Berlin to Helsinki Day 20: Pärnu
It was sad to leave all of our newfound Latvian friends. The ambiance of the festival and what was pretty much a yearly reunion between 50 friends made us want to stay and just hang out.
But in just a few short kilometers we were already leaving Latvia.
On the border coming into Estonia.
We got onto a lovely rural road that took us along the sea and through the forest just to the side. Through the woods we could see little villages tucked away in the trees.
A village in the forest, on the other side of the trees is the Baltic.
These sights and the wooden houses were the first things that impressed us about Estonia. It provided a stark difference to the brick houses we've seen everywhere else, with a lot of space in between. We even saw some Hobbit holes. Although it's a little cold here, I think Peter Jackson had Estonia in mind if New Zealand hadn't worked out for The Lord of the Rings.
Posing with the Hobbit hole in the Estonian Shire.
When we arrive in Pärnu we were eager to tell our host what we had seen. When she saw the pictures she said, "yep, looks like Estonia" and also that she, like everybody apparently, has a Hobbit hole. It is actually a storage room for preserves and other food items, it's cool in the summers and winters without overheating or freezing (in the respective seasons).
We actually met our host, Olga, at her friend's house where they were celebrating a birthday. We were given a warm Estonian welcome by inviting us to have a quick sit in the sauna. Most homes in Estonia have one, and this one already had a fire going for the rocks. So we went into the dedicated sauna house equipped with couches, shower and a bottle of nice whiskey on a table (apparently drinking in the sauna is a thing).
So we took advantage of the fact that an Estonian summer really isn't that "summery" in the New Mexican definition of the word and jumped into the 118 degree room.
Since the sauna roof was pretty low, it was recommended that we wear wool sauna hats to prevent our heads from overheating.
After a couple trips in and out, we were thoroughly exhausted. Apparently for most people, this is a once-per-week activity. We asked how old children are before they can go into the sauna. Answer: from birth. In fact, up until about 50 or 60 years ago, the sauna was considered the cleanest and holiest place available at home and most women would give birth in their sauna.
But in just a few short kilometers we were already leaving Latvia.
On the border coming into Estonia.
We got onto a lovely rural road that took us along the sea and through the forest just to the side. Through the woods we could see little villages tucked away in the trees.
A village in the forest, on the other side of the trees is the Baltic.
These sights and the wooden houses were the first things that impressed us about Estonia. It provided a stark difference to the brick houses we've seen everywhere else, with a lot of space in between. We even saw some Hobbit holes. Although it's a little cold here, I think Peter Jackson had Estonia in mind if New Zealand hadn't worked out for The Lord of the Rings.
Posing with the Hobbit hole in the Estonian Shire.
When we arrive in Pärnu we were eager to tell our host what we had seen. When she saw the pictures she said, "yep, looks like Estonia" and also that she, like everybody apparently, has a Hobbit hole. It is actually a storage room for preserves and other food items, it's cool in the summers and winters without overheating or freezing (in the respective seasons).
We actually met our host, Olga, at her friend's house where they were celebrating a birthday. We were given a warm Estonian welcome by inviting us to have a quick sit in the sauna. Most homes in Estonia have one, and this one already had a fire going for the rocks. So we went into the dedicated sauna house equipped with couches, shower and a bottle of nice whiskey on a table (apparently drinking in the sauna is a thing).
So we took advantage of the fact that an Estonian summer really isn't that "summery" in the New Mexican definition of the word and jumped into the 118 degree room.
Since the sauna roof was pretty low, it was recommended that we wear wool sauna hats to prevent our heads from overheating.
After a couple trips in and out, we were thoroughly exhausted. Apparently for most people, this is a once-per-week activity. We asked how old children are before they can go into the sauna. Answer: from birth. In fact, up until about 50 or 60 years ago, the sauna was considered the cleanest and holiest place available at home and most women would give birth in their sauna.
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