About Elvi

Welcome to Mark Your Landing Spot — a travel blog for island lovers and city wanderers.

Here you’ll find personal stories, detailed guides, and the occasional ferry schedule — all written with curiosity and care.
This is a travel blog for island lovers and city wanderers who prefer slow travel and hidden places over checklists.

So, Who’s Elvi?

I’m a journalist and editor with a background in serious media. Years spent working for a major business newspaper taught me to value facts over fluff.
This means I don’t just “visit” places; I analyse them. My goal is always to find the logic in a city’s transport system and the truth behind the tourist brochures.
But I also have a curious travel paradox: I am obsessed with the North, yet I dislike snow and dread the cold.

It’s a complicated relationship. I love the Nordic logic, the silence of the Baltic islands, and the pristine nature… strictly as long as I have a warm coat and a plan to get indoors.
To balance this northern obsession, I regularly escape to the South — because sometimes, you just need chaos, sun, and excellent wine to feel alive.

This blog is where I share the best of my journeys — with a journalist’s eye for detail, a pinch of humour, and a focus on independent travel logistics.

Jaanipäev bonfire in Estonia. I love the tradition of light and warmth. The mosquitoes? Not so much.

How This Blog Helps You

Why read this?
Because I do the boring work so you don’t have to. I treat trip planning like an investigation. I dig through maps, compare ferry routes, and test hotels to find the ones that are actually worth your money.

Where My Heart Is

• Estonia & The Baltics – Where ancient traditions meet a digital society. It’s quiet, it’s green, and it’s underrated.
• The North – I go to Finland for the absolute silence and nature, and to Scandinavia for the functional design and the coffee culture.
• The Classics – Italy and France. Because after a week of Nordic silence, I crave the noise, the art, and the taste of the Mediterranean (or the fresh air of the Alps).
• Japan – For the mastery of detail and a culture that respects silence as much as I do.

Also: Islands. Any island. The more remote, the better.

How do you plan your trips?
Obsessively. I look for “operating zones” in cities — areas where transport, safety, and local life intersect perfectly. Once the logistics are set, I leave the rest to chance.

Biggest travel fail?
I once sat calmly at an airport gate reading a book while my plane to Canada was already fully boarded. It wasn’t on the screen. I made it on board (barely), but now I check everything three times.

Tips for budget travel?
Travel independently. Book guesthouses early. Skip the tourist traps. My best memories — like sleeping in an old boathouse on a Baltic island — cost very little but were worth more than any luxury hotel.

Why Islands?