The trip also broke my strongly entrenched understanding that in Estonia everything is happening quicker, better and higher quality. At almost every place we went it was more than strange to listen to compliments about higher living standard, about this and that made in order, about succeeding here or there. Yes, for one moment Estonian tourism enterprises had lower level of added tax, but now it is on the same level as us. Listening to the outspoken answers of the Western Region Governor Neeme Suur about the politics we understood that they also are in trouble with reforms and they do not want Estonia to be divided into four big areas (and fifth Tallinn) and that in future they will be in subordination of Pärnu governor, they will have to take their women for deliveries God knows where... everything like with us.

But nature and together with that offers for tourists are quite different from ours and quite captivating. Of course, also in Latvia there are nature passes, protected areas, places where one can follow the migration of birds and we have seen them before Pärnu. I have always been fascinated by march, by its unique magic and mystic; that’s why both in Nigula Reservation and in Matsalu National Park after many kilometers of walk to our destination – lakes in march and the highest in Baltics dune watchtower, a sudden peace and a promise came to my heart: it’s going to be much better. And that's a way how it went.

Haapsalu I already knew as a place where in the ruins of bishops castle the theater performance about „white lady“ is held every August since 1975, but, as its said, better see one time than hear hundred. That isparticularly beautiful small town with ten thousand inhabitants and two treasures – the castle and the illustrator of Astrid Lingren’s books Ilona Vikland. That was a great surprise for the Haapsalu people themselves to find out that the visual author of Karlson was born and spent her childhood in their town. So heavy was the iron curtain that no message came through it about the famous citizen and also Ilona, who arrived in Sweden in the very end of WWII, got married to Swedish and did not teach her children Estonian, never hoped to come back to fatherland. Like stone disappears under small drops of water, the empire of darkness felt and Ilona's drawings came back to native country as her present. From 2006 there is a gallery of Ilona Vikland's illustrations and paintings and from the summer of this year – her museum. Splendid and, according to the modern language, interactive. There is Karlsons Room and Bullerby Kitchen (you can prepare meal in it). The yard of museum provides different activities. If stilbirds are common also with us, then gigantic cat was a discovery, which in future we shall definitely find in one of the Liflands tourism farms. There is small stage, House of Matthias, House of Handicraft where children may draw, cut, carve; Magic Well where fairy-tales are told. In short: a paradise for families with children and school-youngsters. The parents for sure will be touched by the art of Ilona – I will forever see that drawing of empty station and five-years old girl, dog and yellow suitcase. Those are the memories of the illustrators childhood, when little girl was making trips between Haapsalu, where grandmother was living and Tallinn, where mother was.

The ruins of Bishops Castle are very impossant with its huge 3 ha inner yard, with possibility to climb the Tower, with generally thoughtful exposition of the ruins and the fine sound background within them: like somewhere inside the monks are singing. Our excursion ends with the legend – for centuries in the high moon nights of August the White Lady is seen in the window of Baptistery. Legend tells that one of the order brothers felt in love with the local Estonian girl. For the lovers to meet the girl cut her hair, won the competition for the place in the Archibishop's Chorus and lived in the castle. When it once came out the punishment was cruel to both lovers – the lady was walled in the Baptistery, he died of starvation in the Tower. But we, forgetting about poor lovers, ate a gorgeous meal at the Veskiviigi Tavern in Yach-port.

In the final destiny of our journey Vormsi Island we are met by our guide who is also the chief of rural government and, besides, Latvian. Daina Jüristo captures us for the first sight – her stories are so wise, but they are told with such an expression which you might call English humour. One must start thinking that in Estonia the rural leaders are extraordinary ruthlesly exposed persons with excelent sense of humour (lets remember Neeme Suur, whose family name means „big“ and that fits both his apperance and intelect). All the „pearls“ of Daina is impossible to reproduct, but some I’ll try to citate.

