Alatskivi located right on the shore of Peipsi lake in Nina village. #visitestonia #eesti100 #estonia100 #alatskivi

Alatskivi located right on the shore of Peipsi lake in Nina village. Alatskivi Castle is a Neo-Gothic castle in Alatskivi, Estonia. Dating to the 17th century, it is situated in Alatskivi. Visit Alatskivi Castle during summertime to admire beautiful roses and enjoy Peipsi lake.

Peipsi area is home to Old Believers, a traditional religious minority recognised as hard-working and skillful fishermen, builders and keen onion cultivators. 

Estonia is the Paradise of Introverts Estonians saying : A good neighbour is one where you can just barely see the smoke of their chimney from your window.’
In Estonia  you can feel, how is to be last soul in the Earth You can drive through the Estonian countryside and not see another living soul for miles.

And be careful. This is the area of States Borders. Be careful and follow signs. Latvia is in EU and you welcome to visit Latvia, but for Russia you need visa.

Close to Alatskivi

• Start your tour from Rakvere.
• The Kuremäe Convent, located in the centre of Kuremäe
• admire Peipsi lake. Swim, pick berries and see, if you can see the Russia
• visit the Old Believers villages and buy and eat fresh or smoked Peipsi lake fish, local strong and spicy onions and cucumbers. Have a lunch in Kolkja Kala- ja Sibularestoranis. NB! this restaurant needs pre- booking
• Taevaskoda hiking trail, which is located in the Ahja River Landscape Reserve
• Piusa caves are one of the most visited tourist sights in South Estonia. Unique colonnades that are kilometers long were created during the mining of glass sand in the 1920’s. In the Nature Reserve (45.64 ha) of the cave’s area is a marked hiking trail of 1.4 km.

In Estonia

• Practically all Estonians speak or at least understand English. Generation +40 speak and understand Russian. Because of the similarity of languages Estonians are able to understand Finnish. Children learn German, French and some Swedish or Chinese at school
• almost everywhere you can pay with a card. ATM -s are in bigger places and petrol stations.
• and yes, this is not fairy tale. almost everywhere in Estonia is Wifi

Best Souvenirs to buy from Estonia

• Kalev chocolate, liqueur Old Tallinn/Vana Tallinn, Balbiino ice cream and Tallinna spiced sprats (Tallinna vürtsikilu)
• Handicrafts made of linen, wool, wood, juniper or limestone. Haapsalu scarf.
  (NB! In Tallinn Viru Street you can find a lot of amber and Matrjoschka. Amber is from Lithuania and Matrjoschka from Russia. Both countries are beautiful and with rich culture and interesting history. I suggest to visit Lithuania and Russia :))
• for children, everything about and with Lotte.

Estonian Food you Must to Try

• visit Estonian supermarkets and buy some Estonian dairy products: kohuke, kodujuust (cottage cheese), hapukoor (sour cream). Buy Kama and rye bread, handicraft beer
• In restaurants ask for quark cake, soups with dumplings, meat balls or cabbage. Semolina cream, quark cream or bread cream. Local lake fish. Drink kefir, kvass or local beer. Värska mineral water. And Estonian tap water and forest spring water are clean, pure and drinkable.

Culture:

• check and google timetable for Viljandi Folk, Pärnu Weekend, Jazzkaar, PÖFF or Laulupidu.
• buy movie about Estonian history: ” Nimed marmortahvlil”, ” Tants aurukatla ümber”, ” “Tuulepealne maa”. Or ” Malev”, this is comedy and pseudo history, but very good summary about Estonians.
• Music: Pärt ja Tüür. Tõnis Mägi, The Sun; Metsatöll and TradAttack. And read my blog posts. I gave a lot of links for good Estonian music.

A fresh, light full of Berry flavours baked Chicken for dinner

Yes. Pink and blue food does not look like very appetizing. But sour and sweet taste of Blueberries  complements chicken delicious flavour.

Honey balances the acidity of blueberries and horseradish gives the necessary sparkle and character.

Chicken in Blueberry Marinade

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 2hr 30mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A fresh, light full of Berry flavours baked Chicken for dinner

Ingredients

Marinade:
• 200 ml blueberries( bilberries
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 0,5 tablespoon honey
• salt, pepper
• ca 600-800 g chicken legs

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together marinade ingredients. Mash berries. Taste. If needed, add more sweet or sour. Marinade must have to be the “little bit too much ”
2. Put poultry in to the marinade. and let set at least  for an 1 hour, better in refrigerator overnight
3. Bake legs on a  grill or in to  oven at 180C for  30-40 minutes. During baking, spread and dip chicken with marinades and let brownish all sides.

