2024 Prantsusmaa

Ja ongi käes meie reisi viimane hommik. Ärkasime kui päike kajutiaknast hakkas sisse paistma. Siis kiire hommikusöök ja olimegi valmis maabumiseks.

Enne laevast väljumist lobisesime veidi kõrvaloleva motomatkajaga, kes oli teinud tiiru Norras.

Siis oligi aeg laevalt maha sõita. Sõit läbi päkesepaistelise Eesimaa hommiku oli imeilus ja märkamatult olimegi oma järjekordse öömaja ees. Siin peatume pikemalt – vähemalt aasta. Eks siis ole näha, mis edasi saab.

Suured tänud kõigile, kes meie seiklustele kaasa elasid, jõududele, mis meid hoidsid ja ChatGPT-le, kes aitas tõlkimisega.

And here we are on the last morning of our trip. We woke up when the sun began to shine through the cabin window. Then a quick breakfast and we were ready to disembark.

Before leaving the ship, we chatted a bit with a nearby motorcycle traveler who had toured Norway.

Then it was time to drive off the ship. The drive through the sunny Estonian morning was beautiful, and before we knew it, we were in front of our next lodging. We’ll stay here longer – at least a year. We’ll see what happens next.

Many thanks to everyone who followed our adventures, to the forces that kept us safe, and to ChatGPT for helping with the translation.

Siin ongi lubatud pilt meie öömajast. See pole küll päris see hoone, kus meie magasime. See tuleb järgmisel pildid ja ei näe enam nii uhke välja.

Ööbisin siin ka eelmisel aastal, seega oli koht tuttav. Tegemist on ühe kohaliku varaka mehe villaga, milla ta annetas kohalikule koolile. Hetkel asub siin midagi rahvaülikooli taolist ja kooli perioodil majutatakse siin põhiliselt õppijaid.

Meie teekond viis ilma vahejutumiteta läbi Rootsi. Iga kord siin sõites naudin Rootsi loodust – kaljusid ja metsasid.

Here is a promised picture of our lodging. It is not exactly the building where we slept. That will be in the next picture and does not look as grand anymore.

I stayed here last year as well, so the place was familiar. It is a villa belonging to a local wealthy man, which he donated to the local school. Currently, it houses something like a community college, and during the school period, it mainly accommodates students.

Our journey took us through Sweden without any incidents. Every time I drive here, I enjoy the Swedish nature – the lakes and forests.

Sadamasse jõudsime paar tundi enne praami väljumist nii, et oli veidi aega murul pikutada ja ilusat ilma nautida. Laeval tähistasime reisi viimast õhtut klaasikese šampusega.

We arrived at the port a couple of hours before the ferry departure, so we had a bit of time to lie on the grass and enjoy the beautiful weather. On the ship, we celebrated the last evening of the trip with a glass of champagne.

Tänase päeva teekond viis meid läbi Jüütimaa põhjaosa, sealt edasi praamile, mis viis meid Rootsi. Kaardi peal näeb see kõik välja nii.

Today’s journey took us through the northern part of Jutland, then onto a ferry that took us to Sweden. On the map, it all looks like this.

Meie esimeseks peatuskohaks oli Råbjerg Mile. See on väga huvitav moodustis, millest tahaksin kohe pikemalt rääkida. Tegemist on suure liivadüüniga, mis liigub pidevalt edasi. Teadlaste arvutuste järgi peaks düün umber 175 aasta pärast matma enda alla lähedal asuva raudtee ja maantee. Päris nii hull ilmselt asi siiski pole, sest tänapäeval on olemas tehnoloogiad selle liikumise peatamiseks.

Our first stop was Råbjerg Mile. This is a very interesting formation that I would like to talk about in more detail. It is a large sand dune that constantly moves forward. According to scientists’ calculations, the dune is expected to bury the nearby railway and highway in about 175 years. However, it probably won’t be that drastic, as there are technologies available today to stop its movement.

Selle düüni tekkelugu on ka põnev. Düün sai alguse kahe sündmuse tõttu, esiteks väike jääaeg, mille ajal langesid temperatuurid kuni 2 kraadi võrra ja inimtegevus, mille käigus hävines liival kasvav taimestik. Väikese jääaja ühel perioodil mere veetase langes ja see võimaldas tuulel peenemaid liivaterasid lendu puhuda. Selle tulemusel moodustuski esialgne düün. See neelas endasse kaldal juba olemas olvad väiksemad rannadüünid ja muutus järjest suuremaks. Tuule mõjul liikus ta edasi sisemaa poole ja mattis enda alla puud kui ka ette jäänud talud. Selle tõttu pidid talunikud oma maadelt ära kolima.

