way we drove through the Gotthard tunnel, at 16.9 kilometers it is the 3^rd longest tunnel in the world. Once out of the tunnel, we found there was a fresh snow covering (fortunately excluding the road), making the landscape even prettier.

 The drive was pretty straightforward until, within 10 kilometers of our destination, our GPS tried to lead us along a road that didn’t exist. As we were on a main road with multiple tunnels and few turnoffs, it was quite some time before we reached our apartment in Sale Marasino, an extremely pretty town on Lake Iseo, a small lake in Northern Italy. The apartment was extremely good, fronting onto the lake itself with views across to the island of Monte Isola. 

Once settled in, we went to explore the town, stopping in a backstreet to have a drink at a bar filled with local gentlemen. 

Day 40, Monday 23/4 (The half way point!!!):

Bonny had to go to work in Zug today so we were left to our own devices. Overnight the tops of the mountains had received a new dusting of snow. Patsy and I decided to go hiking in the Swiss Alps. We headed off along the lake for several kilometers before heading up into the hillside to do a loop back to the house Along the way we deviated to a geocache that was nearby, winding our way along multiple switchbacks on a steep path up the mountainside – reminiscent of those at Morialta Falls in Adelaide. As it transpired, I had actually searched, without success, for this cache on yesterday’s drive. Fortunately, coming at it from a different angle, it was a much easier find. 

Bonnie returned home for our last night together. We had been eating salad each night, which included rocket. This rocket grows like a weed here – in fact it could well be considered one – and we were able to pick readily. Patsy cooked a very nice dinner.

Day 39, Sunday 22/4:

This was really just a relaxing day. After midday Bonny took us on a drive around the lakes. We saw even more of the delightful scenery, pulling off at regular intervals to take photos. We ended up doing a figure eight, crossing the larger town of Interlaken in the center. We returned home and I prepared another pasta dish for dinner.

Day 38, Saturday 21/4:

Today we got up B&E and had yet another excellent breakfast before we did some shopping. We then said our goodbyes to Lothar and Waltraut and hit the road towards Switzerland. We made quick progress on the German roads. We stopped at the border to check out the Rhine falls, as recommended to us by Lothar. We viewed them from the Swiss side and were able to get within less than a meter from them.

We then continued through the chocolate box scenery of the Swiss countryside. We were to stay with Patsy’s friend Bonny in her newly constructed house in Iseltwald, a little town on the bank of lake Brienza. We unpacked the car and Bonny gave us the grand tour of her house, which has a spectacular view over the lake and the Swiss Alps. 

We spent the rest of the day relaxing, with the wood fire lit. Philip cooked chicken and chorizo for dinner. As the light began to fade, a flashing light appeared, signaling a storm was approaching – very dramatic!

Day 37, Friday 20/4:

After another excellent breakfast, including the local speciality of oversized pretzels, we set out again. We drove to Stuttgart, driving through the centre to get a feel for the city. The main destination of the day was the Mercedes Benz museum. This museum has a very modern/futuristic design, comprising some seven stories. One enters, catches a lift in the center of the building and moves down the building in a spiral fashion. From the top, one starts with the very first one-horse power internal combustion engines and the cars/boats/trains/airships onto which they were mounted. Continuing downwards, you see how the car evolved from horse carriage styling into bigger, more car like, coaches and then into the first sports cars. As you move down each level, a history of the era is provided. Each level had an extra space, off to the side of the main gallery, with specific exhibitions off to each side. These included emergency vehicles, cars of famous people, such as the Popemobile, and trucks. Of course, all were Mercedes vehicles and all were displayed throughout the ages. Another two levels were devoted to the evolution of car safety and alternate fuel sources, such as a hydrogen powered electric car. The final level was devoted to racing cars, which was probably of the least interest to me. Here, Patsy and I did a simulation whereby one sits inside a box that is maneuvered by a series of hydraulic rams. This simulates some of the most exciting car races of history. It was quite realistic and Patsy was suitably shaken by the end. In all, we spent four hours here and it would have to be one of the better museums I have visited to date. 

We then drove home to Pforzheim through the countryside, avoiding the autobahns, stopping for gelati along the way.

