We had our breakfast at the Bed and Breakfast, which was nothing too special: slices of bread, and some cheeses and sliced meats. Looking around at the decorations of the room though, I spotted a book, which I thought would be a photo album of the area. It was a guest book though, in an assortment of languages written by the guests who'd been there before. So, Pamela and I added our own little words, and a picture of the dwarf Junipers. Then we left, to see a little more of the island.

Then we came back, after about two minutes, to get the food which we'd kept in the fridge overnight. (Didn't we feel silly too.) We properly got going after that though, and went south towards the Ferry. There was only one detour we made, to a windmill. It was the traditional Island type: a small mound of rocks, with the entire (smallish) windmill sitting on a pole coming out of the middle. Then there's at least five meters of a log sticking out the bottom of the back of the mill, with which the whole thing can be turned to face into the wind.

What was great about this one, (besides being in nice repair, and in a lovely, secluded place of dwarf junipers and long grasses,) was that it was open. The door at the back was only shut by it's wooden latch. Then only thing that was locked, were the blades of the windmill, which were chained to the ground. (probably to prevent damage to its self or to silly tourists.) So, I was all over it, and inside, and taking pictures of the wooden gears. Oh, how I loved them. The entire thing was made of wood, except for the mill stones. And I don't remember seeing before, a whole gear, made of wood. Pretty, Pretty, Pretty. So... Rustic. However, my pictures of the gears ended up not turning out, and Pamela's of me in and on the windmill are much better.

We were soon after that on the ferry, and headed back to the mainland. It was another beautiful, sunny, hot day, and we were sitting on the top deck of the ferry to enjoy the weather. And I was burning nicely. So, I took Pamela's sweater, and put it on, (which wasn't THAT bad a fit; it was just a little... closely formed to my body. Now, Pamela was astounded, because it was a hot, sunny day, and she was sure I must be sweating to death wrapped up like that. All I can say, is that I wasn't.

OK, that's not ALL I can say.

At the time, I thought of a rather clever, (if I might say so,) explanation of why it wasn't too hot to wear a sweater. It went like this: A sweater is insulation. That's all there is to it. When it's cold outside, it keeps the warmth of your body from going into the air. Now, it stands to reason, (in my creative way of reasoning,) that when it's particularly HOT out, the insulation will still work: it will keep the heat of the air from going into the body. SO... if it's especially hot out, one should put on a sweater to keep cool. Makes sense, doesn't it? (Oddly, Pamela didn't agree that it did. At least she could laugh about it though.)

Well... I think I've left something out of yesterday: because we'd thought we had to return the car by Saturday, probably in the morning. But, we'd got in contact with Ruta, and their need for the car no longer existed. That's why we were able to stay the night on Hiiumaa, and why we were taking our time with the journey back to Tallinn. We first stopped in Haapsalu, which we had shortly glanced at the day before.

We made the promenade along the seaside, looking at the sundial, the "Kurhaus" -the oldest health spa there, which makes full advantage of the healthy mud of that region. And then on to the "Tchaikowsky Bench" commemorating when that composer came to this town to rest and relax. I can say that this little monument thingy was rather a disappointment. It was not beautiful, or tranquil, and was a mix of modern ideas of commemorative benches, including generous amounts of pavement, and a touch of Tourism, with a tri-lingual little speaker, telling about how the great russian composer came to this lovely town to enjoy the tranquility. Oh Sigh.

We walked back through the town, and saw assorted... houses in disrepair, as well as a modern, (clean, but ugly,) house for pensioners. We then got to the Castle though, and were looking forward to seeing it's museum. It was not all that simple to see it though; At the gateway to the castle, there was some sort of stand, with something about a medieval festival. Neither of us were that interested in it though, so once we'd decided that's all it was, we continued into the castle. -Except that the young man standing there, asked for our tickets. oh dear. It seems that the Whole Castle was full of the the festival, and the only way to get to the museum, is through the courtyard of the castle. Great. So, we got tickets, and looked at the festival inside.