The formation history of this dune is also fascinating. The dune originated due to two events: first, the Little Ice Age, during which temperatures dropped by up to 2 degrees, and human activity, which destroyed the vegetation growing on the sand. During one period of the Little Ice Age, the sea level dropped, allowing the wind to blow finer sand particles into the air. As a result, the initial dune formed. It absorbed the smaller coastal dunes already present on the shore and grew larger. Driven by the wind, it moved inland, burying trees and any farms in its path. Because of this, farmers had to abandon their land.

Tänasel päeval on düün konserveeritud ja riik on ostnud maa, selle ümbruses. Tegemist on olulise vaatamisväärsusega, mida külastab palju turiste. See oli tõesti muljetavaldav vaatepilt, mis meenutas kõrbe või hoopis mõnda võõrast planeeti. Soovitan seda soojalt kõigile, kes sinna kanti satuvad.

Today, the dune is preserved, and the state has purchased the land around it. It is an important tourist attraction that many visitors come to see. It was truly an impressive sight, reminiscent of a desert or even an alien planet. I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in the area.

Oma lõunapausi tegime linnakeses nimega Skagen. See on Taani kõige põhjapoolsem linn. Tegemist on väikese armsa linnakesega, mis on tuntud oma kollaste majade poolest.

We took our lunch break in a small town called Skagen. It is the northernmost town in Denmark. It is a charming little town known for its yellow houses.

Veidi negatiivne asjaolu Skagenis oli see, et sadama-ala, oli turistidest üleküllastunud. Kõigest hoolimata sõime mõnusalt krõbedat kalafileed koos krevettidega ja nautisime sadama melu.

A slightly negative aspect of Skagen was that the harbor area was overcrowded with tourists. Despite everything, we enjoyed a nice crispy fish fillet with shrimp and soaked in the harbor’s lively atmosphere.

Taanis oli olnud üldiselt jahe ilm ja ilmateade ei lubanud eriti midagi head ka tänaseks. Tegelikkuses aga oli imeilus ja soe ilm. Skagenis hakkas juba päris kuum. Seetõttu tegime mere ääres umbes pooletunnise peatuse, mille käigus õnnestus mul ka sellel aastal esimest korda meres ujumas käia. Inge arvas küll, et ega see õige ujumine ei onud, pigem selline kiire vetteistumine. Nagu alati oli tal õigus, sest vesi oli üsna karge.

Sealt edasi suundusime Frederikshavn’i sadamasse kust meid praam viis Göteborgi. Meie öömaja on täna linnakeses nimega Mölnlycke. Kui veab, siis on ehk sellest mõni pilt järgmises postituses. Homme ongi viimane sõidupäev. Eesmärk on õhtuks jõuda Kappelskäris praamile, mis peaks meid siis ülehomme hommikul Paldiskis maha panema.

The weather in Denmark had generally been cool, and the forecast didn’t promise much good for today either. However, it turned out to be a wonderfully beautiful and warm day. In Skagen, it even got quite hot. Therefore, we made about a half-hour stop by the sea, during which I managed to go for my first swim in the sea this year. Inge did say that it wasn’t really swimming, more like a quick dip. As always, she was right, because the water was quite chilly.

From there, we headed to the port of Frederikshavn, where a ferry took us to Gothenburg. Our accommodation tonight is in a small town called Mölnlycke. If we’re lucky, there might be a picture of it in the next post. Tomorrow is our last driving day. The goal is to reach the ferry in Kapellskär by the evening, which should then drop us off in Paldiski the morning after tomorrow.

Eilse päeva postitus ilmub tehnilistel põhjustel täna. Tehnilisi põhjuseid on kaks: esiteks olime eile õhtuks väga väsinud ja teiseks ei olnud meil veel pilte. Nüüd on mõlemad põhjused kõrvaldatud ja siin ongi eilse päeva kokkuvõte.