For dinner Cristiane’s sister Anne-Katherine and her two daughters Josephine and Jacoba joined us, aged 13 and 10 respectively. In an email I had received from my Omi earlier in the day, she had recommended we try Spatzle while in Germany. To our surprise, this was the main dish we had for dinner. It is similar to fresh pasta and we had it in a delicious broth made with pork cheeks, which were really delicious.

Day 36, Thursday 19/4:

The first stop on today’s excellently planned tour was the local Lutheran church. It was constructed in 1953, with the block work made out of the rubble of the town, which was bombed by the allies in WWII. What really makes it stand out though is the small stained glass squares that make the walls – arranged in a seemingly random pattern, it as quite stunning and would be even more so with the sun shining on it. The same architect built a similar (and much more famous) church of the same style in Berlin, which we had unfortunately not seen. 

Our next stop was the Wallberg Memorial, situated atop a hill, overlooking the town. The top of the hill is actually made of 1.65 million m³ of rubble that was dumped there after the bombings, raising its height somewhat. The memorial itself is a series of photographic panels, showing the before and after of the bombings. 

Our final pre-lunch stop was the Shmukmuseum, a museum of jewelry throughout the ages including an extensive display of pocket watches and jewelry dating back as far as several centuries BC.

We then returned home for a very nice lunch of soup, followed by coffee and cake. After lunch we went to the Maulbronn Monastery, where Christiane’s eldest niece attends school. We spent some hours following a very in depth audio guide that explained the very interesting history of the complex, once cut off from the outside world. Once we had completed the circuit, I decided to show Lothar and Waltraut a geocache that was nearby. Fortunately this was much more successful than my previous attempt with Charles and Jacqueline in Belgium. I think they got the idea.

We then returned home and Lothar and Waltraut took Cristiane to a nearby train station to begin her travels back to Australia. For dinner we had some lovely smoked trout with a potato salad.

Day 35, Wednesday 18/4:

This morning Thomas kindly cooked us breakfast and we were able to chat for longer. 

We were soon on the road again, this time heading for Pforzheim in Germany, where Patsy and Philip’s friends Lothar and Waltraut reside. We stopped at the very pretty German town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a medieval town that had been destroyed over the centuries before being restored to its former glory in recent times – one would not know the difference. We walked around the cobbled streets, through the market square and the town hall, eating lunch and having coffee along the way. 

Our next stop was Heilbronn, where my Omi spent 10 years after they left Estonia. We had a quick walk around the pretty town centre before continuing on to Pforzheim. 

Lothar and Waltraut greeted us very warmly. We started with champagne and had a good chat. Their daughter, Christiane, joined us (another of Philip’s friends). Waltraut cooked us a lovely dinner, including the local specialty, Maultasche, which is a kind of giant ravioli in broth. We had an excellent evening and stayed up quite late catching up.

Day 34, Tuesday 17/4:

Using train, metro and tram, we found our way to the Prague Castle. As it turned out, the tourist crowd had not reduced at all this morning, if anything it had increased, with numerous school groups thrown in for good measure. We bought a ticket and visited the following attractions in this order:

-     –  The Old Royal Palace

-     –  Basilica of St. George

-     –  Golden Lane – a street where the palace servants lived

-      – St. Vitus Cathedral – contains the tomb of King Wenceslas

All of this was of particular interest to Patsy, as she wanted to visit all things Wenceslas related. While it was interesting, the lack of organisation really let the their side down. With no method of controlling the crowds or giving school groups adequate facilities, walkways, rooms and places of interest were often completely clogged. In the end, it was a relief to get out.

We caught the tram back into central Prague and had a local delicacy (not joking, it said so in the LPG) for lunch – very nice sausages in warm bread rolls with sauce, aka hotdogs. We also went back to our favourite restaurant for coffee. We then retreated back to our homestay to catch up with other things for the rest of the afternoon. After leaving the train we were accosted by a policeman because we were walking between two train lines to get home (everyone else was doing it). It took him quite some time to realise that we didn’t understand Czech; he eventually sent us on our merry way. After dinner we coaxed Thomas out of his room to join us for a drink. We talked about various things including climate change, the current political climate and the price of tea in China (not really, couldn’t help myself). It was a very interesting conversation and we also showed him some photos of the house at Coobowie.

