Lady Hamilton 2019

DIRHAMI (Port Dirham)

Day 47  Friday, 5^th July 2019

We decided to go to Haapsalu  (where we should have stayed yesterday) on the (small) bus.  It took 40 minutes!

The bus stopped near the Railway Station – but the trains to Tallinn started in 1905 and stopped in 1995. Must have been a Beeching moment!  Haapsalu was the favourite summer resort of the Russian imperial family and aristocrats. Rumours spread in the early 19^th century about a new miracle: healing curative mud.  Stories about the magic mud inspired many tsars of Russia to visit Haapsalu. They came here from St Petersburg in ships before the railway was built.  The unique 216 m railway platform was fully roofed so that members of the Tsar’s family could step out of any wagon without getting their feet wet.   

Next to the Episcopal Castle.  It was built in the 13^th century as the centre of the Osel-Wiek Bishopric, which was western Estonia’s centre of command from the 13^th to 16^th centuries.  A turreted tower, most of the outer wall and some of the moat still remain. 

The museum takes you through head-banging arched tunnels where there’s lots to read about the bishopric, the serfs, the clergy, and the building of the castle.  

 We take a spiral staircase up to the café as it’s raining again and find a table inside.  We had no choice but to have pasta on the very limited menu.  It’s quite cold so we felt justified!  We continue up the spiral staircase to the tower, and get back down outside with long black metal stairs built with EU funding (we think!).  We suddenly come face to face with a Japanese tour group! 

Next we go to the Dome Church, the Haapsalu St. Nicholas Cathedral built originally in the 1260’s.  It apparently is the biggest single-naved church in the Baltics.  It has the simple interior of the Cistercian monastic order, rose window above the portal and no tower because of the belief that it is extreme arrogance to get too close to God.  The acoustics in the church are exceptional and they have many concerts here: a sound persists for 11 seconds which provides an exceptional experience for the listeners and a serious challenge for the performers!

The Baptismal Chapel where the full moon (in August and February) shining through a window casts the shadow of a woman to the middle window.  She is known as the ‘White Lady’.  Apparently a canon once dressed his beloved as a choirboy and brought her into the castle.  Women were threatened with death if they entered the castle and the girl was walled in a chapel wall ALIVE when the secret of the young couple was revealed!

It absolutely pours down as we return from the castle to the supermarket. 

We have to shelter under a porch.  The supermarket (Rimi again) is quite near the bus stop at the station.  We shop for supplies for tonight and the next couple of days.  Catch the bus at 4.10 pm and arrive back on the boat – pretty soaked – by 5 pm. 

Eat on board tonight and watch 2 more episodes of ‘Mad Men’.  Only 3 to go now at the end of Series 3.  We’ll take the DVDs home on Wednesday and maybe buy more series to watch if the cold rainy weather persists. Brrrh!