Eile oli samuti pikemat sorti sõidupäev. Meie eesmärgiks oli jõuda võimalikult varakult ööbimiskohta Taanis, et siis külastada mesinikku, kelle juures Inge eelmisel aastal praktikal oli.

Sõidupäev kulges ilma vahejutumiteta, istusime ainult üheks suuremas ummikus Hamburgi lähedal, aga ka seal toimus pidev liikumine ja natuke sai mööda sõita ka.

The post for yesterday is appearing today due to technical reasons. There are two technical reasons: first, we were very tired by the evening, and second, we didn’t have any pictures yet. Now both reasons have been resolved, and here is the summary of yesterday.

Yesterday was also a longer driving day. Our goal was to reach our accommodation in Denmark as early as possible, so we could visit the beekeeper with whom Inge had interned last year.

The driving day went without any incidents, except for sitting in a larger traffic jam near Hamburg, but even there, the traffic was moving continuously, and we could drive a bit as well.

Meie seekordne öömaja asus Randersi nimelise linna külje all kohas nimega Olsson B&B. Selles hoones asus vanasti meierei aga nüüd on sellest saanud mõnus majutusasutus. Eriti tundus see sobivat lastega peredele, sest hinna sees oli basseind, kus lastele meeldis hullata.

Tegelikult meil eriti aega ei olnudki ringi vaadata, sest hüppasime uuesti tsiklile ja sõitsime veel 30 kilomeetrit. Meie sihtkohaks oli mesindustalu, kus Inge eelmisel aastal praktikal oli. Selles kohas olin ma juba ka eelmisel aastal tsikliga käinud.

Seal võeti meid väga sõbralikult vastu ja kaeti väga maitsev õhtusöök Meie seltskonnas oli väga erinevaid inimesi: Jaanus kes pidevalt Taanis töötab ja kellega ma olin eelmisel aastal juba kohtunud, Anu, kes õppis koos Ingega Olustveres ja lõpetas just oma 4-nädalast tööperioodi, Helena, kes elab talvel Mehhikos ja kes ka igal suvel Taanis mesilatega töötab ja lõpuks kõige tähtsamad – peremees ja perenaine – Ivan ja Dorte. Meil oli väga lõbus ja öömajale jõudsime alles pimedas.

Our accommodation this time was located just outside the city of Randers, at a place called Olsson B&B. This building used to be a dairy, but it has now been transformed into a pleasant lodging. It seemed particularly suitable for families with children, as it included a pool where kids enjoyed playing.

We didn’t actually have much time to look around because we quickly hopped back on the motorcycle and drove another 30 kilometers. Our destination was the beekeeping farm where Inge had interned last year. I had already visited this place on a motorcycle last year.

We were received very warmly there and treated to a delicious dinner. Our group included a variety of people: Jaanus, who works in Denmark regularly and whom I had met last year, Anu, who studied with Inge in Olustvere and had just finished her 4-week work period, Helena, who spends winters in Mexico and works with bees in Denmark every summer, and finally, the most important – the host and hostess – Ivan and Dorte. We had a lot of fun and returned to our accommodation only after dark.

Tervitused Saksamaalt!

Täna on meil küll selline päev olnud, kus me põhimõtteliselt kuskil ei käinud ja midagi ei näinud 🙂

Väike väsimus hakkab ligi tikkuma, ei saa hommikul enam nii varakult üles.., pikad sõidupäevad jälle. Ma imestan, kuidas Teet jaksab…., mina olen rohkem väsinud 🙂

Täna startisime Nancy`st alles kell 10. Meil oli küll lõunaseks puhkepausiks ja lõunatamiseks mõeldud Kölni linnas natuke ringi vaadata ja Lindt`i šokolaadimuuseumit külastada, aga vaatasime, et päev läheb liiga pikale ja jätsime selle vahele. Tegime hoopiski ühe kohvipeatuse … Luksemburgis, me isegi ei olnud teekonda planeerides aru saanud, et tee viib meid sealt läbi, nüüd siis seal ka käidud :).

Ilm oli sõiduks väga hea, korraks viskasime vihmariided ka peale, pisut tibutas, aga suuremad vihmahood olid just enne igalt poolt üle käinud, nii et läks täna hästi. Temperatuur ka paras, selline 21-25.

Täna ööbime Bielefeldis ühes hotellis linnast natuke eemal. Praegu juba tunnikese akna taga vihmutab ja pikalt müristab, loodetavasti homseks taevas jälle selge.

