Closed Monday and Tuesday
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 03:28AM 
Greetings from Tallinn. Go ahead, look it up in Wikipedia. I had to. The LWW and I are playing touristas for a few days prior to the beginning of the CEESA conference where I will be doing some sessions and a keynote.
Once again, I'm in a place that is more or less "off season" here in the cold and snowy capital of Estonia. We took a guided city tour yesterday that combined riding a bus (I hate tour buses) and walking which was lovely but damn cold. Every museum in the country seems to be closed on both Mondays and Tuesdays in Estonia which rather limits one's sightseeing options, but the buildings and city itself are quite interesting.
This beautiful view is from Toompea Hill down into the lower Old Town. Tallinn had the good fortune to be too poor to tear down its old city walls in the 18th century like so many European towns. It is now one of the world's few cities (like Xian and Rothenberg) that has these magnificent reminders of what were surely more symbols of security than any true deterrent to havoc. (Sort of like today's Internet firewalls, I expect.) I found it interesting that the wall existed to keep the nobility (upper town) apart from the merchants and craftsmen (lower town). Sort of early version of keeping the coach class cabin from using the first class bathrooms on today's aircraft.
Dead Cat Well in the heart of the old city gets its name from the probably apocryphal story that in order to appease a water spirit who threatened to dry up Tallinn's water supply, medieval citizen's tossed sacrificial animal carcasses down the well including, it seems, an inordinate number of stray cats. Tap water tastes OK to me.
The Fat Margaret Tower sits facing the harbor and once held a bunch of cannon, but now holds a maritime museum that I did not get to see since I was there on a Monday. I just loved the name of the place.
Russian Orthodox Church is as lovely inside as out and comes complete with a priest that looks just like Rasputin. The bulk of Estonians tend to be a-religious, but those who are tend to be Lutherans - just like in Minnesota.
Today we rented a car and drove along the northern Baltic Coast on small snowy roads. More when I get the pictures downloaded.
Having a lovely time. Wish you were here.
Reader Comments (8)
Jennifer and I spent a nice day in Tallinn a few years ago. In the summer, ofc.
Going on a vacation in a place like this is really relaxing. I would love to visit this place for the church! Thank you for sharing your vacation.
Wow, I just had lunch in Peoria, IL with a friend from Tallinn and now you are visiting there! He is in the U.S. heading to Portland to visit family. Our church had purchased a building in Tallinn, helped remodel it and now there is one Methodist Church in the land of Lutherans and Orthodox. Thanks for the post.
The Lutherans in Europe are more like our United Church in Canada. Everyone belongs but nobody attends. I'm Lutheran, but I bet there are a ton more Lutherans in Minnesota. BTW I love your travelogues. I travel rarely, and usually only so that Becky enjoys tropical Hawaiian sunshine every couple of years. Your blogs give me more than a tourist's viewpoint to the places you visit.
Hi Tom,
Seems an out-of-the-way place to drop in for for a day! What was the occasion?
I am sure this is quite a different place in the summer.
Doug
Hi Brandt,
I am extremely lucky to have had the opportunities I've had, for sure.
Doug
Hi Rich,
Small world, eh?
Doug
Thanks, Todd. Yes, Minnesota has its share of Lutherans!
Glad you enjoy the jottings,
Doug
Envy envy envy.
Thanks for the pix.
I spent some time during two summers working on a seminary library in Tartu, Estonia, flying into Tallinn from Finland. It was a wonderful experience and a beautiful country. We got to celebrate St. John's Day one year and the next year were able to go to the big song festival held in Tallinn every four years, got to see the parade of the groups in costume also.
Like you allude to however I also had to explain to many folks where Estonia and the cities Tallinn and Tartu were.
Hi Betsy,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Sometimes I think the little hidden treasures, not the popular spots, are the real delight in traveling!
Doug