A very big, fast ship called Super Sea Cat took us from Helsinki to the capital of Estonia in under 2 hours. Tallinn is a town of exquisite beauty. As soon as we arrived in the harbour, the press were there with their cameras. With the guidance of a police car we ran through the streets, welcomed by many waving hands and camera clicks from passers-by.

In the city park, which is in the old part of the town, we were greeted by the Deputy Mayor of Tallinn, who gave a very nice speech on the importance of friendship among people.

A group of children, each wearing a big letter on their chest, stood in a row forming the word s-ö-p-r-o-s, meaning friendship. They a handed a bouquet of blue flowers to every runner in a very sweet way, with irresistible beaming smiles on their faces. Afterwards they joined us for a short run.

Lots of TV cameras recorded this moment, including the national TV which was also very interested in taking several interviews. A group of strapping marathon runners joined us for a fast 15k run out of the city.

Another day on the run passed very nicely. There were many local runners joining us for long runs. A group of teenage boys and girls joined us for a 16k run. They were full of enthusiasm and ran all the way without stopping, telling jokes as they went. After they finished, several more runners joined us in a very fast run to the border of Parnu, where another group was already waiting for us. Entering the town of Parnu was something very special. Ringing voices sang “hey”, “hello” and “tere” to us as we passed.

The real event was going on in the centre of the town, where we were to be part of a local festival. Around 500 people were gathered there, sitting or standing in the city park.

We received a very enthusiastic welcome when we ran in through aisles of clapping hands and warm approving smiles. The Mayor gave an encouraging welcome speech, and then each of us introduced our countries and ourselves. We then offered our usual gift – singing the World Harmony Run song. However, the real fun was only about to start: bagpipes, folk dance, and traditional songs were presented to us by the local ladies. They had really good rhythm and they brought a smile to every face. As we left again we were bombarded with smiles, waves, applause, and wishes for a good run.

The city provided us with good clean accommodations, and invited us for a delicious meal at a local restaurant. The cooks had really put a lot of effort into the presentation of the food. For dessert we were presented with a fresh cottage cheese and strawberry cake displaying a sculptured candy World Harmony Run logo.

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