I almost feel guilty announcing yet another little trip as part of my journey to the center of Europe.
After all, I still haven’t even published the articles about the last geographical centers I visited – in Cölbe, near Purnuškės, in Europe Park north of Vilnius and in Suchowola. And then, there is the special episode about the geographical centers of Chemnitz.
My little history series has also been on hiatus for several months. As you see, the situation on this blog is pretty much a disaster.
Unfortunately, since I’ve returned to work as a lawyer, I’ve had far less spare time than granted to us under any human rights treaty. Divorces, child abductions, drugs and the new citizenship law all keep me on my toes. And a large part of my creativity is poured into legal briefs, which are only appreciated by a very exclusive audience. If at all.
In short: I really need a vacation.
So I’ve picked out the one of the supposed centers of Europe that I imagine to be the most beautiful and dreamlike of them all: the island of Saaremaa off the coast of Estonia.
Many years ago, I visited the smaller neighboring island of Hiiumaa. One of my secret travel tips for anyone who wants to do something against overtourism.
Back then it was the end of October and the first snow had just fallen. That’s why I’m going in September this time, when it’s still perfect weather for swimming, as the following videos show:
Hm, maybe I should pack a sweater. Just in case.
Actually, come to think of it, I am more into hiking than swimming anyway.
What I’m most looking forward to is the peace and quiet. Saaremaa is twice the size of Los Angeles, but only 36,000 people live on the island. And half of them are probably on the mainland to study or work.
I’m also excited by the outlook of staying on an island so sparsely populated that there is most certainly no mobile network or internet. I’ve already packed a backpack full of books and I am longing to take an offline break from all the problems of this world. (Unless some stupid country will invade Saaremaa again.)
So there will be radio silence until the end of September.
But after that, I hope to return to a regular publication schedule. I’ve put a freeze on accepting new clients until the end of the year, so that I have more time to write – and to study. I figured that in the gray fall and cold winter, your desire for travel stories from all over the world will be stronger than now in summer. At least that’s how I feel about it myself.
Links:
- Explaining the project “journey to the center of Europe”.
- The tourism office of Saaremaa.
- Previous reports about Estonia.
The Happy Hermit 
“Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife.””
Enjoy, Andreas.
Indeed, that’s what I am hoping for!
And so elegantly worded.
(I had to look up the quote, I have to admit.)
Some of what I learned in Mr. Pitman’s class at school about sixty years ago is still there; where I put my smartphone/keys/spectacles six minutes ago is a different story…
I am equally puzzled by the fact that I remember more from law school, which was 30 years ago, than from the Spanish lesson I took last week. :/
Gorgeous, Andreas, many thanks. We have also traveled in Estonia, Lettonia and Lithuenia and just loved it!
To me, these countries are like fairy-tale countries.
Beautiful, interesting, friendly, not too crowded, well organized, politically stable.
I don’t know why more people don’t have them on their radar as destinations not only to travel, but also to emigrate, should one feel like it – or should it become necessary.
Maybe it’s the languages which are a bit hard to learn. Or the harsh winters.
Although I have to say, having lived in Vilnius for one year, the winters are really good for studying, reading and writing.
I agree, but maybe Russia still seems to be too near!
Oh. That’s a good point!
You can see that I love the Baltics so much, I even forget about geography. :/
Have fun. A backpack full of books? Apparently there are new fangled inventions on the market these days, I think called Kendulls or something like that, that replace heavy books with ebooks. But then you still write postcards don’t you, so that’s probably a loser right from the start.
I would always be terrified that the electric book will electrocute me.
After all, it has happened to people taking their e-reader to the bathtub:
That’s why I only take my electric book into the shower, not the bath. I’m not stupid!
I can see that! 🤓
sounds perfect! Gute Reise.
x
looking forward to reading your adventures and seeing pictures of the local cats! 😂
I’m happy that you’ve got the books packed, but don’t forget the cigars😉
Oh yes, I must not forget the cigars!
I just hope it ain’t illegal to smoke there.
When I came back from my last trip to Poland, I was informed by one of my educated readers that smoking is banned in Poland in many public places. And suddenly I realized why I was often the only one with a cigar. :/
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So when referring to the geographical centre, are you including parts of France such as Reunion, Bora Bora etc? I’m thinking that if so, you need to expand your search [translated: need to spend more time traveling]
I have touched a bit on the different methods of calculating the geographical center in this article:
Basically, I am trying to visit all the places which have ever claimed for themselves to be the geographical center of Europe (with all the possible different definitions) and of the European Union (which has obviously shifted over time).
I am not trying to make any calculations myself, although it would be great to team up with a mathematician to do so.
As to Reunion and the other overseas territories of France, I would say they are geographically clearly not in Europe.
But they are of course part of the European Union. (I always find it fascinating that, as a European citizen, I could simply move, live, work and retire there, without any additional paperwork necessary.)
But even if we include Guadeloupe and Reunion and all the others (not to forget the Portuguese Azores), it still leaves many different methods of calculations: We can draw lines between the outermost points and see where they intersect. We can draw the narrowest possible circle that includes everything and then use its center. We could only use the landmasses and imagine where the center of balance would be, if the landmass was cut out and we try to balance it on a finger. And so on.
As soon as I set out to travel to some of these points, however, I realized that I don’t care too much on geodetic finesse, but instead try to discover something about European history in each each of these (otherwise mostly unknown) points.
My lofty goal is that by the end of this journey, I will have put together an overview of a history of Europe, which I will hopefully turn into an interesting book.
Stay calm and centered; we don’t want your next series of blogs to come from a rest home!
Be sure to relax and take time for yourself, Andreas🙂
The idea of a nice rest home, at the edge of some forest, doesn’t even sound too bad. :-)