Saarema, Estonia

Located in the Baltic Sea, Saarema is the largest and most populated island in Estonia. In its history it was the home of notorious pirates, sometimes called the Eastern Vikings. We docked in port around 8 a.m. We were surprised to see that the city was not near the port, but about 45 minutes away. That was a first since the port is usually close enough to either walk or take a short shuttle ride into the city. The long ride revealed the island to be thickly forested with many tall pines and other trees. Otherwise, there was not much to see.

 

welcome to Saarema

here we are

shoreline near the port

stacked stones or cairns left on the beach

The first thing we did when we arrived was pick up a map and walk down to the Kuressaare Castle. We walked around the outer grounds for awhile but decided not to visit the museum because by that time it was well after lunch and we were both getting hungry. So we left and walked back toward town where we chose a cafe and had lunch. We both enjoyed the food and the weather was perfect for outside dining.

 

our lunch spot

thankful for the skirt!

you guessed it - men

main street with restaurants and shops

 

After lunch, I did my usual thing - snap photos and look for post cards and Christmas ornaments. After milling around a bit, we walked the few blocks back to the bus pick up point. However, when we arrived, the bus only had room for one more person so we had to wait another 30 minutes for the next bus. We found a shady bench to sit on until the next shuttle came and picked us and others up for the return ride to the ship. We must have been tired because we both fell asleep on the ride back! 

Here's a few more photos I took in town.

 

private home entrance

petunias line a sidewalk cafe

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Nicholas Church

iron and lace

which way?