Day 33, Friday 16/4:

We headed out into the drizzle to catch a train into Prague. The ride was pretty straightforward, taking 18 minutes. Our first stop at the main station was the tourist office. A very disenchanted bloke pointed out to us where we were and then tried to sell us a map. We decided to go it alone and headed out into the streets and used our own maps to get to Wenceslas Square, with a statue of the Good King himself mounted on his trusty steed, situated at the top end of the street/square. 

We wandered down through the square, and I found several geocaches along the way. As a side note, the Czech Republic is actually the most cache-dense country in the world. Thomas had recommended a restaurant to us for dinner. We decided to check it out on our way past and have coffee. We then continued to the main square, where we were just in time to hear the astronomical clock chime, with all of the little puppet things appearing from behind doors, singing and dancing. We continued our walk through the very pretty streets to the Charles Street Bridge, an old pedestrian walkway now packed with tourists. I climbed to the top of one of the bridge’s towers to find a cache and take some photos – ‘twas a tad cold and blustery. 

We had planned to visit the Prague Castle today, but due to the extreme numbers of tourists, we decided to leave it for the next morning. Instead, we went to the Staronovà Jewish Synagogue. With even more tourists here, I decided to admire it from the outside and let Patsy and Philip queue to get in while I went off to find another cache.

Our final stop for the day was the Museum of Communism, which set out to tell the story of the communist invasion in the last century, entitled ‘Communism – Dream, Reality & Nightmare. We then made our way back to the restaurant and had a very nice Czech meal.

Day 33, Thursday 15/4 (Pattie’s Birthday):

Although it was not possible for Patsy to have her customary cup of tea in bed, the hotel’s breakfast was the best yet, rivaling some of those we had in Vietnam. Today we were to reach the ultimate destination of the previous days’ travels, Prague. Fortunately, we were able to do the bulk of today’s travels on constructed motorways, meaning the drive was fairly quick and painless. For this visit, Patsy had organised some homestay accommodation in a suburb of Prague called Radotin. The address was quite hard to find, so I was able to put my Czech into practice and ask for directions at a sports centre, where they were playing wheelchair hockey. Once we located the correct apartment block, the next step was how to get in. We knew their name but couldn’t find it on the buzzer list. Eventually the caretaker let us in but unfortunately this didn’t really get us any further… Patsy had to call Barbora who was quite shocked that we had arrived, despite sending confirmation emails and paying a deposit. The apartment was very cluttered; with two children there was not much room to move. We went and did our shopping and got orientated while Barbora sorted out the mess. She and her children would stay at her parents’ place, which is just one block of flats away. When we returned the place was marginally neater and we began to settle in and cook dinner. Thomas works in the local University teaching German and history and Barbora is currently unemployed, although she studied history at the university.

Day 32, Wednesday 14/4:

Today’s destination was another hotel, just out of the Polish town of Wroclaw, ~390km. Although this was a relatively short distance, the Poles were doing some major motorway construction for a large chunk of this and other roads were in pretty poor condition with low speeds, meaning it took a good six hours to reach our destination. The hotel at which we were staying was hosting no less than three weddings when we arrived; we were very lucky to get a car park. The staff here was markedly more friendly than the Lithuanians (almost as friendly as the Estonians). We relaxed and had a very nice dinner.

Day 31, Tuesday 13/4:

Today was another travelling day, with the eventual destination to be a hotel on the outskirts of Warsaw. The drive was pretty uneventful. Alice finally went from near white to black again at a carwash and we also gained an hour at the Polish border. We arrived at the hotel with time to burn, so we were able to catch up with writing. The hotel is quite quirky, with all available wall space covered with photographs, hunting memorabilia and painted murals. We had dinner at the hotel and were the only people in the dining room. We decided to have ‘Burning Plank Roasted Meats’, for three. This turned out to be a huge selection of meats, roast potatoes and dumplings.

Day 30, Tuesday 12/4:

After another excellent breakfast, we said our goodbyes to Lani and began to head south. 