It was not bad... but it was... too commercial for me. The things like it in Canada that I'd been to, (known as the SCA, which I respect deeply,) were more about being creative, and complete. It wasn't about selling trinkets, but about everyone there Being characters from a long ago time. Now, this one was not as bad as all that, and I'm sure some of the people there take it quite seriously. But there were entirely too many tourists, (Yes, I'm aware that I was one of them,) and it gave the whole thing... an air of Spectacle. And it felt more that the people were geared towards how to amuse their Audience, rather then how to amuse themselves. Too bad. Still, when I spoke to some Estonians later on, they said that this fair in Haapsalu is one of the best, and the least touristic ones in the country. They said that it was popular for Estonians just because of that. Oh well. (I can't help thinking that the Estonians REALLY ought to come to Canada, to see how we get into it there.)

So, Pamela and I looked around, and decided not to go into the museum at all. (It was unfortunate, but it would have had the same feeling for us of Authentic-Stylistic-Reproduction as every thing outside had.) It's a nice castle though, and I'm sure that all the people involved in the fair were meaning well. We left the city after that, without a feeling of missing much.

We had a short little lunch, eating our reserved food, while sitting in the car. After which, we headed to Keila, where there's a water-fall, shown in many tourist brochures about the lovely nature to be found in Estonia. We were taking the slightly more scenic rout, -although still Paved. This was so that we could see an old, half ruined, one eighth restored monastery. I'd visited it once with the Fischers. It was a little more restored when we arrived, but it also had some strange people wandering about, one of them a man with a beard, and long red hair, carrying around an axe. I took it to be someone from a group of role-playing gamers, (really REALLY role-playing,) -on some Middle Earth adventure thingy. -This was supported too, by the tents down by the river.

We went in first through a side door, which took us right up on top of the roof of one of the rooms, where I was enchanted with the arched stone floor, the stone wall with windows, and the wooden beams supporting a metal roof. I must have taking at least seven minutes setting my Camera carefully in the dust, and taking a one or two second exposure. Of course, I told Pamela to carry on, and that I'd be right after her. She came back after about five minutes, and seemed a little put out, but I begged her for just one minute more, for a last shot. Then I followed her up the narrow wooden steps, to look over the top of the next, huge arched room below. This was as far as I'd been able to go the time before, but now it was further restored in that corner, and we could go right on to the tower at the corner.

And Pamela explained to me that she'd spent the five minutes half way up the stairs, unable to continue, and unable to find the courage to go back. My dear little love is not comfortable with heights. I hope, I sincerely hope, that I didn't traumatise her further by helping her up the sturdy, but Sparse wooden winding stairs inside the tower, to the platform on the top, with it's wide, but low walls. To me, the view was Fantastic! To her... I'm sure that it was... still... breath taking. -Hmmm, but I don't think she appreciated it as much as I did. We got back down the stairs alright, and went along looking at the ruins.

That's when our next little surprise came: One dark, windowless, cold little cell, had a rope across it's doorway, and on looking in, I saw (what I took to be a eighteen-or-so boy, with bare feet, in a black robe, with a hood, sitting on a stone shelf, with his head bowed. Hmmm. Pamela and I spoke rather more quietly after that, out of respect. I found it surprising to see such religious -devotion, extremity, piusness, -fanaticism? I can't find the right word. But to find it in someone so young. (I think he was fairly young.) It's not something I expected to see. Not at all.

The one other thing then, was that the largest room, (with walls and a roof, I mean,) was closed off, with wood propped in the doorways. I thought there might be a number of neo-monks living there now, (The Fischers had said something about such things happening sometimes,) and I overheard two people in this largest chapel talking about something. Peeking through a crack though, I saw two men wearing jeans, one of them smoking a cigarette. (Not very properly religious, to my, fanatic mind. -I mean, if one's going on a path of purity, and is living in a ruined monastery, with no windows, heating, or running water, he bloody well shouldn't smoke.) Anyhow, there were also some lights hung in this room, and some metal risers, and all in all, it was a strange set up. On our leaving the monastery though, we saw a banner saying something about a performance by Rakvere Drama Theater around that time, and it all made sense to me: The impious people there, doing odd things, were Theater Techies.

