Estonia is a place full of surprises. As Tallinn, the capital, is well known in the UK as a good spot for a stag do, but not much more, finding out that it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe was quite a welcome one. It does an incredible job of mixing this with a fantastic bar scene and some brilliant restaurants, many of which are housed in the old medieval buildings. It was incidentally under one of these that nestles one of the most fantastic, rambling cafés I've been in.
A short ferry ride from Finland, Estonia seems to have plenty of the quirkiness for which that country is well known - starting with the legend of how the city was founded. Displayed proudly on the first page of an official guide to the city, it is retold in quite a frank manner:-
"It is said that Talinn was founded when an inappropriate love formed between a Prince and Princess of Denmark. Their father, the King, resolved this by placing the Princess on a boat without a rudder. After days of travel, she landed on the coast of Estonia, where she established the city."
!!!
2 comments:
man, imagine roaming in the baltic sea without a rudder? poor woman... why didn't the kind send the prince? sexist bastard. it was probably the prince's fault in the first place.
So what now pat you are tripping around easter europe? Lucky duck! I hope I get to see some of that part of world too one day. I hear that Estonia is a fascinating place ;-)
Hey Ren - I'm not quite so exciting at the moment (unlike some, adventuring in central America!) - but the few days I got to spend here definitely whetted the taste fo Eastern Europe. Let me know when you plan to check it out and we can don fur coats and go try out some vodka!
PS. I had the same thought about the Prince/Princess situation... Girl did well for herself though - might call it the most extreme example of tough love ever :-P
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