We had soon crossed the Estonian border and were making our way through the Latvian countryside (on very poor roads). Along the way I thought it would be good to find a cache in Latvia, as I had not yet done so. This proved to be quite difficult because we did not want to make any major deviations from our route. Eventually, I found a possibility, not far from the road, in an ex-soviet airbase. We drove in, initially on a little track before hitting the runway. The cache was just off the runway, near some very cool underground bunkers. Unfortunately, we could not find the cache, but it was still quite an interesting deviation. We drove on, eventually crossing into Lithuania. The road condition improved markedly, meaning it was not long before we reached our destination in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital. Once again it was a bit of a maze to penetrate the old town. We got to the general area, but Patsy and Philip had to go in search of further instruction from the hotel to find the carpark. Once all of this was sorted out, we went for a walk around the old town. While it was very pretty, the town seems to be more spread out, with fewer preserved buildings than the other Baltic capitals we visited. We were quite keen to have a traditional Lithuanian meal. The LPG suggested one restaurant, however it would seem that it has since disappeared. We spent quite some time searching and eventually, in desperation, settled on a place close to our restaurant. The food turned out to be pretty good, although not particularly Lithuanian.

Day 29, Monday 11/4:

We awoke to a find that Karin had turned up to greet us again and to accompany us on the day’s activities. Breakfast had been fully laid on and it was really excellent. We headed over to the local council again and met Rein. He was expecting us and took us into a meeting room to talk. We arranged to meet Karin again the next morning and said goodbye. The council holds some papers about the mill and Rein was able to dig these out and give us a photocopy. They detail all of the items that were taken from the farm in the collectivisation of agricultural land after 1941. It gave a monetary value to all of the items taken and was quite interesting to look at. They had prepared a gift bag for us including a framed photograph of the church, pens and postcards of a statue that had been constructed on our land. The mayor also introduced himself and expressed his gratitude at the donation of the land to the council. Rein said that he would be more than happy to accompany us in the afternoon to visit the local sites that we wanted to see. In the meantime, Patsy and I went for a drive on some of the back roads, only having to turn back once because the road became too icy.

                             

We met back up with Rein at the council and set off on our drive. We started by visiting the village of Antsla, where my great grandparents were born. We then continued on to Visela, an even smaller village/locality. With Rein directing, we were able to find the house and mill where my great grandparents lived and worked. During the Russian occupation, the house was used for officers and it was somewhat altered, to the point where it was very difficult for my Omi to recognise on her previous trip. The color was changed and a balcony removed. Unfortunately the old mill building is falling in on itself, presumably due to rot. The house, which was occupied in 2001, now lays empty and is also starting to show signs of dilapidation. Although, it is not beyond repair - the roof looks to be in quite good condition. 

Rein and I did some bush bashing to get to the house, as we could not find the driveway. We also checked out an old fish smoker. Our next stop was the Tamme-Lauri Oak tree, near the village of Uravaste. This tree is Estonia’s oldest, planted in 1326, and still going strong. However, it has had to make use of some aids in its old age. It now has a concrete core and a spiffy lightning rod, meaning it should last for another 600 years. 

Võru was our next stop. A town of some 14,500 people, it lies next to a small lake, along which a ‘beach’ has been constructed. We walked along the beach and also checked out the old town. It was not as immaculate as some of Estonia’s other centres; however it was still charming in its own way. Along the way we had discussed our interest in the Russian border so Rein offered to take us for a look. We followed the E77, arriving to see a large number of trucks queued up. We parked the car and Rein headed off to find out how far we could go. As it transpired, the Estonian border control is 300m from the actual border. To go to the border, to just have a look, we would have to fill out firstly a Russian immigration form to spend five minutes there and then go through the same process to get back again. As neither Philip nor I had our passports, we resigned to viewing it from afar. Of course it all felt very serious and it was a tad daunting with no photos allowed and sections where one has to keep walking.

As we were driving to the border, we passed through a section of countryside where a dialect is spoken. This is distinct from the Estonian language and is only spoken by about 4000 people. Their culture and most noticeably architecture are also distinct. Rein took us to look at some Castle ruins at Vastoselina, in the heart of this district.

We finished the day with a visit to Haanja Mountain or Big Egg Hill, so named because of its egg shaped appearance on the horizon. It is the highest point in the Baltics, at a tad over 300m. We walked to the summit, on a still icy path, to a tower that has been constructed which takes you up a further 200m (fortunately via a lift) where one gets an excellent view over the surrounding landscape, both Russian and Estonian.