The island of Vilsandi, Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, Estonia is located in the Baltic Sea. You will find calmest place on earth.

Estonia’s territories include a group of 2,222 islands and islets in the Baltic Sea.
The island of Vilsandi, Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, Estonia is located in the Baltic Sea. It covers an area of some 9 square km and is the westernmost populated island in Estonia.

Vilsandi is the oldest nature protection area in the Baltics, created in 1910, and reorganised as the Vilsandi National Park in 1993. There are over a hundred islands with lots of birds at the Vilsandi… …

You will find calmest place on earth. In Estonia  you can feel, how is to be last soul in the Earth You can drive through the Estonian countryside and not see another living soul for miles.

My family is from South Estonia, but 15 years ago my parents moved to Saaremaa.

How to get Vilsandi

• • find a timetable and pre-book Your ferry e-ticket online on TS Laevad homepage http://www.praamid.ee. Your first destination is Kuivastu.
  • To get to Vilsandi, you must first get to Saaremaa island. From Kuressaare, the capital of Saaremaa, go to the borough of Kihelkonna on the West coast. Find  boat “Marta”, it takes you to Vilsandi. You can make a reservation on a regular trip or order a private trip.

In Estonia

• • • Practically all Estonians speak or at least understand English. Generation +40 speak and understand Russian. Because of the similarity of languages Estonians are able to understand Finnish. Children learn German, French and some Swedish or Chinese at school
    • almost everywhere you can pay with a card. ATM -s are in bigger places and petrol stations.
    • and yes, this is not fairy tale. almost everywhere in Estonia is Wifi

Best Souvenirs to buy from Estonia

• • Kalev chocolate, liqueur Old Tallinn/Vana Tallinn, Balbiino ice cream and Tallinna spiced sprats (Tallinna vürtsikilu)
  • Handicrafts made of linen, wool, wood, juniper or limestone. Haapsalu scarf.
    (NB! In Tallinn Viru Street you can find a lot of amber and Matrjoschka. Amber is from Lithuania and Matrjoschka from Russia. Both countries are beautiful and with rich culture and interesting history. I suggest to visit Lithuania and Russia :))
  • for children, everything about and with Lotte.

Estonian Food you Must to Try

• visit Estonian supermarkets and buy some Estonian dairy products: kohuke, kodujuust (cottage cheese), hapukoor (sour cream). Buy Kama and rye bread, handicraft beer
• In restaurants ask for quark cake, soups with dumplings, meat balls or cabbage. Semolina cream, quark cream or bread cream. Local lake fish. Drink kefir, kvass or local beer. Värska mineral water. And Estonian tap water and forest spring water are clean, pure and drinkable.

Culture:

• check and google timetable for Viljandi Folk, Pärnu Weekend, Jazzkaar, PÖFF or Laulupidu and Saaremaa Opera Days.
• In Vilsandi. On eof the most populaar estonian singer Jaan Tätte living in Vilsandi.
• buy movie about Estonian history: ” Nimed marmortahvlil”, ” Tants aurukatla ümber”, ” “Tuulepealne maa”. Or ” Malev”, this is comedy and pseudo history, but very good summary about Estonians.
• Music: Pärt ja Tüür. Tõnis Mägi, The Sun; Metsatöll and TradAttack. And read my blog posts. I gave a lot of links for good Estonian music.

A fresh, light, berry cake

I have been used in all my posts word “blueberry” in meaning ” wild blueberry”. Now I read Aho blog and found out that right expression is bilberry?

In Estonia we are saying: “Heal lapsel mitu nime” – a good child has many names.
As I live in Estonia, Estonia is one of the greenest countries in the world: about 50% of Estonian territory is covered with forest.
I forage my berries by myself from forest. And use in recipes wild blueberries/ bilberries.
Picking fresh blueberries, your mouth and hands are pink, fresh air and high roaring pines… this is amazing. This is a summer.,

This year is The Blueberry Year.
I believe, that this is the first time I would say thank you for global warming. May and June and July in Estonia were amazing. Very warm, lot of sun. Real summer.

Did you know ? Estonia has the 2nd cleanest food in Europe (EFSA)

Berry Cake by Siiri

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 40mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A fresh, light, berry cake

Ingredients

• 200 g quark. Look how to prepare quark by yourself
• 3 eggs
• 100 g sour cream or creme fraiche
• 2 dl sugar ( or less, depending on your berries)
• little bit slat
• 2 dl flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
–  ca 2 dl berries, blueberries, bilberries, rhubarb or sliced apples

Directions

1. Beat eggs and add quark, cream and sugar. Mix together
2. Add flour and baking powder
3. Mix together.
4. This dough is quite liquid, Pour it in to baking form, sprinkle over with berries.
5. Bake at 175 C convection, for 30 minutes

Muhu Island #visitestonia #Eesti100 #estonia100 #muhu The sleepy fishermen's villages, windmills, thatched cottages and wildlife provide a perfect retreat for those looking to get lost in the nature. 

