This home trip was full of family activities, nearly every day was planned! And spoiler alert! I got to swim in the swamp!!! Finally! That is now defo my favourite activity ever! And need to do it EVERY time I go back home.
So as Mr. Special hasn't been out camping, I mentioned that to my mum and she was like hell no we aint doing that! Nearly puked at the thought :D :D But she came up with something better! Last year they hired a little cabin in the blueberry woods near a beach. And luckily for me, they had a one night opening and we could all go together! That cabin also had a sauna (be weird if it didn't) and a pond where you can jump into after the hot hot hot sauna. Even my lil bro (11) who is usually very vary and frightful of nearly everything (he's a worrier) ran and jumped in FIRST! What a proud big sis moment! :)
Earlier that day we went to the beach and it was windy as! It is quite rare the sea in Estonia has any waves, so again another first (pretty much) for my family to play around in the waves (don't get too excited for the world wave standards those were still small :D ). It was COLD!! COLD!! but they all went in (mum and my 2 bros), and I couldn't miss the chance! So we jumped in them until our lips turned blue - and H still didn't want to come out!
So that's the cabin we stayed in!
Sike, no! :D I'm so funny :D Later that evening we went for a long walk to a nearby village and there was a little tiny harbour thingy - a small viking boat was there and a few abandoned buildings. Mr. Special and my tiny bro decided to go exploring one of them. Pictured! I didn't because I am very vary and frightful of everything, I am a worrier (see a similarity?). At one point they went out of my sight and I've seen way too many horror films to know what happens in abandoned buildings! Luckily :D they soon emerged unharmed, phew, and climbed back out of the window.
Then another day we went to the zoo to see the new polar bear habitat. And it was cool! Plenty of space for them to play in the water - not long a go they only had a little concrete box with a tiny puddle that they could jump into during the hot summer days. I'm so glad they have a new house to call their home :)
Snacks in my house!
Following on the abandoned buildings theme we went to Rummu quarry, an abandoned prison, where some buildings are submerged and you can swim up to them and jump off to the blue see through water!
Next up on our daytrip to Padise monastery ruins, if you look hard enough, or are extremely lucky, you can find your way on to the tower as well! But it takes a little while to find the right door and room in that maze of different levels. We knew there was a way up there and did eventually find it :D
My sister lives in Helsinki this year and this was the perfect opportunity for Mr. Special to tick another country off his list and for us to have a place to stay to explore the city. And our first stop was Linnanmäki amusement park! I've been there once with my sister more than a decade ago and the only thing I remember is that all of a sudden a burger fell out of the sky onto her back :D :D :D :D
This years theme is how my tiny bro was super upset all the time that he was a few cm shorter than 140cm! and couldn't come to all of the rides me and my sis went on. He even tried to stand on his tiptoes but the attendant (rightly so) wasn't having any of it :D off he went super sulking to Mr. Special and bigger bro, who could go on the rides but were too scared.
Luckily for him the oldest wooden rollercoaster, built in 1951, was fun enough, and we went on it 3 times in a row (no UK style hours waiting in a queue there luckily). Of course he wanted to go a fourth and a fifth time but enough is enough :D
See those yellow tracks in top right corner of the park? The most scariest ride in there! It turns you on your head and then goes through the track twice 105km/h speed! And for some stupid reason the last thought in my head before these rides start is what if my safety restraints have a fault???? aaaaand phhuuuuu you're upside down with that thought... SCARY!!!!!!! And in front of us was a little kid, maybe about 10-12 who went on it ALONE! Jesus give me courage!
On the second day we went to Suomenlinna, a fortress island about 20 minutes by boat from Helsinki. Spent a good couple of hours exploring the few underground parts of the fortress, playing on the cannons, you can climb up on them and some are the usual but a few have a huge platform behind them as well. That evening we went swimming in the sea... yuckiest sea that is... full of floating seaweed and sharp pebbles were digging into my feet... But kids wanted to go (they had crocs on, lucky), but not alone, so yeah... ew... :D We weren't the only crazy ones though! There were a few people who chose the same spot, in between rocks, not at the actual beachy part. The rocks were great for sunbathing and just sitting and dipping your feet in the water. I hate sand... But I hate sharp pebbles more :D
Last day we took a train to Heureka science centre. I remember when we went there as kids it was HUGE and full of things to do. Weird how perception changes :D Still a big museum full of a lot of interactive activities, we did get tired by the end... First thing the boys did was to build a tall tower out of wooden blocks, then you could build your own car and see if it'll roll down the track. Build a feather cap and see how high it could fly, we also got to put silhouettes of our faces onto coins. And again, the little bro was too small to go and try the bicycle on a wire up under the ceiling. And again the others were too scared :D My sister actually climbed all the way up there but was too chicken and climbed back down :D
Back home we did the compulsory stroll around old town Tallinn, visited my most favourite pancake place in the world: Kompressor and then went to look at the sunset on the beach. Idyllic
On our last full day home we went for a family trip in to the bog! And had a swim in one the cold cold lakes there! A memory I'll cherish forever! It was so cool, and literally took my breath away :D
After that dip was done, we went to a beach nearby and as soon as I thought hey, I'm deep enough to dive in, I hit my knee on a freaking rock while doing it! Awesome, so then the ice cream man came and I had to go out of the water and bleed in front of everyone there :D Fun times!
Last thing - it took us around 2 hours to get our hand luggage back from RyanAir! Since you are no longer able to bring it in the plane with you... 2 hours!!!!! Luckily our train ticket was an open return and we made it to the penultimate train that day... Wasn't expecting that :O
Ttyl ;)
Jazzz...
