More days in Estonia

We have been busy around here getting ready for family members to arrive and for the days going up to the festival.
Here is a link my cousin sent me if you want to go in and see some films and many more pictures than I have:
http://estonianworld.com/culture/three-new-videos-demonstrate-the-estonian-song-and-dance-celebration/
If you have ever had a conversation with me about Estonia you know that I am crazy about the Laulupidu and Tantsupidu ....
There are posters all over the city showing photos of past festivals and the theme this year is A Time of Touching...it is the 145th year celebration. There is a row of blue posters there on the right.

One of the posters actually has Ebe and her partner! So great!!!

There are not only posters but many other products have taken on the folk theme with special packaging like these Kalev chocolate bars....notice the detail even to the edge of the wrappers...

I thought they were fantastic. Don't know if I'll be able to eat them even! Kalev is Estonian brand of chocolate.
Then there is this ice cream wrapper too...Eda says we will get some since it has Kama jahu in it which is that breakfast flour stuff I love! Yum...then I can save the wrapper! The quotation says it wants to make you sing!

The tall radio tower there in the distance was the site of a stand off in 1991 between two Estonian radio operators and Russian soldiers with tanks!!! They wanted to cut off radio transmission to the country.

This was in the early days of independence and you can see all about it in the film "The Singing Revolution."The Estonians succeeded in the stand off with no shots fired and the tower is now a type of museum and you can visit it like the Eiffel Tower!

Ride up the elevator...the screen shows where you are on the tower.

Arrive at the door....

Open the door and there is Tallinn, the Baltic Sea and surrounding areas.

You can step onto the floor window and look down to the ground! I love the design you see!

You can go outside and walk around the tower too and if it is chilly there are warm wraps provided.

In the same area near the tower which is Pirita, there is the seaman's outdoor museum with great views of the Tallinn skyline and some typical Estonian buildings from early times with thatched roofs.

There is also the swing which figures in Estonian songs, stories and poetry...a type of platform you stand on and pump with your legs. It can go amazingly high. I also like the way the fence is angled...I think it is a snow blocker as well as a fence.

We took a quick trip south to Viljandi to wish my cousin Mare Happy Birthday! Viljandi is the home of a folk music festival which every year brings in musicians from all over the world for four days of performances inside and outside.

They have built a special hall for some of the performances with a a cozy café restaurant that has a view of the lake. The lake is the subject of a song called the Viljandi boatman and tells the story of a boatsman who once rowed a maiden across the lake. She had beautiful blue eyes he will never forget!

In the park there is a huge kannel sculpture which is a lap harp played by Estonians and a tree with folk designs carved into the trunk.

Driving through the countryside we saw many storks in the fields.

They build nests on poles and it is pretty good luck to have a stork nest on your property.

How about this friendly sign on the back of a milk truck? It means "Hello!"

Time to get everyone off to practice! Hope you have a chance to see some of the video I mentioned earlier!

Tallinn day 1

Breakfast in Estonia is dark bread, sliced meat, cucumbers, and cheese...another Sõle design of course!

Juust means cheese

JC had a dentist appointment in this very modern area

and Eda and I went to Stockmann for  food. Here are some very Estonian food items at the supermarket  section...this is Kama jahu which is just delicious in yogurt...perfect breakfast food.

They also have Mulgi kapsad ready to heat in a jar! The sign on the wall behind says "sunny summer cooking!" We are hoping for lots of sunshine in the days to come.

This is a very yummy winter meal that takes several hours to prepare...combines sauerkraut, pearl barley and pork...it is a sort of casserole and I make it at home on occasion. That went right into our cart. By the way...we had some last night for supper...it was just like home made!!

We also went over to the open air market to buy some freshly baked and still warm Georgian cheese bread and  fresh red cherries.

We were off to lunch at Ebe's new home. She lives in an area which is going through much renovation at the foot of Vana Linn and near the harbor. The old wooden Estonian houses are being restored one by one and new cafes, restaurants and shops have started to fill the area.

They are close to everything and there is a tram that runs near by to get you anywhere. Also the new railway system is in place here.

New orange trains ready to roll

Her home is in a new apartment building and she has the prettiest terrace! See the flowers up there?

Our direction for the afternoon was to walk up to Toompea and through the Vana Linn streets which are just beautiful. This is at the bottom of the hill

...and our goal is up there...that is the Estonian Parliament building.

Why don't you follow us up the steps to Toompea....
first view of towers which are part of the fortifications that wrapped around the city

Higher still

A little more

Now look down...see that tiny person? We began the walk there.

More towers and churches

Nice view down to the street

Another street view

Here we are...you will see some very pretty colors of buildings. The parliament building is actually rose colored.

Also some interesting gates of wrought iron

The streets up here are cobblestone

my shoes are in the corner!!

Around the corner from the souvenir shop we see the Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox cathedral and of course many cafés and restaurants in every possible space. There is Robert with his bike too!

This particular building is the Neitsitorn (Maiden Tower) which was first metionned around 1373. It was a guard fortress, then a prison and then later used for artists studios (I would love to felt in this place!!!!)
It has been renovated and houses a museum and a cafe/restaurant that has three stories with a great view of Tallinn.

Next to this is the Kiek in de Kök (Peek in the kitchen) tower which was also part of the fortifications.

This downspout for rain is on the edge of Pikk Jalg street  (Long Leg ):

from which you can look down here.

We walked down the other side of the hill past the Tallinn archery school and left the towers behind

archery lessons going on

 heading towards Vabadus Valjak (Freedom Square) with Jaani Kirik in the background. My father liked this church.

Our destination was the City Hall square and a cup of coffee outside...the sun was peeking out! Also, a craftsman's market was in full swing there.

What I particularly like about old town Tallinn are the great colors of the building which make a dark winter cheerful I think and also the building shapes with cut outs that look lacey and windows of varied sizes. It does not look austere and even if it is not sunny it feels cheerful somehow like the buildings are smiling maybe.

We ended our walk for the day in front of the high school my father attended...it is the pale yellow building in the background.

I hope you enjoyed this first walk around Tallinn...can you tell how happy I am to be here??!!