Right now though, thinking back, it seems a strange mix there that afternoon: One neo-monk, two odd tourists, two Theater Techies, and a handful of Roll-playing-Gamers.

The next stop was for gasoline, as we were getting quite low. On the map, a gas station was marked just across the river from the monastery, so we went back that way, (the way we had come,) to take a closer look. There was a old sign, pointing back towards a half dilapidated light industrial place. But the sign DID suggest a gas station. So back we went. -And found the oldest, most antiquated gas station I've experienced. The huge gas-tanks were just beside the pumps, behind a chain-link fence. The pumps themselves... had a giant clock-face. It would tell you how many liters, and tenths of liters that pump had put out. Pamela refused to touch such ancient things, but I was quite excited by it, and even mildly disappointed, when the old-lady-attendant pumped it herself. I guess though, that it takes some knowledge how to work these museum pieces, which isn't quite widely known by everyone any more. Still, I thought it was one of the neatest things ever. (and got a couple decent pictures of it too.) Later on, someone told me about such things being common in the old Soviet Times, or in Africa, where it was actually a hand pump, like the ones I think of once being used for water. Still, it was a spectacle, and experience for me.

With our tank full, we went on to visit the water-fall of Keila. It was alright, but not really amazing. Perhaps if we'd walked all down the tranquil river, and THEN seen the waterfall, it might have been more impressive. But as it was, to me it just looked... shallow, un-energetic, and covered in green algae. Ho hum... There was one odd bridge though, rather narrow, only a meter long, and well covered in uncooked rice. So, I guessed that this waterfall was a popular wedding spot. Or at least a spot for artistic, outdoor, wedding photos. I wonder if every city has such a place. (Tartu certainly had; Somewhere very nice, and picturesque, outside, to take wedding photos at.)

Pamela and I had a bit of discussion about going on in the car, or walking a little more around the river, but we went back to the car in the end,

And got there just in time for Pamela to answer her mobile phone, which she'd left in the car. She had been trying the last two days to contact an old friend of hers, who was taking his vacation in Estonia with his girlfriend. So, she finaly got to talk with him, and we decided to all meet at the hotel they were staying at, on the other side of Tallinn. Getting to the hotel was a bit of an adventure, but we got to it in the end, without all that many -scenic routes taken.

We all went right to the pool, and swam around a little. He would have been swimming around a Lot, (It's something he does well, and practices thoroughly,) but he was spending most of his time coaching his girl-friend. Then we sat in the hot tub, and after that, carried on to the Saunas. It was overall, relaxing and lovely. Only, I was aware that I didn't have any stamina at all for swimming. I don't think it could be that I have just lost my stamina, So I decided that the problem must be that I'm out of practice swimming; this means that I'm spending double the normal energy, just to stay floating. Still, it was annoying to be puffed and out of breath, when other people weren't.

We sat in the lounge after that, and then we decided to go out onto the terrace for dinner. He, stands up, and strides off, leaving us all sitting there, or at best, half sitting. And in 5 seconds he was gone. I thought he'd needed to run off to the bathroom, and went quickly, so that he could sit down with us at the same time. Or perhaps there were very few tables free, and he was making sure for us that there would be one. Or anything else like that. It seems there was no such logical reason though. All he did, was power-walk away from us, and then sit down at a table that suited him. No explanation when we got there. No surprise from the two girls either. When I asked Pamela about it later, she said that it's just the way he is at times. And there seems to be no explanation for it. He's just... (if I may say so,) socially rude at times.

