Baltics - 20 June 2012 (1)

Crossing to Saaremaa

I got up at 05.50 for another 08.00 start.  Breakfast was OK but sparse and I got the last piece of “omelette” which wasn’t in contact with the sausages.  I wasn’t at all impressed with how they showed no respect for vegetarians at all.

Ferry to Saaremaa

It was a lovely day outside, so I decided to go back into sandals and repacked my leggings and boots.  I nearly left my jacket, but May reminded me – and I did leave my water.  Luckily, we hadn’t locked the room, so I was able to dash back in and get it.

Windmills of Virtsu

We were off at 08.00 precisely.  The drive followed the usual pattern, with Aija explaining the day’s activities and what we would be seeing and passing maps and booklets and brochures back with information.  I caught up with my journal.

Lighthouse of Virtsu

We reached the border long before we expected it and stopped at a café with a currency exchange place.  The currency exchange place wasn’t open yet, so we had to wait.  The café service was very fast and I got a kakao.  It was OK, but a bit too sweet.  The toilets left a lot to be desired, but this was a border and I’ve seen much worse.

Lowering the Ferry Door

I waited outside in the sun for Dzintars to finish his cigarette and open the bus.  There were lots of swallow nests under the metal canopy and they kept flying in and out.  Tan pointed out that they would get very hot, so I hoped that there was some insulation between the top of the cover and the corrugated iron underneath so that the chicks didn’t roast.

Martin Nesting in Ferry Door

Back on the bus, Ian asked me if I could give him the words to some songs as he thought Aija might want another sing-a-long.  I wrote down “Jerusalem” and “Your Song” as best as I could remember.

Ferry from Saaremaa

We reached the Saaremaa ferry in time to catch one which left an hour ahead of the ferry we were booked on.  We got off the bus while we waited for it to dock and for the vehicles to disembark.  This included a squadron of bicycles.  None of them had huge panniers, so they were either part of a supported cycling tour or were off for a day trip, though, at 12.00, it seemed a bit late in the day.

Kuivastu

Virtsu was a tiny port, with its main distinguishing features being wind turbines along the shore.  I saw several rocky islands, just lying offshore.

We got back on the bus, which was one of the last vehicles to embark.  As soon as we were on board, we rushed upstairs.  This wasn’t that easy as the heavy watertight door to the stairs kept shutting, which could have been very nasty.  Someone pressed a red button, so it would stay open.

Kuivastu

I got on deck just as we were pulling away.  Some martins were flying around frantically.  They had nests inside the door of the ferry, which therefore rotated up and down almost once an hour.  They were just coming down as I watched.  I found the martins quite fascinating.  They stayed away when people were on the car deck and then resumed their frantic feeding duties when it was clear.  The birds had to be careful not to fly too far from the ferry, which was, in every respect, a mobile home.  David and Dulcie helped me to get a photo of a martin coming in to feed its chicks.

Almost as soon as we set off, we could see the other ferry coming towards us.  The ferry takes 35 minutes, so it is a very quick crossing.

All too soon, we had to get back to the bus and we disembarked at Kuivastu, which was even smaller than Virtsu, with very few buildings.