We drove back to Roüge and said our thanks to Rein. Omi had mentioned that he collects coins, so I prepared a set of Australian coins for him. He was very pleased and exclaimed that we share similar hobbies, namely fishing and coin collecting.

We again cooked dinner at Ala Roüge, to cap off an excellent day.

Day 28, Sunday 10/4:

We started the day with cake, courtesy of Eha, and fruit. Today we were to travel to Rouge, where my great-grandparents owned a mill. When Estonia regained independence in 1992, some of the family land was returned to my Oma (great grandmother) who then decided to donate it to the township.

We drove first to Tartu, Estonia’s university city, of which 1/5^th of the population are students. We parked the car in the old town and hopped out to walk around. We stopped in the Raekoja Platz for coffee and to admire the town hall and pretty statue in front. 

We also admired the towns’ churches, university buildings and old hospital, all of which were very attractive. We continued on to Roüge, arriving at ‘Ala Roüge’, my family’s mill that has now been converted into a hotel. The first thing I noticed upon entering the reception was a photo of my Omi and auntie Sonya hanging on the wall, with the owner Lani. Having set up, we decided to try to visit the local council to sort out a couple of loose ends. When my Omi visited the town in 2001, she made contact with a man called Rein Roustic, who was very helpful, taking her on a tour of the area. It was quite difficult to find the place, as it’s tucked away in a back street. By the time we got there it had just hit 5pm and everyone was heading home. We ran into a couple heading home. One of them was able to speak some English and we were able to ascertain that Rein would be in in the morning. We also wanted to meet Karin Kiloman, another person my Omi met with in 2001. Karin went to school, in Estonia, with my great uncle Arne Brauer. They still keep in touch. She is in her 80’s and is a gold medal holder in the Masters Games, last year travelling to Canada to compete. The man knew where she lived and took us there, stopping along the way to ask a lady if she knew whether Karin was at home. As it transpired, she was out, so we parted ways with the man and headed off to do some shopping. As Patsy and I were going into the shop, this lady reappeared and told us that Karin was now home. After we finished the shopping, we went over and introduced ourselves to her. After a bit of explaining, she knew exactly who we were and was able to communicate with Philip in German. We had a good chat over tea and she produced some photos of my Oma and of the mill in its heyday. In 1941, when the Russians invaded Estonia, as a child, she and her family were forcibly deported to Siberia. She was not able to return home until she was in her thirties.

Karin then wanted to take us for a drive to see some of the local attractions. We set off to Roüge’s observation tower where we saw a hut that had been built using traditional methods, with no nails or other ‘modern’ materials. We then went for a short walk to see the town’s hydroelectric systems and some very interesting hydraulic ram pumps. Hopping back into the car, she then showed us where her old family home used to be before taking us back to our car to drive home. Lani kindly let us use the hotel’s kitchen to prepare our dinner.

Day 27, Saturday 9/4:

We awoke today to a very relieving sight – blue sky. We started by visiting the nearby town of Viljandi, walking around the 13^th century castle ruins and admiring a very handsome suspension bridge, gifted to the town by a wealthy manor owner in 1931. We then drove to the Soomaa National Park. In order to reach the visitor center (which was closed) and a walk that we wanted to do, we had to drive for about 20km on a dirt road. With the melting snow it was quite muddy and slippery in places, meaning progress was slow. This park, of some 359km², is made up of mainly boggy marshlands, floodplains and some forested areas. As we were visiting fairly early in the season, and with all the unseasonal snowfall that had occurred, there was not much wildlife to be seen, as it was too cold. However, the landscapes were still very picturesque. The main trail that I wanted to walk was the Riisa bog trail. This is a narrow boardwalk loop of 5.2km that leads you through the marshes and into nearby forest. This was a very interesting walk as you could clearly see the varying landscapes and how these meld into one another. There was still quite a bit of snow on the trail in parts, making for some very pretty photos.  

