It's shortly after 5pm on my last day in Europe, and all I want is a nap. I guess it's fitting that the sun has disappeared behind some rather dark clouds just at the time that I've run out of energy.
I'm currently in Tallinn, which is actually quite a lovely place. Estonia's history is fraught with occupations and revolutions to regain their independence, which may be one of the factors in the very multicultural nature of this city. You can clearly see the influence from all their neighbors, but it's still got its own particular charm, unlike anything I've seen in any other country.
The main thing I've noticed is how quiet the city is. There's a bit of traffic noise, and you hear the occasional music or conversation, but it's mostly just silent. I read that the Estonian philosophy is something like, if you don't have some brilliant, well thought-out thing to say, just keep quiet, and it seems most people here do just that.
I arrived yesterday without much of an agenda, and my stroll out of the hotel led me directly to the mall. I didn't intend to go there, I just followed the Food Store sign, hoping to get some provisions for my stay, and bam! Mall. It was exactly like every other mall I've ever seen, which is to say, horrible and full of teenagers.
Luckily today, after sleeping off a bit too much of the drink from last night, I pointed myself toward Old Town and found a cute -- albeit very touristy -- little section of the city protected by the castle-like city walls. I also wandered through a couple of parks, one of which was hosting the Flower Festival, and made it to a late lunch without passing out from sunstroke.
Did I mention it's been very sunny and hot my whole time here? Well, it has. I love it, but walking miles in it, with little to no shade, isn't doing me any favors.
After a quick air conditioning break, I did some more rambling around town, but mostly came across tall buildings and more shopping centers. I also got shouted at, in what I presume was Estonian, by an old lady on the street for no apparent reason... proving that crazy is universal.
At this point, I'm taking another break for a long drink (cranberry taste) and will see if I can muster any energy later. The dark skies (despite sundown still being hours away) and my need to go to the airport in roughly 12 hours, probably mean that I won't go far. Even if I don't, the long trip has been worth it, and I'll be sad to leave Estonia tomorrow.
Saturday 7 July 2012
Friday 6 July 2012
On a Boat
Today, I think I had the longest 2.5 hour trip of my life.
Given that it's only a 2 1/2 hour ferry journey from Helsinki to Tallinn, I decided to boat across the sea, rather than catch a plane. I figured a ferry is a nice way to travel, quietly drifting along, gazing out the window at the water....
Totally not what I got today.
I boarded with the throngs of foot passengers, and managed to make my way up past the cabins (which seem overkill for less than a 3 hour tour... a 3 hour tour!), to the first deck of general seating, which could either be had in the dance club or the casino/bar. I preferred neither, nor did I want to sit outdoors for the whole trip, so I chose the deck with 2 small restaurants. Since most of the tables were reserved for diners, I took up residence at one of the unreserved spaces, and started reading the newspaper.
Not until the person dressed as a giant sailor cat -- evidently named Viki Viking -- appeared, did I notice that the seats around me were filling up with families with many small children. I frantically scanned the room for an open unreserved table elsewhere, but it was no use. I was stuck with them. For two and a half looooooong hours.
I spent the time with headphones on, music turned up, making use of the free wifi and/or reading, trying to pretend they weren't there. But even with all that, it was amazing that I made it off that boat without killing one of the little buggers.
While screaming children are equally annoying in any tongue, it's amazing how freeing it can be to spend time in countries where you don't speak the language. I've talked about this before, but it's worth mentioning again. At first your brain uses extra energy searching every word around you for one you recognize, but soon, it just gives up. And then you realize how much mental energy you waste on the bullshit of strangers in a given day. At least I do. So it's really quite calming for the mind to just completely tune it out.
Of course, the downside is that then I also fail to hear when people are speaking English, either directly to me, or on things like ferry announcements, and end up lost or confused.
Even so... it's worth it.
Given that it's only a 2 1/2 hour ferry journey from Helsinki to Tallinn, I decided to boat across the sea, rather than catch a plane. I figured a ferry is a nice way to travel, quietly drifting along, gazing out the window at the water....
Totally not what I got today.
I boarded with the throngs of foot passengers, and managed to make my way up past the cabins (which seem overkill for less than a 3 hour tour... a 3 hour tour!), to the first deck of general seating, which could either be had in the dance club or the casino/bar. I preferred neither, nor did I want to sit outdoors for the whole trip, so I chose the deck with 2 small restaurants. Since most of the tables were reserved for diners, I took up residence at one of the unreserved spaces, and started reading the newspaper.
