I am still on the island of Saaremaa.
As usual, it will take me a few weeks or months to process all my impressions and experiences and – much to the dismay of some readers – all the half-knowledge I have acquired about the history of Estonia and this particular island, and to transform everything into a properly polished article.
But as a teaser, here are a few photos and my initial assessment: This island is pure paradise!
Seriously, I am often so amazed that I fall into the lush grass, exhausted from sheer happiness and bliss. Or maybe it’s because I’m not used to riding a bike anymore.
In any case, I spontaneously extended my vacation by a week.
If the people here weren’t so peaceful, which unfortunately means no need at all for lawyers, I would have settled right away. But as it is, I’m glad that Saaremaa is very large and my cycling muscles are very weak. That means that I will have to return many times to explore the island in full.
And you can look forward to the detailed article and to a postcard!
The Happy Hermit 
Do the ordinary people there know what a paradise it is in which they live?
I have the impression that most people do. But not in any boastful way, more in a way of being content and happy and relaxed.
Maybe young people will mention the lack of “things to do”, and after school, many people will (have to) move to the mainland. For example, there is no university on Saaremaa.
But as it is a small country (the bus from Tallinn to Kuressaare takes only 4 hours), most people will retain a connection to the island and visit on weekends, spend the holidays here and maybe have a vague plan of retiring here.
And I should add that the rest of Estonia – and the other two Baltic countries, Latvia and Lithuania – is also very beauti- and peaceful. So, moving to the mainland or even the capital cities is not like moving to Gotham City.
Thank you very much for your donation! I had already gotten a postcard for you, and it will be on its way to you next week.
Thank you for the gorgeous photos. Where are the local cats? 😂
Those stautes of “The Hulk” and “She Hulk” carrying the boat full of fish gave me a giggle😂
Enjoy your extended stay!
Oh, the cats are lovely here!
There are a few in the immediate neighborhood, and one of them sometimes comes to visit when I sit on the veranda in the evening.
The hulks are the couple Suur Töll and his wife Piret. They were giants, but nice ones, for example helping the fishermen ashore if they were threatened by a storm.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toell_the_Great
Very cool bit of history and folklore too. Thanks!
Beautiful place. You know it’s a winner when even the giants of local folklore are nice and helpful.
Danke für deine stimmungsvollen Bilder. Sie wecken die Reisesehnsucht in mir. Leider ist der Sommer im Baltikum kurz.
Diesmal habe ich es genau richtig gelegt, es sind gerade noch ziemlich schöne Spätsommer-/Herbsttage.
Thank you for posting these lovely photos. Many years ago, at Conservatory, I had a wonderful chamber music coach who was a violist from Estonia. He talked about how beautiful his country was, but in the absence of cell phones, etc. we never saw images of what he described. I’m very grateful to you for bringing a visual understanding to his love-letter descriptions of his homeland. Donnah
And depending on how long ago it was, the island of Saaremaa would have been off limits anyway.
Until 1989, it was a restricted military zone. The locals were allowed to continue living here, but even Estonians from the mainland were not allowed to visit.
That’s also the reason why there was no large industrial development and why there is now so much unspoiled nature.
I am so jealous. I’ve cycled through parts of Latvia and Lithuania (September 2019) and would love to return. Some day! Beautiful colours.
I am usually not much of a cyclist, but Saaremaa is really perfect for it. Relatively flat, almost no traffic, and I don’t think you need to lock your bike here.
Tomorrow I am going to cycle to the geographical center of Europe.
Lovely photographs. Never had heard of this place. Thanks for sharing
And some people claim that Saaremaa was the mythical island of Thule.
Personally, I am a bit skeptical about that, and I think that the island has plenty of history to offer, from the Vikings to World War II, that nobody would need to concoct crazy theories.