J and I figured we'd better try out some local "American-style" fast food at least once during our stay in Estonia. Technically, that would mean "Nehatu", an Estonian chain, but I'd already sampled their fare years before, when it had a 24-hour outlet in the parking lot next to the Viru Hotel (the lot's since been converted into a giant shopping mall).
Had not, however, tried the now-ubiquitous "Hesburger". This burger empire originates in Turku, Finland, and apparently bought up the previously-ubiquitous Carrol's chain, converting all those restaurants into Hesburger joints.
We decided April Fools' Day would be the best date to set aside for fast-food boogers and fries, nearly exactly midway through our stint abroad, and symbolic to boot; only a fool would bother eating frites outside of Quebec, that haven of heavenly earth apples, and the Estonian homemade meat patty, the "kodukotlet", with black bread on the side, far exceeds what any northern European teenager can manage with frozen beef and dry white buns (whether shivering under Hesburger employee polyester slacks, or toasting on the grill).
On April 1, however, we were stuck in Lahemaa National Park, trying to find a bike path --tangible, existing in reality and resembling anything, anything at all-- as depicted on our map. Total disaster, as we headed around in cartoon-like circles, a million different paths, all different kinds, sandy, mossy, gravel, mud, pavement, none of them the right one, all leading to ones we'd taken before.
We finally got on a hiking trail which was gorgeous, and thought we'd just ride it instead (soft pine-needle rug, basically). Beautiful surroundings notwithstanding, we were heading the wrong way once again, soon to be chased down in 2 different places by vicious, and I mean vicious, dogs. We'd unfortunately ridden the back-end in to some private territory (we saw signs to that effect on our heart-pounding and breathless retreat). The first dog barked maniacally from the other side of a little stream. We figured we were safe, since our "path" was on the other side of the water... that is, until we noticed that the dog had full and convenient access to some 2X4s serving as a wooden plank-bridge over the stream, and started running for us. Thankfully, the dog's owners came out of their house and called the dog back just as he reached our side. A short while later, we ran into another canine security guard. I was chicken and held back... J was more optimistic, suggesting he was just "checking us out". Then he came a-running. We were pretty close to getting chewed up like a couple of um, Hesburgers. More about the bike trip later.
Hesburgers would therefore have to wait until the April Fools made it out of the forest and back to Tallinn -- though not too long. Stayed up far too late the night of April 2, discovering and celebrating the wonderful ins and outs of Skype technology, waking up a touch bleary-eyed and stomachs-a-growlin'. And so this, the third day of April, of this year, the two-thousand and seventh, was officially declared Hesburger Day.
Had not, however, tried the now-ubiquitous "Hesburger". This burger empire originates in Turku, Finland, and apparently bought up the previously-ubiquitous Carrol's chain, converting all those restaurants into Hesburger joints.
We finally got on a hiking trail which was gorgeous, and thought we'd just ride it instead (soft pine-needle rug, basically). Beautiful surroundings notwithstanding, we were heading the wrong way once again, soon to be chased down in 2 different places by vicious, and I mean vicious, dogs. We'd unfortunately ridden the back-end in to some private territory (we saw signs to that effect on our heart-pounding and breathless retreat). The first dog barked maniacally from the other side of a little stream. We figured we were safe, since our "path" was on the other side of the water... that is, until we noticed that the dog had full and convenient access to some 2X4s serving as a wooden plank-bridge over the stream, and started running for us. Thankfully, the dog's owners came out of their house and called the dog back just as he reached our side. A short while later, we ran into another canine security guard. I was chicken and held back... J was more optimistic, suggesting he was just "checking us out". Then he came a-running. We were pretty close to getting chewed up like a couple of um, Hesburgers. More about the bike trip later.
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