Homme pikk päev ees, mingi 600 km, plaan homme juba Taanis ööbida.

Greetings from Germany!

Today has been quite a day for us, where we basically didn’t go anywhere or see anything 🙂

A bit of fatigue is starting to set in, I can’t get up so early in the mornings anymore… long driving days again. I wonder how Teet manages… I’m more tired 🙂

Today we didn’t start from Nancy until 10 o’clock. We had planned to take a look around Cologne and visit the Lindt chocolate museum during our lunch break, but we saw that the day was getting too long and skipped it. Instead, we made a coffee stop… in Luxembourg. We hadn’t even realized when planning the route that it would take us through there, so now we’ve been there too :).

The weather was very good for driving, we put on our rain gear briefly, as it drizzled a little, but the heavier rains had just passed everywhere, so it turned out well today. The temperature was just right, around 21-25 degrees.

Tonight we’re staying at a hotel a bit outside of Bielefeld. It’s been raining lightly and thundering for an hour now outside the window, hopefully the sky will be clear again tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a long day ahead, about 600 km, and we plan to stay overnight in Denmark.

Täna asusime koduteele. See viis meid veel läbi Prantsumaa. Nagu juba tavaks valisime lõunapuhkuseks ühe vaatamisväärsuse ja seekord oli see vanade roomlaste teater linnakeses nimega Autun. See pärineb 1st sajandist ja on väga hästi säilinud. Lisaks viis see meid kiirteest kõrvale ja võimaldas veelkord nautida kaunist Prantsumaa loodust ja väikeseid maalilisi linnakesi.

Today, we set off on our way home. This took us through France once more. As usual, we chose a sightseeing spot for our lunch break, and this time it was an ancient Roman theater in a small town called Autun. It dates back to the 1st century and is very well preserved. Additionally, it took us off the highway and allowed us to enjoy the beautiful French countryside and small picturesque towns once again.

Õhtuks jõudsime meie tänasesse peatuspaika – linna, mille nimeks on Nancy. See osutus imetoredaks üllatuseks. Linn on väga maaliline, seal on palju ilusat arhitektuuri, imeline ajalooline väljak, kaunis park ja palju muud. Ma ei püüagi seda sõnades edasi anda. Ehk pildid aitavad. Kõige parem on tulla ja ise järgi vaadata.

By evening, we arrived at our stop for the day – a city called Nancy. It turned out to be a delightful surprise. The city is very picturesque, with lots of beautiful architecture, a wonderful historical square, a lovely park, and much more. I won’t even try to convey it in words. Maybe the pictures will help. The best way is to come and see for yourself.

Homme meie teekond jätkub. Seniks aga naudime und meie väikeses kuid mõnusas apartmendis.

Tomorrow our journey continues. Until then, we will enjoy our sleep in our small but cozy apartment.

Usḱumatu, aga täna oli mul selle nädala jooksul esimest korda tiba jahe, kui motikaga ringi sõitsime. Eilne äike on kraadid mõnusalt allapoole toonud. Kui eile näitas kraadiklaas 35 kraadi, siis täna, mägedesse sõites, oli kohati lausa 13 kraadi :). Aga me olime siis ikka päris kõrgel ka, muidu linnas selline eestimaiselt 21-23 kraadi. Mõnus!

Incredible, but today was the first time this week that I felt a bit chilly while riding around on the motorbike. Yesterday’s thunderstorm has pleasantly lowered the temperatures. While yesterday the thermometer showed 35 degrees, today, riding into the mountains, it was at times as low as 13 degrees :). But we were pretty high up then, otherwise in the city, it was a more Estonian-like 21-23 degrees. Nice!

Täna meil ka veel selline tore lebotamise päev, kuhugi kiiret polnud.

Eilse vulkaanimäe tippu ronimisega saime loodetavasti kõik patud lunastatud, seega täna sellist pikka palverännakut mõne teise mäe otsa ette ei võtnud. Sõitsime lihtsalt natuke ringi, läbi ilusate külakeste ja linnakeste, jalutasime järve ääres, uudistasime vanas lossis ringi, nautisime vaateid ja meie eelviimast päeva Prantsusmaal.

Today we also had a nice lazy day, with no rush to go anywhere.

