Tallinn, Estonia is a small, hipster, medieval, Baltic Silicon Valley town with a good deal of cobblestone charm. On a wet winter day, a college student gives a free (for tips) tour of Old Town.
Old Town Tallinn, with the Gulf of Tallinn beyond
Katya, Estonian guide
Tall, thin TV tower way, way in the distance
Who Shot JR????????
Everyone loves a lover
A window decorated with apples hanging from strings
Silver winter puddle
She is diligent about describing the checked history of Estonia -- rolling episodes of occupations -- but is also interested in telling us about the national character. She describes a reticent, indecisive, slow-acting, self-deprecating people. She tells a local joke:
"What's the difference between an anti-social Estonian & a sociable Estonian?"
"What?"
"When talking to you, an anti-social Estonians will look anywhere but in your eyes... at his shoes, at the sky, at some apparently fascinating thing down the street. When a sociable Estonian talks with you, he will stare at your shoes." All her remarks are tinged with dry humor.
At the far back of the photo above, toward the right side, you will see a very faint antenna. This is the well-known Estonia TV antenna, famous largely for its height. It was built during Soviet times to transmit political propaganda to the people. In the 1980s however, local residents bought small antennas for their homes and pointed them all toward Finland, thus enabling them to receive demonic, Western television shows, such as "Dallas," "Baywatch," "MacGyver," & the soft-core art/porn movie "Emanuelle." When JR was shot, the local population went into a tailspin. And the birthrate in Estonia spiked after "Emanuelle" was released.
Old Town Estonia has many secret passageways.
And a Christmas Marketplace, even in the rain.
Lots of amber & crystal in the shops.
So grey. The crystal store looks interesting
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