Benvenuti in Estonia!

Sounds Finnish, but it's actually Estonian and means 'Welcome to Estonia!' We have reached the third country on our journey and are excited to see what awaits us.

If you're wondering why I couldn't update the blog in the last few days: on the one hand, we are often so remote that the internet hasn't reached some corners despite all Baltic progressiveness, and on the other hand, our boys gave us a taste of what is to come in raising children one evening, leaving no time to write. But now, let's take it in order.

From Riga, we should have gone to the Gauja National Park on May 25. Named after the river GAUJA, which crosses Latvia for more than 450 km. Would we finally see bears, wolves, beavers, and other wildlife here?! Unfortunately, it wasn't so...at the end of the day, we would have been happy just to find a bridge over the damn river: after 40 km, we had to realize that the designated cycle path had been privatized on the last few meters and the only bridge was closed - so we had to turn around (with the cargo bike in 30 moves), take a detour of 15 km, and arrive at the destination with the last battery charge...that lifts the mood! The accommodation in a 100-year-old farmhouse (the open-air museum in Cloppenburg would have loved the little house) and the football game with the two 'Aussies' made up for the hardships - who needs any other adventures there?

On May 26, we returned to the coast in a short stage. The Baltic Sea is now like a good old friend: you meet, you say goodbye, sometimes in a good mood, sometimes a bit grumpy, and somehow you know each other! In the village of Skulte, we were allowed to stay overnight in a small, fine camping hut for the first time. There was also a small, yellow painted Astrid Lindgren play hut on the site - which unfortunately is no longer yellow from the inside, but slightly blackish painted after our visit....a relic of our children and probably the most expensive accommodation on our journey!

Shocked, ashamed, and somewhat 'disoriented', we set off on May 27 towards the north, still 244 km to Tallinn. In Svetciems, we will then find the most beautiful accommodation in Latvia so far: secluded, just 200 meters from the beach, small huts by the lake including a canoe boat and a pirate island - it's perfect and the children will be comforted over the one-week candy ban!

On May 28, it's 'Goodbye Latvia' and we wonder what to take with us?! The middle state in the Baltics impresses with beautiful landscapes, intact and natural forests, modern cities with worth seeing historical buildings, and above all with an enviable serenity. The Latvians appear confident, proud, friendly, and yet reserved to us - we definitely want to come back someday!

By noon, we crossed the green border and have to be careful not to miss the country sign. The first evening in Estonia is now dedicated to the Champions League final, so it's goodnight and see you tomorrow!