1) Ait Benhaddou. Beautiful and historical place where many Hollywood movies have been filmed. I understand why.
2) Djemaa-el Fna. A must in Marrakech. Hustle and bustle.
3) El Badi palace. If these walls could talk ...How did the stone get stuck in between two walls???
4) Marrakech is all about rooftops views over the Medina and Atlas mountains.
5) Marrakech is also considered as the riads mecca. These beautiful and charming buildings are often well decorated + I really felt the traditional moroccan hospitality there.
6) The local man's behavior needs a lot improving. When you see him, keep your head high.
I just love this time of year. When days are shorter, weather cool and grey, I feel way more concentrated and focused on a specific task with computer. It is also perfect time to reflect on the past and set new goals for the future.
Looking back at things that take up most of my time after work- physical exercise, volunteering, travelling etc I cannot say it was a bad year.
Exercise
I have always enjoyed working out. I run, bike, lift weight at a gym etc. Here is a quick sum-up of some numbers so far.
The data provided is a bit off. I love to analyze numbers. However my watch is not the most important equipment. Neither wear I any activity tracker when lifting.
For most of the year I would go running two to three times a week. Usually just 20-30 min a run. Yep, its short and I do all my runs by time rather than distance.
Running is actually where I get much of my work done- I think about things I want to accomplish that day, ideas for projects etc. So there are many benefits of going for a run. However, in comparison with the previous years (you can read my 2013 review here ) total running distance has dropped and it seems that I failed here:
2015: 635 km
2014: 2133 km
2013: 2032 km
2012: 1830 km
2011: 1068 km
Just a little more than a week left to catch up missed km's. Plenty of time left. Not a big deal :)
This summer I also started to get into calisthenics. Its fun, yet challenging. Even put together a short video. Link below:
Travel
Travelling is one of my favorite activities. Had a great time meeting up with a bunch of friends living abroad, seeing the world and meeting some of the most interesting people. I have been reminded about the beauty of my country as well.
Copenhagen, Denmark:
Piran, Slovenia:
Lisbon, Portugal. When November feels like summer:
Chicago, USA:
Atlanta, USA:
New York, US:
Estonia:
Cycling for transport
My memories of Denmark include bike culture and infrastructure. Its not a secret that cycling is the quickest way to get around in downtown Tallinn. Bought a new bike back in March. Since then I have managed to bike to work on a regular basis like back in the good old days. Even though I use my bike mostly for transport, I also see cycling as an excellent form of exercise. If days were 26 hours, I would be spending more time on my road bike that I don't even own yet.
But what did not turn out as expected? Total number of races
I took part only in a total of 2 races in 2015, including two half marathons. The good? I finished with a 1:24:24 in Copenhagen and ran 13 second slower in Tallinn. Was my two-race journey fun? Indeed, it was! My focus next year is on enjoying the thrill of competition more often. It is not about winning but challenging myself.
Skiing
Cross country skiing is the coolest sport on planet earth! Unfortunately I cant remember last time I headed out, dove into the snow and spent hours on skis. I barely remember how to put the gear on. Really hope the weather presents an opportunity this winter. Now I sit here waiting for it to snow...
Wish you all a wonderful holiday season! Thanks for reading!
Summer is finally in full swing here in Northern hemisphere. Perfect green lawn is probably no 1 obsession of Estonian home owners in the summer. ...And so is mine. Hahahaa.
Made completely last minute decision Tuesday evening to drive up to our summerhouse on Wednesday morning to cut the grass. However, this time we (me and my brother) decided to take our bikes instead of a car. Even though it takes much longer by bike (30min vs 150min), we found that the microadventure on the bike is worth every second. And off we went.
We biked on small country roads. Spent total of 5 hours on the saddle and covered 110km (first time 100+km for him and first time for me to ride 100+ on my fixed gear bike). In contrast it took me just 15 minutes to mow the lawn. Hahaha :)
Arrived back home in Tallinn afternoon, leaving me plenty of time to work as well. Had a great half day adventure! See you on the road!
Made a last minute decision to travel to Copenhagen for a couple of days relaxation and I'm glad that I did. A sort of spring city break. It is not a secret that Copenhagen during spring is beautiful and the weather can be as pleasant as in the summer.
I also decided to enter the Nike Marathon test, a half marathon running race held on April 19. It has been a strange year for my running training and I have not done any serious run this year (total of 150 km of running). So things were not looking promising for the upcoming race. For whatever reason, I ended up running well and crossed the finish line at 1h 24min and 24sec. Performance like this makes me wonder what I could do if I had proper preparation ...hahahaa. Anyway, time to enjoy last days in sunny Copenhagen before heading back home.
Yesterday I played my first disc golf this year and had such a good time. It was my first time playing on Nõmme disc golf course in Tallinn. We were clearly the only ones playing for first time, so there was a short wait for the hole behind us. However, most players were friendly and didnt seem to mind.
The course was well maintained, however it can be difficult to find the next hole without the map (especially when you are first time ther). Most holes have quite a bit of trees, so you are surrounded by beautiful wilderness. Not too shabby. All in all, it was a great day of fun and I look forward to play again. I will let the video do the talking...
Rwanda is probably one of those countries that stay with you long after you have left. I spent almost 4 months there and to conclude, it was amazingly spent summer and traveling to some Rwanda's neighbors. I created this little piece just for fun...
Just got back from a beautiful day visiting Akagera National Park with some friends. First time safari for me and even though there are no big cats, it was nice to see some big animals such as giraffes, hippos, elephants, zebras, buffalo etc. It's probably not like a safari park in Kenya, but a great place nonetheless, where you can enjoy drive for a number of hours. Here are some photos that tell the rest of the story.
.jpg)