With yesterday’s climb to the top of the volcano, we hopefully redeemed all our sins, so today we didn’t undertake a long pilgrimage up another mountain. We just drove around a bit, through beautiful villages and towns, walked by the lake, explored an old castle, enjoyed the views, and our penultimate day in France.

Ja tegelikult ju täna saabki see pidu meil siin läbi, homme hommikul võtame suuna juba kodu poole ja homseks taas 540 km planeeritud.

And actually, today this party here comes to an end for us; tomorrow morning we head home, and we have another 540 km planned for tomorrow.

Tänaseks sihtpunktiks oli meil Puy-de-Dome. See on vana vulkaan Clermont-Ferrand’i lähistel. Põhilised faktid selle kohta on järgmised: kõrgus 1,400 m, viimane aktiivne periood – ca 10,000 aastat tagasi, kaugus linnast – 13 km.

Kõige suuremaks takistuseks tippu jõudmisel tundus olevat liigne palavus. Linnas on temperatuur stabiilselt üle 30 kraadi. Et palavust vältida ärkasime kell 5 ja peale kiiret hommikusööki sõitsime välja.

Our destination for today was Puy-de-Dome. It is an old volcano near Clermont-Ferrand. The main facts about it are as follows: height 1,400 m, last active period – about 10,000 years ago, distance from the city – 13 km.

The biggest obstacle to reaching the summit seemed to be the excessive heat. The temperature in the city has been steadily over 30 degrees. To avoid the heat, we woke up at 5 AM and, after a quick breakfast, set out.

Selle mäe otsa saab mitut moodi. Põhimõtteliselt on kaks varianti – lihtne, sõita üles rongiga ja keeruline, minna jala. Selleks, et kogu protsessi täielikult nautida, valisime loomulikult teise variandi. Alguses oli tõus lauge, aga varsti muutus see päris järsuks.

Varahommikune mäkketõus oli mõnus. Puudevarjus oli temperatuur mõnus ja ka rahvas ei olnud liiga palju. Suur osa mäkketõusjatest olid tulnud sporti tegema ja jooksid nii üles kui ka alla. Mõned tegid seda kohe mitu korda. See oli ka meile heaks motivaatoriks.

There are several ways to get to the top of this mountain. Basically, there are two options – the easy way, by taking the train up, and the hard way, by walking. To fully enjoy the entire process, we naturally chose the latter option. Initially, the climb was gentle, but soon it became quite steep.

The early morning ascent was pleasant. In the shade of the trees, the temperature was comfortable and there weren’t too many people. A large part of the climbers had come for exercise and were running both up and down. Some were doing it multiple times. This was also a good motivator for us.

Selle mäe otsa on meiesugused roninud juba aastatuhandeid. Ristiusu eelsel ajal toimusid tipus erinevad usuriitused. Mäe otsas käidi palverännakutel. Hiljem 19. saj. lõpul 20. saj. alguses leidis aset esimene tõus tippu nii jalgratta kui autoga. Sellel mäel on kulgenud ka Tour de France trass. Jooksu rekord on väidetavalt veidi üle 11 minuti. Seega oli meil palju eeskujusid.

People like us have been climbing this mountain for millennia. In pre-Christian times, various religious rituals took place at the summit. Pilgrimages were made to the top. Later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the first ascents to the summit by bicycle and car took place. The Tour de France route has also passed over this mountain. The running record is reportedly just over 11 minutes. So, we had many role models.

Meil võttis tippu jõudmine umbes 1.5 tundi. See võttis selja märjaks ja peab üles tunnistama, et tegime rajaäärsetel pinkidel mitu puhkepausi. Lõpuks olimegi tipus ja siin oli palju huvitavat.

It took us about 1.5 hours to reach the summit. It made us sweat, and I have to admit that we took several breaks on the benches along the trail. Finally, we were at the top, and there was a lot of interesting things to see.

Tipust avanesid imelised vaated. Sealt oli näha meie peatuskoht Clermont-Ferrand. Linn oli aga praktiliselt kaetud uduvinega. Puy-de-Dome on tegelikult osa vulkaanide ahelikust. Seega oli siit hästi nähe mitmeid teisi vulkaane. Tipus oli väga palju imeilusaid aasalilli, millel sumisesid mesilased.

