Tallinn's Gobelin

Tallinn

Tallinn is only two and a half hours from Tartu on a bus. Even if it's a capital, it is a small city.

Like in other Baltic countries, one will first visit the old town. Like in all other Baltic countries, students have started a free tour company to tell the story of some buildings, adding some anecdotes I believe might be exagerated.

Getting out of the fortifications, a small portion near the port is impressive by its strange and original architecture. I even saw one or two colleagues in this strange gorilla in a glass cage typing on a typewriter... We're talking about a fake gorilla of course.

National Park

The second day, I signed up for a visit in Lahemaa national park (traveller.ee). In Estonia, the notion of national park is not the same we have at home. One can build a house in there. Animals are protected, but the rules are not as strict as one can believe.

Still, in the same day, I saw what is left of a Soviet dam, a German palace, a traditionnal Estonian house, an observatory and a Soviet submarine station and a giant bog.

Since I was sharing a mini-van with an old couple who could barely speak english, I used the time to talk with the guide. He confirmed Estonians are considering themselves to be Finnish and they look at their neighbors when decision time comes. Despite numerous invasions in the past, the Estonians seem to look forward and, supported by NATO, they don't fear invaders.

And thanks Jesus, in Estonia, we can use Euros. It is cheaper than Finland, but I feel I'm heading more and more to the north when I look at the prices.

About the prices, souvenirs in the old town are litteraly scams. For a simple patch with the flag on it, they ask 14 euros... It is the price for two meals in exchange for a little piece of fabric. In Thailand, for that price, I probably could have gotten thirty.

In the end, the best memory will be that hostel where I decided to book,  The Purple Gobelin. I was the first one ever to sleep in the bed they gave me, because that place wasn't even open two weeks ago. I took a chance in choosing a place which hadn't proven anything yet, but I regret nothing.

Owner are well trained travelers who I could talk to for hours. In fact, they transformed two rooms of their appartement in dormitories. They are always there, ready to help, and they travel in the stories of their guests. The last night, the six clients they had, and the two owners, played poker until very late in the night... (I ranked second... Not too bad for a beginner)

That is also part of traveling.