jawnbc | Sound of necklace (Tallinn day 2)

Russia wuz hear

The city museum had all sorts of great displays. But what I appreciated most was their looping video kiosk that recounts the 87-91 Singing Revolution. As one might expect, there is a Eurovision connection: Ivo Linna (96, 5th place, Kaelakee hääl) led much of the singing at the Festival grounds. The video included nationalist and Soviet loyalist stakeholders as well as historians, and both official and amateur video. I found it all very moving. I also visited the Town Hall museum, which is very flash and posh and show off the wonderful restoration work there.

Partners in crime

Old Thomas was a cheeky lad who beat the good and great of the Hansa town in an archery competition. Many wanted him strung up, but the powers that be instead gave him a scholarship to the local gymansium (school). He subsequently became a guard of the Old Town and was universally loved and respected...so much so that his effigy sat on top of the Town Hall for centuries:

Not short, significantly less tall. K?

I climbed a lot of stone stairs in Tallinn. Up church towers, municipal building towers, from the lower to upper towns, and even onto the town walls themselves. Which was good because the only affordable food in Old Town tended to be carbtastic. But I spent about 6 hours a day rolling through the streets and could have easily done a day or two more.

Hark, who 'hos there?

I had one major disappointment though: I couldn't source a single decent CD by any of my favourite Estonian ESC performers. I hit about half a dozen shops and the pickings were slim. :(

I liked Tallinn. Estonians aren't warm per sé, and the "everyone speaks English" is very much a lie (half? 60%?), but everyone was polite. Oh, except when it comes to queueing: boarding my flight to Tallinn at Gatwick I was taken aback by how aggressive everyone was. But in Tallinn things were similar. Aside from such melées people were polite and helpful, if not effusive. I'd recommend going to anyone and I hope one day to see more of the country.

Welcome to Europe Estonia!