Thursday June 21, 2007

A note to all those reading my blog: I appreciate your encouragement and comments. If you include your email address with your comment, I may be able drop you a note. This is the last day in Estonia and I will not be able to post as often --- maybe only on rest days when I can find an internet café. This is an amazing adventure and I’m glad to share it with all of you.


DATE: Thursday June 21, 2007
ROUTE: Haapsalu - Kuressaare
DISTANCE: 6miles + 30miles + 35miles
TIME: 5h 45m on bike
CEG: 300’
WEATHER: Perfect

Today we are regulated by the ferry schedule. We are cycling over two Estonian islands on the longest day of the year. I expect to get to the hotel at 9:00 tonight so it’s good to have plenty of light. We start our day with a 6 mile ride to the ferry. It departs at 10:30 and will get to Hiiumaa at noon. Then we have 4 hours to cycle 30 miles to make to the next ferry. It departs at 4:00 and will arrive at Saaremaa at 5:00. We end the day with 35 final miles to the hotel.

I’m on the ferry right now writing this log. Since I have the time, let me tell you about ExperiencePlus. You can look them up on the web to see all the walking and cycling tours they offer. They have just recently started offering longer, more challenging cycling tours under the name ExpeditionPlus. Last year was their first time of doing this route. This year some of the route has changed to find better roads and different scenery. This is the best organized, best managed tour I have ever been on. Monica and Michele, our leaders, will be with us the entire way. Rick Price, founder (and father of Monica) of the company, joined us in Tallinn and will stay with us until Warsaw. He is with us to take pictures (see the link on the ExperiencePlus website) and to check out the new portions of this route. Toomas, with an assist from Margo, is our local guide who will be with us from Russia to Poland. We were each given a very detailed road map. Every night we have a short meeting to discuss the next day’s route. In the morning we eat, take our suitcases to the van, and give one of the crew a 20 minute head start to mark our route with arrows. Then we are on our way. The van, our only vehicle, carries our luggage to the hotel then backtracks to see if anyone needs assistance. One of the crew rides sweep. There are no designated SAG stops for food or water. We are basically on our own for the day, but we are always secure knowing Monica will find and help us if we need it. Monica has arranged with each hotel to put out lunch fixings at the breakfast buffet. The crew cleans and services the bikes each night and are eager to help in any way. For me, this is the perfect balance of freedom and coddling. Monica and Michele are gregarious, competent, smart, interesting and generous with their time and talent. I feel so fortunate to be on this tour, and even more fortunate to have them as our leaders.

Well, I made it. I arrived at the hotel with plenty of light and a little energy to spare. It was a great day with no problems. The weather was in the low 70s, the wind was at our heads (naturally!) but slight, the scenery lovely, and the roads were straight and smooth. The highlight was the side trip to an old woolen mill that cards and knits the wool from the local sheep. The mill uses the original machinery which the family restored in the 30s. They were, however, not able to get their Visa machine to work. I bought a beautiful vest at a considerable discount by offering her all the money in my wallet. Now … is there room in my suitcase?

We have an early ferry tomorrow with 24 miles to ride by 9:45am. It’s 11pm and past time for bed.


more pictures