Estonia by www.born2travel.it

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29. 07. 2001 Tallinn (ESTONIA) This morning, alas, after so many adventures, we had to say goodbye to our dear friends Phillip and Wolfgang. We boarded a ferry heading for Estonia, while they carried on to southern Sweden. After various pre-departure hitches and two hours of sailing, we land in the first of the three Baltic republics we'll visit. I was very excited before setting foot in this country, I don't know why. Before visiting this city we decide to organise the next leg, to Latvia. We buy the bus tickets and phone Krists, and despite the short notice he's always so helpful and kind. We'll stay at his place. Just as we start exploring the very elegant and ancient old town, it begins to rain and we end up taking shelter in a dreary McDonald's. Estonia gave me a very strange impression. It felt like being in Bulgaria.

Partly because of the conditions it was in and partly because of the "architectural" style of the city. In the end we catch our bus at 6 pm to Riga. The Estonian roads were completely "deserted", long stretches poorly built, lacking signs, SOS points; every now and then some "unlucky" motel appeared for Latvian, Polish or Estonian lorry drivers. We were the only ones around, on our bus coming directly from Russia, with all its Cyrillic writing and Russian plates. Along that road, which first plunged into a big forest, like Finland, with short-trunked but very tall trees, and then carried on skirting the sea. After six hours of travel we're in the Latvian capital. Dear Krists was there waiting for us. I was overjoyed to see him again.

Now he lives in a big block, old communist Russia style, in the centre, with his girlfriend: Signe, very beautiful; Krists never lets himself down, he's always had good taste. With him I've been through thick and thin, and we spent the first evening reminiscing about all the "crazy things" we did during that long month I spent here at his place two years ago! Then, dead tired, we fell asleep!

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