Still tripping, part II

The scariness didn't end at the dark cellar of Rakvere Fort. We had to find a place to stay for the night. We had looked at some options in a resort village of Toila but made no reservations. Turned out that was a bit of a misjudgment. I guess since the beach season is over for this year the guest house and B&B keepers don't vie for drop-ins anymore. Instead, we found a hotel on a side street in the outskirts of Jõhvi. As I said, it was at the end of the town, on a dark street, in a large log house, behind locked doors (about five of them to try). Even though the attendant seemed friendly and there was another guest, or perhaps because of it, we proceeded to make up different ghost stories, lying in our beds in the wood-lined crypt, errr, room with half of a roof window, listening to the sounds around us.

[But, to be fairer, I think the hotel's pub would be a good place to have a rustic themed party or grab a pint of beer or hot chocolate by their fireplace while listening to a band play on a busy weekend night. Also, I could see the rooms as about perfect for school children for their overnight stay on a field trip. And although the hotel did not provide the best of amenities, wi-fi connection was considered "natural".]

Whereas the dark tour in Rakvere was unexpectedly nostalgic, day two was planned that way. We drove to Narva-Jõesuu which is the northeastern tip of the mainland, and a resort at the bay. It boasts the longest stretch of sandy beach and fresh pine-cleaned air. It used to have several spas and summer camp sites. Unfortunately, most of them are now in ruins. Many of the private houses or summer cottages have succumbed to the same fate, lurching behind thickets. The town park is still groomed and scenic, and the beach is still there. Those sites are still usable for memories.