Month: June 2019

Coastal hiking in Estonia: Never trust a weatherman

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On the beach of Pärnu, an arrow on a changing cabin points at Ainaži. 66 kilometres, it says.

Latvia is less than 70 kilometres away. Not that the Estonians have such a passionate relationship with their neighbours. It’s one of a brief hello in the hallway – no more, no less. But since Jevgeni Ossinovski, the former Minister of Health, raised the excise duties on alcohol, the Estonians like to make weekend trips to the SuperAlkos of Ainaži and Valka. Children and dog in the back of the van and the road trip can begin, towards cheaper alcohol! Ironically, the Estonians have made fun of their Finnish brothers for years when the latter went on yet another booze cruise towards Tallinn. Those Finns now also have to travel one stop further for affordable drunkenness. Continue Reading →

When dusk kisses dawn: 6 essential ingredients for a successful Midsummer in Estonia

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When it comes to holidays, only Christmas is more important than Midsummer in Estonia. Whoever doesn’t sit around a campfire somewhere in the country that night might as well hand his passport in at once and apply for political asylum in a country that does not celebrate Midsummer. Why don’t you try North Korea? Continue Reading →

Beer in Guatemala: “A dream for fans of canned dishwater”

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Musician Frank Zappa famously said that “you can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.” In his memory, I embarked on a quest to find the best beer in each of the Central American countries we visited. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it. Right?

Next up: Guatemala. Continue Reading →