The summit offered amazing views. From there, we could see our stop, Clermont-Ferrand. However, the city was practically covered in a haze. Puy-de-Dome is actually part of a chain of volcanoes, so several other volcanoes were clearly visible from here. The summit had many beautiful meadow flowers, buzzing with bees.

Veel oli tipus mitu inimtekkelist põnevat objekti. 1870ndatel aastatel rajati siia ilmavaatlusjaam ja füüsika labor. Selle ehituse käigus tuli välja midagi veel põnevamat – vana Rooma aegne tempel. See tempel pärines ca 2 aastasajast peale kristust. Väljakaevamistel leiti sealt kivist silt kuhu oli kirjutatud, kellele see tempel oli pühendatud. Selleks oli Mercurius, kes oli kaubanduse, reiside (ja ka varguse) jumal. Kuna ka meie oleme reisilised, siis tundsime kohe selle kohaga sidet.

Mäetipus ringi vaadates läks aeg kiiresti ja inimesi tuli järjest juurde. Suur grupp tegeles joogaga ja rohkesti oli ka langevarjuga lendajaid.

There were several fascinating man-made objects at the summit. In the 1870s, a weather observation station and a physics lab were established here. During this construction, something even more exciting was discovered – an old Roman temple. This temple dated back to around the 2nd century AD. During the excavations, a stone sign was found, indicating to whom the temple was dedicated. It was dedicated to Mercury, the god of commerce, travel (and also theft). Since we are travelers as well, we immediately felt a connection with this place.

As we explored the summit, time flew by, and more people kept arriving. A large group was practicing yoga, and there were also many paragliders.

Mäest alla tulek läks palju lihtsamalt kui üles ronimine. Puhus mõnus tuuleke ja ka puud andsid varju, seega ei olnud kuumus nii hull kui alguses kartsime. Tegime siiski ka alla tulles paar puhkepausi. Inimesi oli rohkem kui hommikul ja jooksjaid vähem. Muljetavaldav oli üks isa koos väikese pojaga, kes koos joostes laskusid. Poiss jooksis väga tublilt, aga veel muljetavaldavam oli isa, kellel ühe jala asemel oli protees.

Ei tea kas see oli varasest ärkamisest või füüsilisest pingutuses, aga väga mõnus oli enne parklasse jõudmist korra metsa alla pikali visata ja pikutada.

Linn võttis meid vastu 35-kraadise kuumusega. Kui me aga oma majutuskohta jõudsime hakkas umbes poole tunni pärast tugev äike, tuul tõusis ja sadas ka rahet. Peale seda oli linn täis puudelt rebitud lehti ja murdunud oksi.

Descending the mountain was much easier than climbing up. A pleasant breeze was blowing, and the trees provided shade, so the heat wasn’t as bad as we initially feared. Nevertheless, we still took a few breaks on the way down. There were more people than in the morning and fewer runners. One particularly impressive sight was a father with his young son, who were running down together. The boy ran very well, but even more impressive was the father, who had a prosthetic leg.

Perhaps it was the early start or the physical exertion, but it felt wonderful to lie down and rest for a bit in the forest before reaching the parking lot.

The city greeted us with a scorching 35-degree heat. However, about half an hour after we arrived at our accommodation, a strong thunderstorm began, the wind picked up, and there was even hail. Afterward, the city was strewn with leaves torn from the trees and broken branches.

Täna võtsime rattavaba päeva ja transformeerusime tõelisteks turistideks. Elame 4 päeva ~100 tuhanfe elanikuga linnakeses Clermont-Ferrand‘is.

Majutuseks broneerisin väikese stuudio-apartmendi. Broneerides ju täpselt aru ei saanud, kus see täpselt asub jne, aga kohale jõudes selgus, et oleme täpselt vanalinna keskel, korter ise on lausa nn penthouse, katusealune on korteriks välja ehitatud ja kõik vajalik olemas: pesumasin, föön, triikraud, no mida veel oskaks tahta 🙂

Today we took a bike-free day and transformed into real tourists. We are staying for 4 days in a small city with about 100,000 inhabitants called Clermont-Ferrand.

