Estonian Surprises
Our ferry pulled into the Tallinn city harbor after the sun set. The city lights surprised me. I hadn’t known what to expect since I had only seen photos of Tallinn’s Old City. We hired a taxi to take us to our apartment. Ten minutes later, we arrived in the ancient walled city lined with cobblestones. The taxi drove through a maze of narrow and twisty streets. Our gracious Airbnb hostess, Külliki greeted us and together we walked through the courtyard to her apartment.
Located on the oldest street in the center of the Old Town, our apartment shared a wall with the 15th Century city wall. She showed us around the cozy clean apartment and answered a few questions about Tallinn. Külliki grew up there. She bought the apartment years before when she worked nearby. She told us that Old Town Tallinn is a place to visit or celebrate. It’s always special.
Külliki looked Finnish with her blond hair, fair skin and trendy clothes. She told us that Tallinn was a modern high-tech city where Skype was founded. Estonia joined the EU and NATO in 2004 and had a progressive prime minister.
The Estonian language was similar to Finnish - made sense. We were very close to Finland. Our ferry ride was only an hour and a half across the Baltic. Külliki said Estonia was more like Europe and Latvia was more similar to Russia. In hindsight, I’m not sure that’s entirely true. We met a few other people in Estonia and Latvia with Russian roots who didn’t seem to share her view. Estonia and Latvia have very similar histories. That night, we still didn’t have any opinions about these things.
We asked her what it was like living under the Russian occupation. She responded soberly saying those years were very difficult. She she told us growing up, the Soviets took most of the good food leaving Estonians with bland vegetables and potatoes. In 1991, when she was a teenager, Estonia regained independence. On on brighter note, she told us their history made Estonians resilient and now she could enjoy all the good food produced locally.
Local farms provide produce to a daily open air market and restaurants. There has never been industrial food production, keeping ingredients fresh. As a result, the restaurants are surprisingly excellent. Michelin came to Estonia last year and reviewed thirty one restaurants for the first time. We asked her for a restaurant recommendation. We made a reservation for the next night and I was blown away. Who knew Estonia had such scrumptious food?
Our tour the next morning started at the Tallinn Town Hall Square which has been the center and marketplace of the Old City since the Middle Ages. Tallinn, the capitol of Estonia and has been well preserved making it a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town hall was built in the 13th century. The story of Tallinn is one of occupation and freedom.
The city was first claimed by the Danish. In 1710 it was seized by the Russian empire and remained under Russian control until 1918. After the Russian Revolution, Estonia declared independence. They were free and prosperous for just over twenty years until World War II, when it was involuntarily annexed into the USSR in 1940. The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic existed until 1991 when Estonia regained independence. They simply dusted off their 1918 constitution and still observe that document today.
All of the Baltic states share the dark past of Russian occupation. The Russians worked diligently to erase the history of their republics. The Russians made national folk songs illegal. Matt and I watched a beautiful documentary called “The Singing Revolution” which depicts how the Estonians fought for their independence nonviolently using their love for singing. These peaceful people are tough yet tender. A spirit of freedom in the Baltic States exists unlike in the US. I returned home with a vow to remember how privileged we are to be free.
The war in Ukraine makes the Baltic States vulnerable. It’s close and scary in both Estonia and Latvia. The proximity of the countries to Ukraine and Russia makes the war very relatable. In Tallinn, there’s a block of banners and signs calling Putin a killer and pleas to stop the war along the Russian embassy - an emotional sight to see.
It’s complicated too because thirty percent of Estonians have Russian roots. Our tour guide was an Estonian citizen from Russia. She attended Russian schools and spoke Russian at home. Unlike our Airbnb host, she didn’t consider Estonia European. Although she knew Tallinn’s history well, she didn’t share nearly as much color or story of living in Estonia. She kept her cards close. We asked her about the Estonian Prime Minister who was providing Ukraine with financial and military aid. Our tour guide did not like her and said when politicians ran out of things to talk about, they discussed closing Russian schools. She rolled her eyes. Huh.
After our City tour, we enjoyed a coffee in a cafe inside the Tall Hernann Tower. We decided to leave the city walls and walk to the Estonian Maritime Museum called Sea Plane Harbor. In 2010 the city restored an old hanger for seaplanes and created this museum. The main feature was a 1936 submarine called Lembit and a sad exhibit about a Baltic Sea tragedy during World War II. We visited the museum and walked across town to the market next to the train station.
The lively market was filled with beautiful berries, vegetables, and sweets. Local people shopped for produce. Outside the station, we wandered into the Telliskivi district which is made up of old Soviet barracks. It’s been transformed into a hip and trendy neighborhood filled with restaurants and shops. Nine years dear ago, this arts district was developed. Graffiti, sculptures and art instillations gave the area a bohemian feel. Our reservation was on the top floor of the Fotografiska art gallery. We took the elevator up and were seated right away.
The restaurant was incredible! The tables were elegant and the view was extraordinary. The old city roofs lined the sky. Our waiter was knowledgable, hospitable and encouraged us to order to the House Menu and try all the dishes. We did.
The restaurant boasted zero waste. They cooked creatively using everything somewhere in the menu. All the ingredients were in season and tasty. It was easy to see why this place was awarded a Michelin “green” star. It made me adore Tallinn even more. We wondered what it would it be like to live in Tallinn, shop at the market, eat at the restaurants and live among the lovely Estonians.
The next morning we wandered around the Old City. After breakfast, we packed up and walked to the tram stop outside the walls and headed to the bus station. We paid 1 euro 50 per ticket, which pleased my frugal heart. A few minutes into the tram ride, we realized we were going the wrong direction. I tried to open the door and didn’t know how. A nice passenger calmly told us how to open the door. Four stops later, we hopped off the tram and waited on the other side of the street for our correct tram. We arrived at the bus station in plenty of time.
We took the bus to Pärnu, the Baltic Seaside town. Our ride was comfortable, easy and quick. We stayed the night in a mirrored tiny house which and explored Pärnu’s beach, parks, and little town. I planned on swimming, but changed my mind because it was chilly. I didn’t hear one English-speaking tourist in Pärnu. There was a rowdy and boozy street party going on, and it seemed like everyone was either Estonian or European. In Pärnu, we were off the beaten path.
Early the next morning, we rolled our bags though the town and boarded a bus to Latvia. We arrived in Riga a couple hours later. Our final chapter of our Baltic Adventure was about to begin.
