Stuck in Tallinn waiting for a break in the relentless easterly winds, we wander the streets of the old town.
Apart from its location, I cannot recommend the Old Town Marina. Scores of cruise ships and ferries disgorge obese tourists daily with their obligatory booze trolleys; a huge and noisy construction site lies directly across from the marina; there are no facilities and the water is dirty.
It could be worse though. Tallin is such a musical city. There is an international choral festival taking place and the city is bursting with music. Choirs perform on street corners, while buskers play Schubert trios and Paganini caprices.
At a practical level we have been beset with that perennial cruising yacht problem – gas bottle connection. Regulators are country-specific and adapters are all but impossible to find. Our full German bottles lie idle in the gas locker while we cook with mountaineer camping gas. Hopefully we can sort this in St Petersburg.
Oh, and were I less generous I would withdraw my previous apology to Maxine about my absentmindness – in unrelated incidents yesterday she lost both Blue Dove’s registration papers and her wallet. Ultimately both were recovered, but not without major panic.
