It is a bit of a tradition to share my first look at a country that I am seeing for the very first time. Normally this leads to fields seen from an airplane. Since our current mode of transportation goes back a few thousand years further than manned flight, first-look pictures are going to show more water than anything else.
There she is, Estonia. What do you know about Estonia? I shall share what I knew about Estonia before this visit. A former Soviet Republic, nestled in that not too fortunate neighborhood between Poland and Russia, Estonia has gotten the historical short end of the stick for much of its existence, until the USSR crumbled from within and Estonia joined the European Union and managed to get the "up and coming" label.
Also, if you read Dilbert in the 90's you saw many comic strips featuring computer work outsourced to Estonia, and if you were like me you might have looked up Estonia to find out if this country was fictional or not. Yes, I first learned of Estonia from Dilbert, not a history class.
Omelet and bacon in the sunlight. There are few better ways to begin a day.
Today we begin the cruise tradition of the shore excursion. This is where you pay the cruise line to take you on a tour. Last year we did this very rarely, as we do pretty well on our own with a map and ideas from Wikipedia. This year, since we are in much less familiar territory, we are joining my parents on excursions almost every day.
We gathered in the Crystal Lounge to await our walking tour through Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. This couple perfectly embodies the feeling one has while waiting.
Cruise Ship Waiting. Candid, July, 2010.
Tallinn, Estonia. Panorama from the cruise ship dock. You can see the old and the new of the city, and a not too shabby sky.
Unlike Sweden, where the Romans never took up residence, here in Estonia the language is more familiar. Of course, museum is a Greek word the Romans appropriated, but Rome without Greece is little more than roads, aqueducts, and military strategies. Back on topic, I shall argue that this Estonian version of museum is a better spelling that forces the tongue to pronounce the word more accurately. If only English were more phonetic. Of course, I should be loyal to concept and write foenetik.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Clearly Russian Orthodox, this cathedral dates to 1900 and its history gives a perfect snapshot of Estonian history. As Estonia was annexed by Russia's Tsars, this church was built as a Russian Orthodox church. Estonia joined Finland in declaring and gaining independence during Russia's civil wars after the Tsars fell, and this cathedral became Lutheran. Along came the World Wars, and Estonia was soon the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, trapped in the USSR. During this era, the cathedral became an museum for atheism. Finally, as the USSR dissolved, they turned it an Estonian Orthodox church. When I laughed out loud at the parade of faiths that took residence here, the guide smiled in agreement.
This cathedral was built as part of the Tsar's effort at Russification of the area. In fact, the locals hated Russification so much that during their short era of independence they scheduled this cathedral for demolition in 1924, only to lack the funds to tear it down before the USSR reclaimed the territory.
This cathedral was built as part of the Tsar's effort at Russification of the area. In fact, the locals hated Russification so much that during their short era of independence they scheduled this cathedral for demolition in 1924, only to lack the funds to tear it down before the USSR reclaimed the territory.
Toompea Castle, built in the 14th and 15 centuries. The Estonian flag is simple blue, black, and white stripes. I quite like it. Our guide said that blue represents water, black the land, and white the air. I thought to my myself, should not the air be on top, with water below land and land below water, but it is not nice to insult people whose countries have been independent for around 40 out of 600 years.
One thing you learn while traveling, if you do not watch World Cup or the Olympics closely, is that a ton of countries go with the simple three-color-stripe flag. In fact, I can name at least four that are red, white and blue, different only in the sequence of the stripes, which makes a lot the USA's patriotic songs a bit too unspecific to be of any use.
Outside the cathedral, you quickly learn that there is an interesting gambit going on in Tallinn. Every moderately pretty woman under 25 is dressed up in some sort of Middle Ages outfit to sell you something tourist related.
A few blocks from the Nevsky Cathedral is the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin.
Graffiti often captures my eye, but this person might actually be saying something. It is not too difficult to come up with several theories for RetroFuturism. In my mind, it points in one direction, best spoken by Pete Townshend's lyrics, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Of course, the graffiti could be pointing at the garbage bin.
Panorama of All-Linn, or Lower Town, from Toompea, or Upper Town. As one always finds in places with Feudal histories, on top of the hill you have the old town and below the new one. In this case, the Upper Town represents the earlier fortifications and became the home of the aristocrats. The Lower Town grew when Tallinn flourished as a member of the Hanseatic League during the 13th and 14th centuries. If you want the simplest explanation for the Hanseatic League, during the middle ages when there was no great power in the region, the Hanseatic League was a league of cities in Northern Europe which banded together to form their own NATO/NAFTA situation of mutual defense and free trade. It was quite effective and made all the cities involved rather prosperous.
Our cruise ship is right THERE.
