The Baltics – continued

 

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From Lithuania, we bee-lined it through Latvia to southeast Estonia, stopping along the way at the Aglona Basilica.

 

 

 

Aglona Basilica

 

       ESTONIA

 

          From there, we made it to Estonia where we stayed in a couple of really nice little cottages in the Estonian lake district, near Rouge.

 

          Rouge

 

         

                   

 

This is where we stayed for our first night in Rouge.

 

 

This is their own sauna by the lake.  The Estonians are mad about saunas, so we figured, when in Rome… After giving them a 1 hour warning that you wanted to use the sauna, they stoked up the fire and we got in and sweated our bodies until we could stand it no longer.  Immediately after that, we ran down jumped into the lake.  It was so bloody cold that your bones ached, but very exhilarating nonetheless.  Then back in to the sauna, then jump in the lake, sauna, lake.   We did the cycle three and felt amazing afterwards.  The things we do?!?

 

 

This was our own little cottage the following night.  Everywhere in this part of the world was just so picturesque…

 

 

          Tallinn

 

 

Tallinn is the most picture postcard city.  It is surrounded by a city wall used to defend itself over the years.

 

 

               

 

Climbing up the main spire in Tallinn.                           A bit windy when you get up there…

 

         

 

Tallinn skyline.                                                 Note the turrets on the right forming part of the city wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Say no more…

 

          Saaremaa

 

From Tallinn, we caught a ferry and went to an Estonian island called Saaremaa.  This is the largest of a group of islands said to be “most Estonian” as they were barely touched by the Germans and Russians during all the invasions.

 

 

Our hotel, on one of the moat islands near the castle…

 

 

View from our window.

 

 

 

 

 

The islands are windmill-tastic.

 

 

 

 

The site of a meteorite equator that landed about 4,500 years ago.

Apparently one of the most accessible craters in the world.

 

 

 

              

 

 

                               

 

 

          The end of the Baltics

 

 

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