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Tallinn 2006
Our trip to Tallinn was an escape from the routine of everyday life and a desperate desire for spring & warmth after a long winter. It's a convenient trip from St.Pete to Tallinn that lasts tree days of the week-end (Friday through Sunday) by bus that doesn't take you too far to be tired just from traveling and at the same time brings you to a completely different place. We went together with my sister Nastya & my best friend Olya on April 21-23, 2006 which were the blessed Orthodox Easter days.
The whole trip was relaxing, joyful & fun. We were extremely lucky with the weather — the sun was shining for us all three days at the perfectly blue sky! We could walk as much as we wanted, strolling around the Old Town, dropping in churches, climbing to the top of towers to see the panoramic view of the city, looking at souvenirs and resting at the filling restaurants with historic spirit.
At the first day we've arrived to Tallinn in the afternoon and after checking in the hotel right next to the Old Town went for an acquaintance stroll around the historical center. It was a lovely walk as we discovered many sights of a quite charm and history aura and a beautiful fulfillment of it was at a great restaurant of local cuisine with authentic atmosphere — local life music, wooden tables & home-woven rugs, great dark Estonian beer & extremely tasty garlic toasts!
Next morning we had a group bus tour around the city in Russian. The tour was very good and we were able to visit places we'd never find ourselves or we'd never walk out that far like Peter's the Great palace Kadriorg & its park, Tallinn 's Singing field for choir folk performances, the Maarjamae castle where one of the most favorite old Russian movies “The Three Muschketers” was partly shot and other places.
The tour finished at the heart of the Old Town — the City Hall square which from the very foundation of the city of Tallinn was always used as a meeting, celebration, punishment & market place. And to our delight the artist market was still on and we've enjoyed playing a little bit with unusual hats, looking at different souvenirs offered by artists themselves & choosing some little things as gifts for friends. It was great!
The City Hall square is surrounded with middle age small buildings that we had a chance to explore not only outside but also some of them inside! Like the old Pharmacy & the “Olde Hansa” restaurant, that occupies several ancient buildings on the square. This restaurant is one of the most popular places in Tallinn for tourists to eat as they try to restore the medieval atmosphere of a tavern, like they try to use only candle light, wooden tables, clay pottery, good imitation of old medieval glassware, open fire places, stucco walls with painting in the medieval style, stylized music & costumed waiters. The most interesting of all was the antique way of food arrangement, way of cooking and bathrooms décor where even the water tap look as if a clay water jug! It was a thrilling experience to travel in time and dive into the Middle Ages!
Walking through the city we always used the chance to ascend high towers of the former Tallinn churches that dominate the Old Town , such as — Oleviste & Niguliste. What we saw from the top provided us with the best views of the historical center & raised our spirit.
It was very special for me to have a chance to visit the Easter service at the main Orthodox church of the city - the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. My main impression of it is quite a picture of this wonderful holiday: sun rays fall down through the windows high in the dome and bring the depth of shade inside in between them. One of the largest sun beams falls at the face of the high priest in festive robes who stand in the middle of the choir girls in modest but dressy look garments who specially came to sing on this day at this church. At the sun beam you can see very clearly that priest smiles blessing the girls and thanking them for their performance. The feeling of joy, spring and youth shines through the faces of the girls and is reflected at every face of the parishioners. That is Easter!
Coming out of the church to the bright sun light we could see many people with children, colorful balloons & Easter cakes. There was the happy & peaceful holiday sensation in everything & everyone.
At The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
To more a surprise we found out that the Orthodox Easter Sunday was also the Parliament Day in the country. And as the building of the Parliament was located just across from the Cathedral we were able to visit it inside and were stunned with the fact that everyone could! It is free to enter, you can ask any question, visit almost any office, and more — you are given candies and balloons everywhere! When Russia will witness this freedom and quality of Parliament openness to its people (and foreigners!) only then it'll be a really free and great country!
So this trip taught us several good lessons, brought us many positive emotions and even more — we rediscovered really good Estonian chocolate “Kalev”
& amazing sweet liquor “Vanna Tallinn” that our parents used to enjoy so much before the Soviet Union had fell apart. So many memories of “old good age” connected with these two wonderful Tallinn products we've heard after we brought our treasures back home and shared them with our families and friends.
Now we have our own sweet memories of it!
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