For accommodation, I booked a small studio apartment. When booking, I didn’t fully understand where it was exactly located, but upon arrival, it turned out that we are right in the middle of the old town. The apartment itself is a sort of penthouse, the attic has been converted into an apartment, and everything we need is here: washing machine, hairdryer, iron, what more could one want 🙂

Pisut siis tänase päeva tähelepanekutest:

Siin linnas on sündinud Blaise Pascal, maailmakuulus multitalent, matemaatik, füüsik, filosoof ja palju muud. Ta suri suhteliselt noorelt, 39 aastasena. Elu teise pooles oli ta pühendunud jumala teenimisele ning tema lähenemine elule oli, et kristlaste elu peabki kannatustest koosnema, vot siis nii…

Turismindusega tegelemiseks palusime AI-l meile linna olulisematest vaatamisväärsustest marsruut kokku panna. Sai päris hästi hakkama, käisime kõik läbi, mida ta pakkus ja mis siia lähedusse jäi.

Selle linna kaks suuremat vaatamisväärsust on kaks suurt ja võimsat kirikut: Basiilika ning Notre-Dame Rooma-Katoliku kirik. Viimase eripäraks on see, et ehituseks kasutati laavakive, mis annab kirikule omapärase tumeda tooni ning eristab teda teistest hoonetest. Kiriku renoveerimisel ning juurdeehituse tegemisel tuli paraku lammutada Pascali sünnikodu. Mõlema kiriku aknaid ja seinu kaunistavad imeilusad vitraazid.

A few observations from today:

Blaise Pascal, the world-famous polymath, mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and much more, was born in this city. He died relatively young, at the age of 39. In the second half of his life, he was dedicated to serving God, and his approach to life was that the life of Christians must consist of suffering, just like that…

To engage in tourism, we asked AI to put together a route for us covering the city’s main attractions. It did quite well, we visited everything it suggested and which was close by.

The two main attractions of this city are two large and impressive churches: the Basilica and the Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Church. The distinctive feature of the latter is that it was built using lava stones, which gives the church a unique dark tone and sets it apart from other buildings. Unfortunately, Pascal’s birthplace had to be demolished during the church’s renovation and expansion. The windows and walls of both churches are adorned with beautiful stained glass.

Edasi viis meid AI koostatud plaan Arheoloogia ja tekstiili muuseumisse. Nagu te aru saate, siis siin on jätkuvalt väga soe ja kirikud ja muuseumid on ju teadupärast jahedad, meile selline plaan sobis hästi 🙂

Next, the AI-generated plan took us to the Archaeology and Textile Museum. As you can understand, it is still very warm here, and churches and museums are known to be cool, so this plan suited us well 🙂

Kui turismindusega asjad ühel pool, siis õhtuseks tegevuseks valisime kinoskäigu 🙂 Ma küll väga lootsin, et film on siiski inglisekeelne, aga Teet mattis selle mõtte kohe maha, sellises suurriigis kindlasti on filmid pealeloetud tekstidega, nii paraku ka oli, aga mr. Google oli pisut abiks ka siin 🙂

Ja kinno jõudmiseks kasutasime ühistransporti, sõitsime trammiga. Trammid on siin üherööpalised ja huvitav oli see, et lisaks peatuste nimedele oli iga peatus tähistatud ka erineva looma- või linnuga, alustades elevantidest ja lõpetades sipelgaga. Meie kinopeatus oli nt mesilase peatuses 🙂

Once we were done with our tourism activities, we chose to go to the cinema for the evening 🙂 I was really hoping the film would be in English, but Teet immediately dismissed that idea, saying that in such a major country, films are definitely dubbed, and unfortunately, he was right. However, Mr. Google was somewhat helpful here too 🙂

To get to the cinema, we used public transport and took the tram. The trams here are single-rail, and interestingly, besides the names of the stops, each stop was also marked with a different animal or bird, ranging from elephants to ants. For example, our cinema stop was the bee stop 🙂

Homne plaan viib meid motikaga kunagisi vulkaanikraatreid vaatama. Arvatavasti alustame päeva ~kell 5, et sealsed matkamised veel hommikujaheduses ära teha.

Tomorrow’s plan will take us on the motorcycle to see ancient volcanic craters. We’ll probably start the day around 5 AM to complete the hikes in the morning coolness.

Põhimõttelisel olemegi jõudnud oma reisi sihtpunkti – linna nimega Clermont-Ferrand. Siia plaanime jääda mitmeks päevaks, et siinse ümbruskonnaga tutvuda. Tänased muljed selles kohast piirduvad orienteerumisega meie majutuskoha ümber, et (1) leida see üles, (2) leida parkimiskoht tsiklile, (3) leida pood, et osta süüa. Pikemalt kirjutame selles linnast juba edaspidi.

