1. Alcohol
- Some claim it actually makes you colder, but really, can fifty
generations of Estonians be wrong on this? Hõõgvein, the
hot, spiced wine served in cafés and bars all over Tallinn is
probably your best bet. Vodka is another popular alternative in winter.
Be warned though that overuse of this method can numb your senses,
lower your IQ, and can lead to going home with the lumpy, mustached
matron sitting at the end of the bar.
2. Getting
naked - In a
sauna, we mean. There’s nothing like baking the chill from your bones
in a hot, sweaty sauna, as the ancient Estonians (and earlier the
Finns) long ago discovered. The social aspects of the sauna are also
not to be overlooked. Some sauna goers like to cool down between
sessions by diving into a freezing pond or snow bank. Frankly, such
people are probably insane and should be avoided.
3. Visiting
a nightclub - The idea is pretty much identical to the
sauna, except you have your clothes on. Depending on the ventilation,
you might experience something akin to the traditional smoke sauna.
Unlike the real sauna however, clubbing has the added advantage of
combining method #1 (Alcohol), method #7 (Exercise), and if you’re
really lucky, method #4.
4. Kristiina …or Kadri, or
Marko
or Fred. It’s well known that shared body heat, especially in bed under
blankets, is an effective way to stay warm. While experimenting with
this method, you might also try some kind of exercise (see #7). If you
decide that shared body heat is the right warm-up option for you, just
be sure to choose your partner with care (see cautionary note on
Alcohol).
5. Arguments
- Have your ever heard the expressions “Hot under the collar?” or
getting into a “heated debate?” That’s because an emotion such as anger
tends to increase your circulation and bring the capillaries closer to
your skin, giving you a flushed look and making you feel warm all over
(don’t ask us for scientific proof of this, we read it in an astrology
monthly). If you don’t have anyone to get into an argument with while
in Tallinn (i.e., you’re not traveling with a spouse), we suggest
either visiting the Customs Office or getting a lift in one of the
taxis waiting in front of the train station.
6. Setting
something on fire - There’s just nothing like the feel
of a good, hot, crackling fire. You can cook on it, dry snow-drenched
shoes in front of it, and use it to fend off wolves.
7. Exercise
- Aside from the whole question of friction, this will increase your
heart rate and the circulation to your extremities, making your fingers
and toes warmer. Good, healthy exercises in Estonia include
cross-country skiing and ice-skating, but those more specific to the
Tallinn visitor are likely to be: A) Hauling your heavy suitcase up
five flights of stairs to your friend’s place because he doesn’t have
an elevator; and B) running down Viru street chasing the bloke who just
picked your pocket.
8. Don’t
exercise - This one may seem to contradict what we’ve
just said in #7, but what we’re talking about is getting fat, i.e.,
developing a layer of insulating blubber that will retain your body
heat. So go ahead, order dessert. Get the bacon burger with extra
cheese. Supersize your waistline. This is a method that has long been
used with success by whales, polar bears, and Boris Yeltsin, and it can
work for you! If, however, you’re one of those people cursed with a
high metabolism that lets you eat and eat without getting fat, try the
next alternative…
9.
Overdress …not in the sense of wearing a tuxedo to a
bowling tournament, but applying layer after layer of wool or other
thick clothing. This means thermal underwear, fleeces, jumpers,
mittens, hats, scarves and the like. Use your imagination, and combine
a bright, purple ski suit with last year’s Halloween costume. Not only
will you be warm, you’ll be instantly popular too.
10. Flee
the country - Okay, so you’ve given up. Wimped out.
Done a runner. We can’t say we blame you. In fact, pretty much any
Estonian who has the money will take a package trip to the
Mediterranean in the winter, just to remind himself what the sun looks
like. But while you’re sitting on a beach in Corfu or wherever, sipping
your umbrella drink and getting sunburned, just remember what you’re
missing out on in Tallinn. We’ll keep a glass of Hõõgvein
warm for you and have the mustache lady on standby.
After
waking up in the courtyard of the Untika mansion, the
group quickly put together their stuff and headed out along the coastal
road, as today's trip would take them all the way to the old fortified
border town of Narva. On the way they found this great old windmill,
which Marju immediately used to practice her climbing skills while the
rest was fairly content with just using it as s photo opportunity... 
Today's
part
of the journey also led the group to the small town of Sillamäe.
Built around
50 years ago as a Soviet army base, the town was known
for nothing more than its programmes of Uranium enrichment.
Its existence was kept a well hidden
secret. The town didn't even appear on maps of the USSR. Although
Sillamäe no longer harbours radioactive waste, the signs of
its past can still be seen - a majority of Sillamäe's population
suffers from serious health problems and many of the predominantly
Russian citizens living there nowadays, have lost their hair. Also the
town is seriously affected by environmental problems. Still, the city
is quite a sight with its neoclassical Odessa steps and buildings (see
below)
Here you can see the group cycling through parts of the old
industrial complex of the town, where Soviet authorities once stored
radioactive uranium waste. Below are André, Eeva and Alex and to
the right is
Andrzej...