Muhu is an island in the Baltic Sea. With an area of 198 km² (76 sq mi) it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.
The sleepy fishermen’s villages, windmills, thatched cottages and wildlife provide a perfect retreat for those looking to get lost in the nature.

My family is from South Estonia, but 15 years ago my parents moved to Saaremaa. To get to Saaremaa, one must first get to Muhu island.

Muhu is beautiful and peaceful.

Muhu is interesting in wintertime, as well : you can drive on the ice

if it’s cold enough. During particularly cold winters (like the ones we used to have) you can drive between some of Estonia’s islands. The roads are marked with signs and speed limits.

How to get Muhu

• find a timetable and pre-book Your ferry e- ticket online on TS Laevad homepage http://www.praamid.ee. Your destination is Kuivastu.

Must to do and see and eat in Muhu

• Nautse ostrich farm
• Pädaste manor
• Muhu rye bread and fish. Visit fish restaurant in Liiva. Local beer
• Luscher & Matiesen Muhu Veinitalu

In Estonia

• Practically all Estonians speak or at least understand English. Generation +40 speak and understand Russian. Because of the similarity of languages Estonians are able to understand Finnish. Children learn German, French and some Swedish or Chinese at school
• almost everywhere you can pay with a card. ATM -s are in bigger places and petrol stations.
• and yes, this is not fairy tale. almost everywhere in Estonia is Wifi

Best Souvenirs to buy from Estonia

• Kalev chocolate, liqueur Old Tallinn/Vana Tallinn, Balbiino ice cream and Tallinna spiced sprats (Tallinna vürtsikilu)
• Handicrafts made of linen, wool, wood, juniper or limestone. Haapsalu scarf.
  (NB! In Tallinn Viru Street you can find a lot of amber and Matrjoschka. Amber is from Lithuania and Matrjoschka from Russia. Both countries are beautiful and with rich culture and interesting history. I suggest to visit Lithuania and Russia :))
• for children, everything about and with Lotte.

Estonian Food you Must to Try

• visit Estonian supermarkets and buy some Estonian dairy products: kohuke, kodujuust (cottage cheese), hapukoor (sour cream). Buy Kama and rye bread, handicraft beer
• In restaurants ask for quark cake, soups with dumplings, meat balls or cabbage. Semolina cream, quark cream or bread cream. Local lake fish. Drink kefir, kvass or local beer. Värska mineral water. And Estonian tap water and forest spring water are clean, pure and drinkable.

Culture:

• check and google timetable for Viljandi Folk, Pärnu Weekend, Jazzkaar, PÖFF or Laulupidu and Saaremaa Opera Days.
• buy movie about Estonian history: ” Nimed marmortahvlil”, ” Tants aurukatla ümber”, ” “Tuulepealne maa”. Or ” Malev”, this is comedy and pseudo history, but very good summary about Estonians.
• Music: Pärt ja Tüür. Tõnis Mägi, The Sun; Metsatöll and TradAttack. And read my blog posts. I gave a lot of links for good Estonian music.

As I know this cake is origin from Sweden, but because of taste and simplicity is very popular in Estonia NB! this is quite small cake. So, try this first time and believe me, next time you have to double all quantities 🙂

As I know this cake is origin from Sweden, but because of taste and simplicity is very popular in Estonia

NB! this is quite small cake.

So, try this first time and believe me, next time you have to double all quantities

Crispy and Juicy Brita Cake. Brita kook

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 1 hr
• Print

Ingredients

Bottom
• 3 big egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1 dl sugar
• 150 g butter
• 2,5 dl flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Merengue

• 3 big egg whites
• 1 dl almond slices
• 1,5 dl sugar

Filling

• 2,5 dl whipped cream
• 200 g berries
• 0,5 dl sugar

Directions

1. Melt butter
2. separate egg yolks and whites.
3. Beat egg yolks and one egg with sugar into a light foam, Add sifted baking powder and flour  and melted butter gradually while stirring.
4. Spread  dough into a greased pan
5. For merengue beat egg whites into a firm foam. Start with low-speed, add speed and gradually sugar while beating.
6. Pour egg whites mixture into a bottom.
7. Sprinkle merengue with almond slices
8. Bake at 175 C on the bottom shelf for 20 minutes. Upper layer must be crispy. If needed, bake some more time.
9. Let cool completely. Cut the cooled cake in half.
10. Whip the cream, sugar and add berries.
11. Spread the cream onto the cake and cover with the second half of the cake.