Essentially, we have arrived at our travel destination – a city called Clermont-Ferrand. We plan to stay here for several days to explore the surrounding area. Today’s impressions of this place are limited to getting oriented around our accommodation in order to (1) find it, (2) find a parking spot for the motorcycle, and (3) find a store to buy food. We will write more about this city later on.

Tänased põhilised muljed on pärit hoopis linnast nimega Moulins. Sattusime sinna täiesti juhuslikult. Kuna tänane teekond oli üsna lühike, vaid umbes 250 kilomeetrit, siis esialgu me suuremat peatust ei planeerinud. Plaanis oli teha lihtsalt paus poolel maal teeäärses tanklas. Selle pausi ajal aga leidsime, et meie majususse saame sisse alles alates kella 17st. Et aega parajaks teha otsisime, mida ümbruskonnas vaadata. Silma jäi 8 km kaugusel asuv kostüümide näitus ja asusimegi sinna teele.

Today’s main impressions are from a town called Moulins. We ended up there completely by chance. Since today’s journey was quite short, only about 250 kilometers, we didn’t initially plan for a major stop. The plan was to simply take a break at a roadside gas station halfway. During this break, however, we found out that we could only check into our accommodation after 5 PM. To pass the time, we looked for something to see in the surrounding area. We noticed a costume exhibition located 8 km away, so we decided to head there.

Muuseum asus ajaloolises hoones, mis on pärit Louis XV valitsemisajast. Kunagi asus selles hoones ratsaväe kasarm. Muuseum avati siin 2006 aastal. Muljet avaldavad on puud, mis muuseumi ümbritsevad, kuna need on kujundatud väga huvitavalt. Muuseumi esisel platsil õitsesid aga magnooliad.

The museum was located in a historical building dating back to the reign of Louis XV. This building once housed a cavalry barracks. The museum was opened here in 2006. The trees surrounding the museum are impressive, as they are designed in a very interesting way. Magnolias were blooming in the square in front of the museum.

Muuseumis oli väljas kaks ekspositsiooni. Rudolf Nureyev’i poolt muuseumile annetatud kollektsioon. See sisaldas nii tema lavakostüüme kui ka isiklikke esemeid. Teine oli Philippe Decouflé kostüümide väljapanek. Ma ei pea ennast eriliseks balleti asjatundjaks, seega oli väljapanek väga huvitav.

Nureyevi kohta võib rohkem infot leida Wikipediast. Siin on aga mõned faktid, mis mulle meelde jäid. (1) Nureyev sündis rongis Irkutski lähedal, kui tema ema oli teel oma mehe juurde Vladivostokki, (2) Tema vanemad oli moslemid, (3) Ta põgenes NSVLst 1961 aastal, (4) Kuigi ta oli superstaar, kelle sõpruskonda kuulusid Mick Jagger, Liza Minelli, Andy Warhol ja palud teised kuulsused, meeldis talle üksindus, (5) Enamuses klassikalistes ballettides olid põhifookuses naiste osad, seega tegi Nureyev meeste osad ümber, et neid rohkem esile tõsta. (6) Enne oma surma 1993 aastal tegi ta eduka debüüdi dirigendina.

The museum featured two exhibitions. One was a collection donated to the museum by Rudolf Nureyev. It included both his stage costumes and personal items. The other was a display of costumes by Philippe Decouflé. I don’t consider myself a particular expert on ballet, so the exhibition was very interesting.

You can find more information about Nureyev on Wikipedia. Here are some facts that stood out to me: (1) Nureyev was born on a train near Irkutsk while his mother was on her way to join her husband in Vladivostok, (2) His parents were Muslims, (3) He defected from the USSR in 1961, (4) Although he was a superstar with friends like Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol, and many other celebrities, he enjoyed solitude, (5) In most classical ballets, the main focus was on the female roles, so Nureyev reworked the male roles to highlight them more, (6) Before his death in 1993, he made a successful debut as a conductor.

Tänase postituse lõpetan Pransusmaa lehmadega, kes on saanud modelliks kunstnikele.

I will conclude today’s post with the cows of France, who have become models for artists.