„ I am Latvian governor of the Swedish Island belonging to Estonia. We have 212 people living over winter, Island is 20 km long and approximately 6,5 km wide. One can make a full circle in one hour. The name of the Island means viper. There are three versions – thousand years ago the first viking arriving to the Island was called Orm (Viper) , his ship was called Viper or there are quite a few snakes on the Island. Swedish have been the inhabitants of the Island until 1944, when two German officers organized the evacuation of all the people during nine nights. Stayed some ten people, who took care of the animals untill Soviet Army came and new inhabitants fulfilled the Island. Domestic animals were already waiting.

We have our public transportation – ferry, which every morning at nine, when the public buss has arrived from Haapsalu comes to us those nine kilometers sharing us from mainland. The captains are excellent. Viktor is younger and he is more cautious, the elder captain Paul is shipping also is great waves and when he says „we are not going“ that one knows that it is really clear that there are no shipping conditions. The ferry carries everything to the Island. What happens when the ship sinks? Nothing, it will be few inches deeper. The sea is shallow – average 2 meters and the ferry travels in a specially deepened 30 m wide groove. When the ice is moving, the ferry cannot move and it has to go less if there is an ice-road in winter. Last time the ferry wasn’t moving for a while was when the previous shop-owner felt in an unequal battle with the green dragon of alcohol and dumped his microbus in the groove. Took some time to fish it out. For the last years we are having some 3000 people having summer holidays on the Island. They are attracted by the romantic, nature and loneliness. The man coming down the ferry is count Volkonski, from those who are described in Tolstoi’s „War And Peace“, we have our own baron Stackelberg, the family once possessed more than 60 manors in Estonia and, buy the way, Camilla von Stackelberg was once living in Venden and about that time she wrote a novel „The Leaves In The Wind“. We have a sheriff, five firemen, kindergarten with 7 children and school with 15 children and our new headmistress, who just returned from the exile in France.“

The whole novel could proseed, since Daina’s knowledge is deep and her interest in history she has strengthened by entering Tartu University. But, more to subject, what can one see on such a small island.

I was most fascinated by the order in surroundings and only then by the monuments of history, though Daina complained that in fact there are no rules allowing to fight with owners of out of order houses, those we kind of didn’t notice them so much. But we did notice in every village Swedish red small houses – it came out these are garbage houses with containers inside. There are 14 villages on the Island and as many garbage houses. People are paying special tax and everybody, including tourists can leave the garbage in these places. We must say, that before in every village was average 25 private houses, but now there are about 3 „smokes“ – that means three houses from whose chimney smoke rises in winter. State road is only 37 kilometers, but it seemed that smaller roads are also runnable, since are kept in good order. The islanders can get to the ferry if they call the bus. Fine.

Very special is the church of St.Olav, built in 13 century. The cemetery with 343 round viking type stone crosses (eldest from 1754, youngest 20 century) shining in autumn’s sun is one-of-a-kind. Swedish Museum looks like Latvian farm hundred years ago, but only with Swedish accent. The Magnushof manor built by Magnus De La Gardie is one and only biggest possession on the Island and once it was going from hand to hand. It is interesting that for a moment it belonged to Maurice of Saxony who lost it by card table to Stackelbergs. There is an orthodox church on the Island which is slowly restored and was visited in the middle of summer by the cardinal. He left with a question: „What would You say if I want to build a monastery here?“ Why not, answered Daina. Beautiful is the seaside, though stony. Actually here are stones everywhere and friends of nature can find even a Coral-stone in the middle of forest. There is a museum in old lighthouse and its guard Artjöm can nonstop talk about Island. He is one of those for whom Island is everything.

It is always pleasant to come to Estonia because of the agreeable prices of hotels. There are possibilities on Vormsi for everybody – backpackers, groups and families. Yes, the last position was specially mentioned in guesthouses and the general opinion of the Island is like this: „ In the beginning we were focused on Swedish, but now our target is Estonian family.“ I wish everybody to visit Estonian Islands from the bottom of my heart at least to experience the famous white nights like the ones in Petersburg. You do not need to buy the expensive visa, you need to travel only few hours and, if you do not have your own transport, you will be taken there by any of the members of Liflands Tourism Association.

Gunta Rukšâne