Afterwards we decided that it would be worthwhile to try and reach Karstna again. This time we had no trouble reaching the town and we didn’t have to search to find the Manor house, it does stand out from the dull communist cement block apartments. The Manor, now used as a school, was looking very pretty with some of the wild flowers just starting to pop up, adding to the effect. I had thought that another attraction, a 19^th century bronze statue atop a massive boulder in memory of General Reinold von Anrep of the Russian army, would be located at the manor. However, it was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, there was a geocache placed at the statue, which was also nearby the Manor’s family mausoleum. I was able to find the statue after a short walk through some snow and along a little track. This is said to be one of the best examples of classical art in Estonia.

Day 26, Friday 8/4 (Easter Day):

Easter does not seem to be celebrated here nearly as much as in other, more Christian parts of the world. Estonia, according to Wikipedia, is the second most irreligious country in the world, with ~75% of people not affiliated with any religion. Today was rather important, as we were to meet with some of my very distantly related Estonian relatives in Põltsamaa, en route to our accommodation near Viljandi. We cleared the layers of snow off Alice and set out. It was still snowing quite stubbornly, meaning we had to drive carefully. Yesterday I had made contact with Eha, my ‘closest’ relative, and had organised to meet with them at midday and fortunately made it there on time, despite the icy roads and -3˚C temperature. We passed two vehicles that had slipped off the road into the snowy shoulders along our way. We were to meet them at youth center in Põltsamaa and our GPS led us straight there. Eha and her husband Tovio, along with their son Mati and daughter Heidi, with her husband Mait, warmly greeted us. Heidi was the creator of the youth center and is now its manager. She was keen to show us around, pointing out the various environmental design features that it has built in. My Omi had informed them of my intent to study environmental science at university and this was one of the main reasons they wanted to meet us here. We then sat down to have coffee and cake and had some very interesting discussions about life in our respective countries. In relation to Estonia, Heidi made it clear that they ‘do not believe in anything’, only in themselves. We also discussed the introduction of the Euro, a very contentious issue at the moment. Since its introduction in 2011, cost of living expenses have risen by approximately 30%. It would seem that Estonians are very hard working people, often with more than one job at once. This means that youth centers, such as this one, are very important to families, particularly those who have to travel long distances to get to school. Eventually we said our goodbyes and exchanged gifts. Eha had put together a large selection of local chocolates and a cake.

Our final destination was the Maniku Forest Farm, just out of Viljandi, where we had booked a log cabin for the following two nights. The cabin was split down the middle, meaning two groups could stay at the one time, however, as it was the off-season, we were able to use both for no extra cost.

With a couple of hours daylight left, we decided to visit the nearby town of Karstna, where my great-great grandfather was born and had worked as a gardener at the manor house there. There was still intermittent snowfall and the road to get there was dirt. However, it didn’t look too bad and we were able to travel along it for some kilometers without trouble. Unfortunately, with 10km to go, the road became particularly steep and windy. With the weather worsening, we beat a hasty retreat to our cosy cabin to warm up. We lit one of the log stoves and cooked dinner.

Day 25, Thursday 7/4 (Easter Saturday):

We awoke today to find that it was still snowing quite heavily, so we decided that a museum was in order. 

Firstly however, we had to finish visiting the sites we didn’t get to see yesterday. These included the very pretty St. Olaf’s Church and Fat Margaret, the largest and most impressive bastion of the city wall, dating from the 16^th century. 

Next stop was the Tallinn City Museum. This is set up to portray the history of the city from the very early days of merchant ships right through to the recent soviet times. One highlight was having an old man, who works for the museum, talk us through the history of the 1700’s and three subsequent soviet invasions. One of the most harrowing tales involved a time in history where, due to both German and Russian invaders, Estonians had to fight on both sides of the line, against each other. He described this as ‘Estonia’s Verdun’. We certainly left with a much better appreciation of this country’s very complex history. After briefly heading back home to warm up again, we decided that we should have a short saunter along Tallinn’s foreshore. We figured out how to get there by bus and we set out again. Once at the foreshore we walked about 200m into the driving wind and snow, before chickening out, and going back to the bus stop. The minus temperatures were a tad too extreme. When we arrived home we went to check on Alice (the car) to find that she was covered in 10cm of snow and was registering -2˚C, although, with wind chill, it felt to be much less than this.