It takes two to Tallinn
While on the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia from Stockholm, Sweden, after searching a city map for a while, I declared, “I think there’s a mistake in here” and Nat pointed at exactly what I was looking for, “This?”. Oh. And it’s moments like those and many others that I’m thankful to be traveling with a partner. It all began in Ghana from a random conversation about a mutual desire to travel Eastern Europe. (Though I’m told that people living in northeastern Europe prefer the term “Central Europe”) And so we made our way to Estonia without too many plans as to where we were going or how long we would be here. We would figure it out along the way.
According to our Lonely Planet book, Estonia is famous for Eurovision, Skype & Kazaa, and saunas. The population is about 1.32 million with 400,000 people living in Tallinn.
Tallinn is a heavy place. It carries the weight of hundreds of years of history and more recently, the memory of Communist rule. We visited the former KGB headquarters and noted the symbols of the hammer and sickle scattered throughout the city and its architecture. I noticed that there is a certain dignified seriousness about the people who live here.
A Jazz Festival also happened to be happening during our time here and we had the opportunity to take in a performance of Tok Tok Tok at the Vene Kultuurikeskus. After the performance, I was approached by a gentleman who wanted a brief interview with an audience member. “They put on a good show and I had a good time!” Obviously, I should be a professional music reviewer.
We also had a chance to ride Segways in downtown Tallinn, roam around the old city; sweat it out in a sauna, and cycle around the city. For me, the highlight was the bicycle tour, as it gave us an opportunity to see a great deal of the city in a short period of time with a helpful guide, Tomas. We saw a dark Soviet obelisk, the Kadriorg Palace, designed for Peter the Great and Catherine I and the 15th-century Swedish Convent of St. Brigitta. I will post pictures when I get a chance.
Next stop, Riga, Latvia!
