The Tarts hit Tallinn.

Saturday 9th June:

We fled the Mosquitos of Haapsalu like a pair of tarts. In complete contrast to yesterday's weather, heavy overnight rain and a humid early morning had brought all their brothers and sisters out to join in the bite fest. We sat sealed in Steve's tent for breakfast, then packed up as quickly as possible...well Steve did, I was dragging my heels as usual.

We decamped to the town centre and planned the days ride over a coffee. We knew it was a pretty short, straightforward run to Tallinn, so wanted to plan in the odd diversion. We set off in heavily overcast, but drying conditions and soon after leaving Haapsalu, picked up the 17 to Linnamae and Padise. A great road through a mixture of forest and open farmland. A brief stop at Padise, where we were immediately set upon again by our insect enemies, then back to the coast to check out Paldiski. Err, not what we expected. Looked like a big fuel and vehicle storage depot surrounded by old communist block housing (very unattractive, old concrete flats complexes). Possibly the most unappealing place we've been to so far. We didn't hang around, electing to get to Tallinn early and find our digs for the next two nights.

By 2pm, we'd checked into a rather snug room at the Humala guest house and 'Triple S'd'. A couple of hours of R'n'R and then we heading off into town on a trolley bus.

 

 

 

A bit out of town, but clean & comfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

After a brief look around, the Ginger One then employed his Ewok hunting skills and quickly identified the 'Hell Hunt' bar (Gentle Wolf) in the old town, as the place to hang out. He wasn't wrong; decent food and a good selection of local beer.


Here's an ageing Jimmy Sommerville with a pint of Hell Hunt Tume:

 

We spent the evening chatting to a German guy (undercover drugs cop) on a tour of the Baltics; an ex-pat Belgian (drug runner) and a Dutch entrepreneur (currently developing his cheese importation business in Tallinn), whilst watching a large contingent of Dutch football supporters become increasingly subdued as their team got stuffed by the Danes:

It was a great night. By the time we left, which was quite late, things were 'hotting up' nicely, but the Dutch accountant and cheese shop magnate was still rattling on about his plans for world Edam domination and we were pretty worn out so elected to get the last bus back to the guest house.