The one where it really began! #DAYS 0-2
TEAM ESTONIA HAVE LANDED!
Sunday 10th September. After a 4am wake up call somewhere near Stansted, Team Estonia safely manoeuvred the perils of the airport to land at Ulemiste Airport in Tallinn. After spotting a pilot taking time out to relax in the children's play area, and shameless selfies with flags, we had achieved spending an inordinate time in one of the worlds tiniest commercial airports and decided to head to the brand new tram system and into Tallinn centre. Our plans were thwarted by what we later established was 'Monday' (EVERYTHING is closed) The tram was off, and a short bus ride followed, finally landing us to the boundaries of the old town. The fun of the journey was not yet over. Carrying our full kit for nearly a mile was interrupted mid route by nothing short of the annual Estonian marathon. Shouted out of the road, by an angry marshall, we beat a hasty path uphill on the cobbles and made it in one piece through the beautiful streets to a lovely hostel.
The call of the Old Town was strong, and a few hours of relaxing meant we were ready for adventure and exploration. The intermittent drizzle did not deter our spirits and we proceeded out on an evening bimble with the excellent navigation skills of Amy B leading us to the tourist hot spots. Our route back awarded us with an unexpected find in the form of the Old City wall and a fantastic medieval cafe complete with torch lit entry. Precarious stone steps led to hot chocolate on the balcony and a wonderful end to our first day
*Stats of the day*
- Amy B and Amy W taking 5 combined attempts to get through security...
- 1 Marathon interrupted
#DAY1
Monday 11th September. The pleasantly comfortable beds in our hostel meant a well needed lay in on the first day. Tallinn was bathed in glorious sunshine, so prior to our meeting with the EGL board (Eesti Gaidide Liit) we grasped the opportunity to immerse ourselves in our surroundings and take a tour of Tallinn Old Town. Our fabulous tour guide was a student in Tallinn and gave us an interesting perspective into the city that would be our home for most of the project, as well as a wide flavour of Estonia itself. After our walk, we went on a hunt for tea and cake to finish our free time. The streets did not disappoint and we were spoiled for choice for our afternoon snack. We then had the chance to sport our formal shirts and uniform and headed to meet Mailiis and Miia at EGL HQ. The meeting was an inspirational start to the project, and we were able to get a clearer picture of the expectations for the weeks ahead as well as learning more about EGL itself. We were shown around the head office and tempted with EGL badges and uniform, before being given our very own Estonia badges.
*Stats of the day*
- 24 cheese sandwiches consumed
#DAY2
Tuesday 12th September. Our second day was planned around travelling down to Haapsalu, a beautiful coastal town in the South West We were once again greeted with bright, sunny weather for the trip and brought out our GOLD t-shirts to show off in the sunshine. Haapsalu is a peaceful residential area which had come to the end of the tourist season, which meant we had the town to ourselves. As we had time before planning for Wednesday at Hiiumaa, the opportunity to explore included sunbathing, and a trip to the local beach and a surprise find in a glorious castle. We had found a 'holiday' apartment which turned out to be a newly renovated Estonian Chalet where our delightful host explained its historical relation to the area. Tea on the terrace in the sunshine finished off our evening for day 2
*Stats of the Day*
- 4 men laying tarmac outside of our apartment window
- 17 cups of tea consumed
#DAY0
Sunday 10th September. After a 4am wake up call somewhere near Stansted, Team Estonia safely manoeuvred the perils of the airport to land at Ulemiste Airport in Tallinn. After spotting a pilot taking time out to relax in the children's play area, and shameless selfies with flags, we had achieved spending an inordinate time in one of the worlds tiniest commercial airports and decided to head to the brand new tram system and into Tallinn centre. Our plans were thwarted by what we later established was 'Monday' (EVERYTHING is closed) The tram was off, and a short bus ride followed, finally landing us to the boundaries of the old town. The fun of the journey was not yet over. Carrying our full kit for nearly a mile was interrupted mid route by nothing short of the annual Estonian marathon. Shouted out of the road, by an angry marshall, we beat a hasty path uphill on the cobbles and made it in one piece through the beautiful streets to a lovely hostel.
The call of the Old Town was strong, and a few hours of relaxing meant we were ready for adventure and exploration. The intermittent drizzle did not deter our spirits and we proceeded out on an evening bimble with the excellent navigation skills of Amy B leading us to the tourist hot spots. Our route back awarded us with an unexpected find in the form of the Old City wall and a fantastic medieval cafe complete with torch lit entry. Precarious stone steps led to hot chocolate on the balcony and a wonderful end to our first day*Stats of the day*
- Amy B and Amy W taking 5 combined attempts to get through security...
- 1 Marathon interrupted
#DAY1
Monday 11th September. The pleasantly comfortable beds in our hostel meant a well needed lay in on the first day. Tallinn was bathed in glorious sunshine, so prior to our meeting with the EGL board (Eesti Gaidide Liit) we grasped the opportunity to immerse ourselves in our surroundings and take a tour of Tallinn Old Town. Our fabulous tour guide was a student in Tallinn and gave us an interesting perspective into the city that would be our home for most of the project, as well as a wide flavour of Estonia itself. After our walk, we went on a hunt for tea and cake to finish our free time. The streets did not disappoint and we were spoiled for choice for our afternoon snack. We then had the chance to sport our formal shirts and uniform and headed to meet Mailiis and Miia at EGL HQ. The meeting was an inspirational start to the project, and we were able to get a clearer picture of the expectations for the weeks ahead as well as learning more about EGL itself. We were shown around the head office and tempted with EGL badges and uniform, before being given our very own Estonia badges.
*Stats of the day*
- 24 cheese sandwiches consumed
#DAY2
Tuesday 12th September. Our second day was planned around travelling down to Haapsalu, a beautiful coastal town in the South West We were once again greeted with bright, sunny weather for the trip and brought out our GOLD t-shirts to show off in the sunshine. Haapsalu is a peaceful residential area which had come to the end of the tourist season, which meant we had the town to ourselves. As we had time before planning for Wednesday at Hiiumaa, the opportunity to explore included sunbathing, and a trip to the local beach and a surprise find in a glorious castle. We had found a 'holiday' apartment which turned out to be a newly renovated Estonian Chalet where our delightful host explained its historical relation to the area. Tea on the terrace in the sunshine finished off our evening for day 2*Stats of the Day*
- 4 men laying tarmac outside of our apartment window
- 17 cups of tea consumed
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