He seemed normal when we sat down too; it wasn't as if he was exasperated that we took two minutes longer than him. Nor did he seem to be pleased with himself, for having gotten there before us, or before the table was snatched away by others. He seemed to feel that everything was just normal, and that it just happened, sometimes, that he arrived at places much, much faster than other people he is with.

Perhaps I'm being unfair to him, but it all seemed quite singular behavior to me.

Dinner was fine, and I can say that the evening with them was pleasant. Ah! Dinner was something other than fine though. Or Something More, I should say. It started with what we wanted to drink. Pamela wanted an Apfel Schorle, which is just fizzy apple juice. It's one of the most common things in Germany. It's everywhere. Not obtrusively so, but just... There. it's like coffee shops; They're not really obtrusive, but they are so wide spread, that they become a regular, expected part of the background of life. Well... this bartender, at a respectable health-spa/hotel, had never heard of such a thing. I had to direct him to pour about three quarters of a glass of Apple juice, and then top it up with soda water. And he thought, "What an interesting drink!" He actually said to me, (I had gone to the bar to get a drink for Pamela,) "I'll have to try that, and see what it's like." And then some customer sitting at the bar took an interest too. And she also wanted to try this novel idea. She said it was quite good, and was a bit like a cider, but without alcohol.

At this point, I was having difficulty not thinking of these people as silly, back-water gits, so I went back to our table. I think it might have been with this meal, that I started the GREAT PELMINII SEARCH. It's a very common sort of -hmmmm... filled pasta they eat here, with plenty of sour cream. I think it might have been Russian in origin, but everyone enjoys it in this country. This spa-restaurant had none though, so I just had some soup. Pamela, however, felt much more like having a Caesar Salad.

It didn't look like a caesar salad when it arrived the next day though. Among the other small things...

Oops. I was typing on a train, leaving Detmold for the last (effectively last) time. I had been up (literally,) all night, after the party we had, packing my Kitchen things, and having other things arranged for the Move. And I had just enough time on the train, to turn the computer off, before passing out. My mind was a little clouded though!

Anyhow, I had soup, and Pamela ordered a Caesar Salad, which had nothing in common with what we knew as Caesar Salad. First of all, it was a Cabbage salad, second, it didn't have caesar dressing, and thirdly, there were no Croutons! Instead, there were pieces of smoked ham. It was rather odd.

We said goodbye, and departed from the hotel, well into the evening... possibly more like night. Yes; I remember it being dark out, which in Estonia means it was after 11. We filled the tank of the car, and then went in search of an Automatic Car wash. We were quite aware, you see, that we'd at least quadrupled the dust and squashed bugs on the car, so thought it polite and proper to wash it before returning it. We were glad when we Did find a car wash, because it was only minutes away from Ruta's house, and we were starting to despair of finding one at all. So...

I asked the gas-station attendant, (as best I could,) about the car wash, and got Pamela to come in, to try to understand how it works. I've NEVER seen a car-wash in action before, so I hadn't the least clue. Pamela had to explain some detail about it to me, and then I'd try to ask the man if the one there Was, or was not like that. Eventually, he came out, to tell us exactly how to position the car in it, and press whatever buttons had to be pressed. And then the ride began.

I don't really know if most people stay inside a car during such things, but Pamela and I could understand if they preferred not to. It was violent. It was loud. The car was really rocking around from the buffeting it was receiving. We both got some fine spray on us, even with the windows tightly closed. I thought it somewhat of an Experience, whereas Pamela was ... Terrified.

We were both happy enough when it ended though, and both really hoped that the radio antenna was at such a low angle before the car-wash. We went back to Ruta's and woke her up, although she originally said that she's rarely asleep before midnight. We knew it was late though, so I only used my mobile phone, to ring hers. We had some little bit of food in the Kitchen, and went to bed. It was actually very nice, even though it was only a pull-out couch. It was comfortable, warm, and we slept very well there.