Travels with Spaniels: Meteorites, bogs and an unmade road

When you are wild camping in a motorhome you can awaken to a variety of noises. Sometimes it's traffic on a nearby road as early morning workers stir. Dustcarts are quite common in areas where it is thought proper to come and empty bins at the crack of dawn. The sound to which we awoke in the town of Kuressaare, where we had spent the night in an empty car park, was a road sweeper cleaning the cycle path by the castle.

Kuressaare town has a wealth of old buildings

The wind that seems to have blown throughout our time in this part of Estonia was still whipping across from the sea when we set off to explore the town centre. It turned out to be a real gem. This capital of Saaremaa Island was the first town in Estonia to regain its self-governing status following the collapse of the USSR and, despite the turmoil of the Russian occupation, it has managed to retain many of its old buildings. The town hall, which was built in 1654 is still used as the seat of the local council, and there is a wonderful former fire station built in 1911 which boasts a tower once used to hang up hosepipes to dry. We and the spaniels enjoyed the walk around the pedestrianised centre.

The locals must have been surprised when the meteor arrived

We had decided to head back to the mainland but there was time to divert to the tiny village of Kaali which boasts no fewer than nine meteorite craters. Scientific opinion is divided on when exactly the strike occurred but it seems to have been at least 3,500 years ago. By all accounts a meteor weighing about 80 tonnes broke up on approach to the earth. The largest fragment caused a crater with a diameter of 360 feet and a depth of 72ft. Scientists estimate that the impact incinerated all vegetation in a 3.7 mile diameter. Things had quietened down by the time we got there but the crater itself was still something to behold. The area is special because it is one of the few on earth which scientists know was inhabited when the projectile struck. That must have caused a stir amongst the local community at the time.

Posh ferries in this part of the world

We arrived at the ferry to be furiously waved on by the crew as we were within a couple of minutes of departure. Despite the howling wind the crossing was pretty smooth. As we have mentioned before the ferries on this particular crossing are the poshest we have travelled on so far with comfortable seats, a cafeteria and shop. It all seems just a little over the top for a 25 minute trip.

Yesterday evening saw us arrive at yet another RMK (the Estonian forestry authority) campsite, this time in Soomaa National Park. We had planned to go further to the visitor centre but the tarmac ran out and we found ourselves rattling along an unmade road trying to avoid the numerous potholes. None of this seemed to deter the locals who happily shot past us leaving trails of dust and gravel in their wake. This area is in the middle of four massive bogs with peat up to 7 metres thick. It also gets pretty wet especially in April which is referred to as the flood season. I was amused on opening the door of the rustic toilet to find previous water levels marked on the wall. In April 2013 you'd have needed a snorkel, flippers and face mask to access the loo. Great excitement was engendered in the evening when a small cat appeared in the trees outside. It calmly sat down to have a wash, completely ignoring Elsa who was going berserk inside the van.

Another quiet forest night

The following morning we took the short drive to the Riisa Study Trail an amazing 4.8 kilometre walk through a huge bog area. I say 'through' but we actually went over it thanks to a duckboard trail, laid to protect the delicate environment from human feet. This didn't stop Elsa wandering off into the marsh, occasionally getting a surprise when the ground beneath her suddenly turned into a pond. All in all it was a tribute to the lengths that Estonia has gone in an effort to protect its natural environment. We later discovered that the earliest laws relating to conservation in the country had been passed in the 17th century.

Nearly 5 kilometres of duckboard

With diesel, gas and fresh water levels getting low we were on the lookout for somewhere to fill up. Getting diesel and LPG in Estonia is relatively easy but fresh water is a bit more of a challenge as the country lacks the sort of motorhome service places we had found in Norway. Eventually we saw a tap sign next door to a garage which turned out to be inside a small car wash. The attendant was more than happy to help and passed us the end of a hose. It was only when we were well underway with the filling process that he pointed out that the water was coming through a combi boiler and so was pretty warm. We decided to stop at half full. I did offer to pay but he shrugged and waved us away.

Our final stop of the day was the town of Viljandi which boats some impressive castle ruins, the former home of the ruling Livonian Order. Little remains now as much of the stone was taken to rebuild the town in the 18th century. However, the walk through the grounds was enjoyable despite the occasional heavy showers. Viljandi is home to a huge folk music tradition and the summer sees a string of festivals. It was also a centre of match making, an industry which was celebrated in 2005 when a six metre long match made the Guinness Book of Records as the largest ever made.

Viljandi's castle gate still survives

Tonight finds us just outside Viljandi, parked beside a lake in what looks like a former quarry. If all goes to plan this will be our last night in Estonia, a country which we have throughly enjoyed. Given its turbulent history, being battered by one conqueror after another and latterly suffering 50 years of Soviet rule, it has done remarkably well to become a modern functioning democracy. Tomorrow we will cross into yet another country. Latvia beckons.