So last Saturday night I caught the (almost) midnight bus to Tal-linn and began a five day Estonian trek. Huraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
Okay, it does sound quite like midnight train to Georgia, but it's the close enough, behind the Iron Curtain version. Needless to say, I NEEDED A BREAK from Petersburg and I got to see the wonderfully picturesque capital of Tallinn. In my first 24 hours in Tallinn, the following were my initial, baker's dozen reactions:
1.) It's cleaner
2.) It's more relaxing to walk around.
3.) It's cleaner.
4.) The people don't seem like aggressive, pseudo-threatening oddballs you have to shove out of your way like a madman in order for you to be understood.
5.) It's cleaner.
6.) I could have lied nonstop on top of one of the old town roofs, soaking up the sun for hours and hours.
7.) It's cleaner.
8.) The food was much better and the restaurants were more inviting.
9.) It's cleaner.
10.) The drunks are funny.
11.) It's cleaner.
12.) There's much less annoying at-talking that the residents do!
13.) IT'S UN-F^CKING-BELIEVABLY CLEANER AND LIVABLE THAN THE KULTURAL KAPITAL!!
Again, those were my initial reactions. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the whole "the grass is always greener" idiom, but it really doesn't apply in this case as I have experienced it. Neither does any sort of universal approach that contains any phrase like, "it's like that in (fill in the blank)." If I thought these things did apply here, I would *not* be saying any of this!!! The world really isn't so similar all the time and differences do exist. Very often, one person's truth is just an opinion to someone else and vice versa. And d@mnit, that's how Tallinn vs. Petersburg is for me!! Bwaaa!!!
Anyhow, my five day trip to Estonia was much needed and enjoyable. My bus arrived in Tallinn 25 minutes ahead of schedule at 5:35AM. Unfortunately, I couldn't check into my cheap hostel just yet, but fortunately it was a bright, sunny morning. I thus decided to start my photography early despite be *wiped out* after my 7.5 hour bus ride. None of the coffee shops opened until 8:30 so I had to fight to stay awake. It was understandable though. It was a Sunday morning. It was Estonia. Work would not be the first thing on the agenda. Except at McDonald's which opened at 8, but I never go there unless no other options are in sight and for the restrooms.
I did manage to photograph a funny drunk on his way home in the early hours. As shown below ...
I may have had a long night with little to no sleep, but at least I would not have to suffer from a monster hangover like this guy probably did. And the drunks leave presents behind too!
Even the drunks were clean! I saw almost no broken glass or vomit on the streets of Tallinn. Nor any litter. Even if I loved it, that's an obvious contrast I just couldn't overlook and puts Petersburg to the depths of shame.
But as I leisurely strolled around old town Tallinn, my mind was escaping any stress or reminders of the filthy domain I had left. The spires of the Hanseatic architecture; the quirky themed stores that would open in a couple hours; the view of the southern Gulf of Finland -- I didn't even think Petersburg was anywhere nearby, until I saw THIS horrible sight as I was so contentedly walking down Tallinn's winding streets!
I'll be sure to make a reservation for my next visit and send all my praise of this place to Lonely Planet. Hmmph. I walked away from here quickly enough and slowly found my happy zone once more. It was almost 8:30 and the first non-McDonald's coffee place was about to open. I was starving and thirsting like a badger left to wander in the desert. I walked into a nice coffee shop that was ... western style and semi-quirky! It had been so long for me. I felt like I had re-entered some land of plenty. Their menu was plenty large and even had this dish on it:
I guess for those cold winter nights here, this dish could do the trick, but otherwise you may not want to have this in the morning.
I enjoyed my breakfast (which was a lot) and took off for some more sightseeing around the city. As the day continued, the sun got brighter and the weather was warmer. It was one of the few nice days I had experienced since settling in the Baltic. I then headed out for more sightseeing and then to my hostel to check-in. Well deserved sleep was on the agenda. Stay tuned for part II ...
 |
| Hello, Estonia! Tere, Eesti! |
Okay, it does sound quite like midnight train to Georgia, but it's the close enough, behind the Iron Curtain version. Needless to say, I NEEDED A BREAK from Petersburg and I got to see the wonderfully picturesque capital of Tallinn. In my first 24 hours in Tallinn, the following were my initial, baker's dozen reactions:
1.) It's cleaner
2.) It's more relaxing to walk around.
