TALLIN, ESTONIA: GUNS’N’ROSES

Dates: 14.07.2018 – 17.07.2018

RIGA – TALLINN

14.07.2018: I bought the tickets on the very first day they went on sale back in November. That left me a little over half a year to introduce Madara to the Guns N’ Roses repertoire so she’d be properly prepared.
We set off in the morning. Baltušs has arranged for us to take his dad’s BMW X5 so there’s more room for everyone. Fine by us. Both my Fiesta and Jānis’s would have been considerably tighter for four people. Strategically, we stop at the border to stock up on beer and wine because these things are noticeably more expensive in Estonia. With our small crate of 0.33L beers and a couple of bottles of wine, we look like complete amateurs compared with the quantities everyone else is buying. Is northern alcohol tourism to Latvia really that popular?

RUMMU QUARRY

14.07.2018: Our first proper stop, not counting the border shop, is Rummu Quarry. Since my parents visited last year, the place has become commercialised. They had to climb through a hole in the fence into an area where you technically weren’t supposed to go. This year, they’re already letting everyone in for €3. There’s still a sign 20 metres earlier saying vehicles aren’t allowed, yet the car park is full.
Climbing to the top of the quarry takes around 15 minutes. The view from above is pretty cool. You can see not only the buildings sticking out of the water, but because it’s such a sunny day, some of the completely submerged buildings are partly visible too. The water is surprisingly clear.
The weather is excellent today, so there are plenty of people here. There’s also a nicely organised public beach.
You can see divers exploring the submerged buildings. That must be pretty cool, right? The three-storey building above the water has been taken over by swimmers. Ordinary mortals jump from the second floor – the first floor is underwater – while the brave guys jump from the third-floor window. Baltušs and I jump from the second floor. The water is actually quite warm, which is probably logical considering it’s the middle of July.
Rummu Quarry is also the first waterproofing test for the little Chinese action camera I brought along. Honestly, not bad. We get some pretty funny underwater selfies.

TALLINN, ESTONIA: TELLISKIVI

14.07.2018: After swimming and jumping into the water, we continue towards Tallinn. Our accommodation is near the bus station, roughly halfway between the city centre and the Song Festival Grounds where the concert will take place. Because of the location, everything is within walking distance. The apartment owner has come up with an interesting system. He sends me an SMS with a code for a lockbox attached to an electricity pole beside the entrance. Inside are the apartment keys.
On the first evening, we walk to Tallinn’s new market and the hipster Telliskivi district next to it. The market itself is already closed, but Telliskivi is very much alive, so we have dinner there. We choose some Indian restaurant where, as expected, the food is fairly spicy – something I’m not exactly a huge fan of. But the food has already been ordered and delivered, so there’s nothing left to do except wipe away a tear and eat it.

TALLINN

15.07.2018: Today is free programme. Since we’re in Tallinn, we have to go and say hello to our old white friends in the Old Town. They’re still confidently guarding their post.
We also visit Tallinn Market, which was closed yesterday. Lots of little things. The entire place is basically made up of small kiosks. It’s more of a stylish market where you go for a walk and eat ice cream than somewhere you’d buy vegetables for lunch. But the atmosphere is pleasant.
Next, our route takes us to Tallinn harbour, where some kind of sailors’ festival and craft market is taking place. The weather is excellent. One very worthwhile €1 investment turns out to be a straw hat. We also accidentally get to explore a sailing ship docked in the harbour. There are loads of people onboard though, so we don’t stay too long.
Baltušs seems to have a black hole in his stomach today – he eats everything that doesn’t move. After the gastronomic excesses, we head home for a power nap. In the evening, we’re going to the city square, where the FIFA World Cup final will be shown on a giant screen. Croatia versus France.
Recharged and slightly rested, we head into the centre. Without any serious argument behind it, I’m supporting Croatia. I’m not exactly the world’s biggest football fan, but in an atmosphere like this the time passes surprisingly quickly. France wins 4–2. I’m not particularly devastated by the result, although a few Croatians in the square clearly are.
After the match, everyone is pretty hungry, so before heading home we find somewhere to eat. Pizza for dinner tonight!

TALLINN: STROOMI RAND

16.07.2018: Based on the weather forecast, we’re going to spend a couple of hours at the beach because the concert isn’t until the evening. The girls are perfectly happy to lie in the sun for ages. Jānis and I can’t do that anyway, so we go hunting Pokémon instead. We spend around 40 minutes walking through the park catching Japanese monsters in the game that has suddenly become so popular. After roasting ourselves for a while, we head back home to rest before the main event of the trip.

TALLINN: GUNS N’ ROSES

16.07.2018: I insist that we need to arrive at the Song Festival Grounds very early if we want somewhere we can actually see anything. Initially, there isn’t much support for this idea, but eventually we still go reasonably early. And good thing we do, because we get the last available gap by the fence, which lets us stand as close as possible with our tickets. We’re inside the grounds at 17:00 and Guns N’ Roses are expected around 21:00. Everyone buys exactly one beer or cider. Any more would be dangerous because getting to the toilet and then trying to return to our place would be practically impossible.
Around 19:00, the first support act appears – The Dead Daisies. Pleasant surprise. I’d happily go to one of their concerts separately. Proper rockers. Next up are Danish rock representatives Volbeat. Both bands stay in my playlist for a while afterwards.
After four hours of waiting, the main reason we’re here finally arrives – Guns N’ Roses. No unnecessary “hello, bello”. Axl runs onto the stage and immediately launches into “It’s So Easy”. I like plenty of GnR songs, but I’m waiting for two favourites: 1. “Welcome to the Jungle” and 2. “Paradise City”. The first comes fairly early, while the second is the final song of the concert. Neither disappoints.
It’s impressive how guys approaching 60 can keep going like this for three hours. Obviously, Axl’s vocals aren’t at the same level anymore, but nobody can accuse them of lacking energy. Towards the end, we can definitely feel that we’ve been standing since 17:00, but you can survive it for one day. The entire Song Festival Grounds are packed as well, which is an impressive sight in itself.
After the concert, the entire road leading towards the city is completely full of people. Walking home should take around 20–30 minutes, but after standing for so many hours it feels brutally difficult. Once home, everyone goes straight to bed.

TALLINN – RIGA

17.07.2018: Today we wake up and roll ourselves out of bed. No unnecessary messing around – straight home. My turn to drive now. It takes a little adjustment because the BMW is considerably bigger than my little Ford, but everything is fine. A pleasant change on the road is that when you press the accelerator, something actually happens. Unfortunately, the fuel consumption gauge reacts with similar enthusiasm…