Across the Baltic for a haircut!

For the past 2-3 weeks I’ve been looking out for a gents hairdressers and the only one I found on a largish Finnish island said ‘Not today’ when I asked them to cut my hair.  There were no customers in the place so I guess it must be illegal to cut guys’ hair on a Tuesday!

So I sailed across the Baltic with long hair blowin’ in the wind.  It was a lively crossing with the wind on the beam at 15-16 knots most of the way.  Toytown tramped along until the wind died two hours out of Tallinn.  I kept pace with a larger Finnish yacht with 4 crew on board until I had to douse the main.  This always takes me a while being single-handed and the other yacht was 2-3 miles ahead of me by the time I had the sails neatly packed away.  But I found the harbour I was looking for and was somewhat surprised (and not a little aggravated) when I couldn’t get into the customs office (all locked up and no one around) and the crew of a departing customs’ launch just shrugged their shoulders and turned their backs when I asked them where I should go to check in.  I finally sorted it all out but how nice it would have been to receive a more friendly welcome after sailing all that way.

Tallinn is an interesting city.  The modern, post-Soviet part, is much like any other European capital with shopping malls, international chains and prices to make your eyes water.  But the old part of town is another world, although the high prices for tourists have gained a foothold there as well.  I went to a concert of chamber music last night at the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads.   I have no idea what this brotherhood is about or what it represents but the concert was enjoyable.  A strange selection of ‘aggressive music’ apart from the one sublime piece – the only piece I recognised!

I also found a barber!  ‘Manned’ by five middle aged women who all looked fairly stern I wondered what I was in for but the result was very pleasing.  The lady (with a lovely smile when she relaxed) who cut my hair did a good job.  At 10 euros I was well pleased and grateful the Finns don’t cut men’s hair on a Tuesday.

I plan to see a little more of Tallinn, then some of the surrounding islands, before heading further south to Latvia.  But first to stock up on booze.  It’s relatively cheap here (anywhere is relatively cheap compared  to Finland!) and I’ve found an affordable and very drinkable French brandy.  I’ll get a few bottles whilst I’m about it!