3.) It's cleaner.
4.) The people don't seem like aggressive, pseudo-threatening oddballs you have to shove out of your way like a madman in order for you to be understood.
5.) It's cleaner.
6.) I could have lied nonstop on top of one of the old town roofs, soaking up the sun for hours and hours.
7.) It's cleaner.
8.) The food was much better and the restaurants were more inviting.
9.) It's cleaner.
10.) The drunks are funny.
11.) It's cleaner.
12.) There's much less annoying at-talking that the residents do!
13.) IT'S UN-F^CKING-BELIEVABLY CLEANER AND LIVABLE THAN THE KULTURAL KAPITAL!!
Again, those were my initial reactions. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the whole "the grass is always greener" idiom, but it really doesn't apply in this case as I have experienced it. Neither does any sort of universal approach that contains any phrase like, "it's like that in (fill in the blank)." If I thought these things did apply here, I would *not* be saying any of this!!! The world really isn't so similar all the time and differences do exist. Very often, one person's truth is just an opinion to someone else and vice versa. And d@mnit, that's how Tallinn vs. Petersburg is for me!! Bwaaa!!!
Anyhow, my five day trip to Estonia was much needed and enjoyable. My bus arrived in Tallinn 25 minutes ahead of schedule at 5:35AM. Unfortunately, I couldn't check into my cheap hostel just yet, but fortunately it was a bright, sunny morning. I thus decided to start my photography early despite be *wiped out* after my 7.5 hour bus ride. None of the coffee shops opened until 8:30 so I had to fight to stay awake. It was understandable though. It was a Sunday morning. It was Estonia. Work would not be the first thing on the agenda. Except at McDonald's which opened at 8, but I never go there unless no other options are in sight and for the restrooms.
I did manage to photograph a funny drunk on his way home in the early hours. As shown below ...
 | |||
| "I down't need no kind of (hiccup) ... help ... (hiccup) walkin' home. Oh, $h1t ... those wuz stairs (hiccup)." |
I may have had a long night with little to no sleep, but at least I would not have to suffer from a monster hangover like this guy probably did. And the drunks leave presents behind too!
 | |
| No dearth of used glasses for beer and other alcoholic beverages make their home on the cobbled streets of Tallinn on Friday and Saturday nights. |
Even the drunks were clean! I saw almost no broken glass or vomit on the streets of Tallinn. Nor any litter. Even if I loved it, that's an obvious contrast I just couldn't overlook and puts Petersburg to the depths of shame.
But as I leisurely strolled around old town Tallinn, my mind was escaping any stress or reminders of the filthy domain I had left. The spires of the Hanseatic architecture; the quirky themed stores that would open in a couple hours; the view of the southern Gulf of Finland -- I didn't even think Petersburg was anywhere nearby, until I saw THIS horrible sight as I was so contentedly walking down Tallinn's winding streets!
 | |
| Не напоминайте мне! Don't remind me! |
I'll be sure to make a reservation for my next visit and send all my praise of this place to Lonely Planet. Hmmph. I walked away from here quickly enough and slowly found my happy zone once more. It was almost 8:30 and the first non-McDonald's coffee place was about to open. I was starving and thirsting like a badger left to wander in the desert. I walked into a nice coffee shop that was ... western style and semi-quirky! It had been so long for me. I felt like I had re-entered some land of plenty. Their menu was plenty large and even had this dish on it:
I guess for those cold winter nights here, this dish could do the trick, but otherwise you may not want to have this in the morning.
I enjoyed my breakfast (which was a lot) and took off for some more sightseeing around the city. As the day continued, the sun got brighter and the weather was warmer. It was one of the few nice days I had experienced since settling in the Baltic. I then headed out for more sightseeing and then to my hostel to check-in. Well deserved sleep was on the agenda. Stay tuned for part II ...
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| Don't you just want some thing to drink from this establishment? At least one thing's always on tap. |
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| Watch out for purse snatchers! |
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| She's trying to figure out what a text message is. |
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| Estonian national pride with remnants of Russian influence as a backdrop. |
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| Yes, there are even modern office buildings in Tallinn. |
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