Mary's Cathedral, again. We went inside, but pictures were not allowed. One of Catherine the Great's loves is entombed inside, as he was Lutheran and she had him placed here to respect his religion. Do not believe the rumors about Catherine. Yes, there were a few loves in her life, but the rumors come from the insecurities that insignificant men feel towards significant women.
The garbage bin theory is abandoned. I certainly hope that this is not the name of a local rock band.
These walls and towers date from the 15th century. I might as well be a jerk and point out that this fortified city was conquered so often that surely generals saw the walls as little more than an invitation. That said, there is a good historical argument for surrender and survival. The Estonians lived under Sweden and the Teutons and the Tsars and the Nazis and the USSR, but today they are an independent nation. Many peoples cannot say the same.
These young Estonian women are part of the guide-book-mafia. They dress like peasant women from the 1500's and follow you around the city trying to sell you guide books to the city. I imagine that there is an older, wiser, meaner woman that they all report to at the end of the day, and if they have not met their quota things get quite ugly.
Firstly, I am enjoying the Estonian street names. Secondly, I am enjoying the purse snatching sign. They managed to make the victim stick figure seem so nonchalant about her purse.
I forget how old this door is, but it is several hundred years old and marks that this is where a guild met who chose an African saint as their patron. You really do not expect to see an African man's image above a door in Estonia, but there you have one.
The town hall, with the Raekoja Plats in front. One might note that using the word Plats for square is close to the German word Platz. Estonia had it time under Sweden and under Russia, but the Germanic influence probably dates back even further, to the Teutonic Knights and the Holy Roman Empire.
Our guide alleged that these shackles were not for criminals. They were for women. And what did the women do to spend a day shackled in front of the town hall? They spent too much money and purchased items and clothes above their class. I do not know if this is true. When the guide asked for guesses, I said, "Witches." She replied that like all civilized people in the Middle Ages the Estonians burned their witches.
Our tour over, we head towards one of the Medieval gates.
Apparently they began tearing down the city walls to make way for new development, when Unesco declared this a historic site and then Estonia went about restoring and preserving the city walls of Tallinn. Based on the tourism dollars that get generated, they are certainly very glad that the UN stepped in.
Heading home.
Barbie and I grab a late lunch at the Trident Grill on the ship. We both felt like having a burger. Our food syncage is one of the reasons that we travel well together. For the record; burgers great, fries awful. They really need to source better fries on this ship.
I bought this post card for my friend's son, and this is actually a better picture of Tallinn than I could take from the ground. Therefore, I took a picture of the post card for you. Maybe sometime I shall tell you the boy child post card story.
In honor of our arrival tomorrow in St. Petersburg, the main dining room has presented dinner with a Russian theme.
Barbie started with the Russian Malossol Caviar "New Style." I will bother retyping the menu for this one; "Terrine of chopped egg white and egg yolk in buckwheat coat on créme fraiche, topped with Malossol Caviar.
I started with the Pirozhki - traditional pastry turnover filled with duck.
I am trying to only share the meals that Barbie and I order, because adding my parents' meals is, well, twice the work for me. But in this case, here is my father's Iced Watermelon Gazpaccho with strawberries and peach sherbet. This was presented with the salad course.
Barbie's second course, Borscht "Pravda" - beef broth with red beets, sautéed foie gras and little horseradish dumplings.
My second course, cream of spinach with Russian king crab meat.
For an entrée, Barbie ordered a starter: Tartare of tuna and smoked Russian sturgeon.
My entrée, Pink-Roasted Kurobuta Pork with crispy baklava of pistachios, spinach, honey and caramelized shallots, vegetables julienne and apricot us.
Mother's dessert; "Childhood Favorite." Forrest berry crumble with crisp tulle stick. She deducted the vanilla ice cream.
Barbie got the, "Refreshing Blackberry Sherbet." The menu called ti refreshing. (In my head, I always add a second r to sherbet.)
Father got the, "Hermitage." Charlotte Russe, princess cake, and blackberry sherbet. This entire cruise is mainly about getting my mother to St. Petersburg's Hermitage museum, and it would have been more appropriate had she ordered the namesake dessert, but at least someone ordered it.
I went ahead and got the Chocolate Ooze Cake. No explanation necessary.
They were pushing the cherries jubilee, and mother made the head waiter happy and got a few for the table. I had to take the picture quickly in order to catch the flame.
We have chosen the early dinner schedule, which means that we get out of dinner by around 7:30 PM and the sun sets around 10:30 PM. This allows time for Barbie to get some work in and then go look at the sunset.
Barbie photographs the sunset in her pajamas.
My feet have been on the Baltic Sea at sunset.
One last sunset, free of freighters and feet.
We hit the late movie She's Out Of My League. Cute movie. as you can see, we did not have to fight a crowd. When the average age on the cruise ship is, oh, 65, the 10:30 PM movie is not exactly crowded.
Until tomorrow...
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