Not until the person dressed as a giant sailor cat -- evidently named Viki Viking -- appeared, did I notice that the seats around me were filling up with families with many small children. I frantically scanned the room for an open unreserved table elsewhere, but it was no use. I was stuck with them. For two and a half looooooong hours.
I spent the time with headphones on, music turned up, making use of the free wifi and/or reading, trying to pretend they weren't there. But even with all that, it was amazing that I made it off that boat without killing one of the little buggers.
While screaming children are equally annoying in any tongue, it's amazing how freeing it can be to spend time in countries where you don't speak the language. I've talked about this before, but it's worth mentioning again. At first your brain uses extra energy searching every word around you for one you recognize, but soon, it just gives up. And then you realize how much mental energy you waste on the bullshit of strangers in a given day. At least I do. So it's really quite calming for the mind to just completely tune it out.
Of course, the downside is that then I also fail to hear when people are speaking English, either directly to me, or on things like ferry announcements, and end up lost or confused.
Even so... it's worth it.
Thursday 5 July 2012
Helsinki
It took me less than 24 hours to run out of interest in Helsinki. I do love the beer here, though. I've had many a pint of a local dark lager called Karjala. Absolutely fantastic. It's going to be depressing when I get home and can't drink it anymore.
It's not that Helsinki isn't an interesting place, it's just that there's not a lot of tourist-type stuff to see. It might not be a bad place to live, but it's not one to photograph. While the city is old and surrounded by water, the best word to describe it is functional. It doesn't have the beautiful ornate buildings of much of Europe, and the harbor is full of ferries, sightseeing boats, and little fishing dinghies. Not many nice views. It must be the Baltic influence.
Similar to other small European cities, Helsinki is very walkable, and mostly puts your life in your own hands with its traffic control. Bike lanes aren't part of the road, but separate paths next to, or weaving across, the sidewalk. If you walk in the cycle path without paying attention, someone on a bike will hit you... or narrowly miss you, as in my case. There are crossing lights on major street corners, but there are also many intersections where pedestrians, cars, and trams all criss-cross each other without any signals whatsoever. As an American used to seeing a warning label on absolutely everything, I appreciate this; if you're dumb enough to step in front of a tram, your death or dismemberment is your own damn fault.
Anyway. Yesterday when I arrived, I spent a little while wandering the shopping area near my hotel, then grabbed dinner and sat in one of the city's many patio bars, soaking up the sun that lasted well past 10pm.
Due to all that beer and draining sunshine, I slept much later than planned this morning, and didn't head out until around noon. After visiting the market at the harbor, strolling through Esplanade Park, and doing a bit of downtown shopping, I was at a loss for what else to do. My guide book was no help, so I randomly turned the opposite direction from where I'd been so far, and found myself walking through a lovely park along a lake. With temperatures in the high 70s and no shade, though, I didn't spend long exploring beyond the park. After some more shopping and a small dinner, I've given up on the city. Too hot, not enough to do. Nothing left now but a couple of pints and a good night's sleep.
Tomorrow I'm off to Tallinn, Estonia, my last stop on this trip. I can't believe how fast it has gone by.
It's not that Helsinki isn't an interesting place, it's just that there's not a lot of tourist-type stuff to see. It might not be a bad place to live, but it's not one to photograph. While the city is old and surrounded by water, the best word to describe it is functional. It doesn't have the beautiful ornate buildings of much of Europe, and the harbor is full of ferries, sightseeing boats, and little fishing dinghies. Not many nice views. It must be the Baltic influence.
Similar to other small European cities, Helsinki is very walkable, and mostly puts your life in your own hands with its traffic control. Bike lanes aren't part of the road, but separate paths next to, or weaving across, the sidewalk. If you walk in the cycle path without paying attention, someone on a bike will hit you... or narrowly miss you, as in my case. There are crossing lights on major street corners, but there are also many intersections where pedestrians, cars, and trams all criss-cross each other without any signals whatsoever. As an American used to seeing a warning label on absolutely everything, I appreciate this; if you're dumb enough to step in front of a tram, your death or dismemberment is your own damn fault.
Anyway. Yesterday when I arrived, I spent a little while wandering the shopping area near my hotel, then grabbed dinner and sat in one of the city's many patio bars, soaking up the sun that lasted well past 10pm.
Due to all that beer and draining sunshine, I slept much later than planned this morning, and didn't head out until around noon. After visiting the market at the harbor, strolling through Esplanade Park, and doing a bit of downtown shopping, I was at a loss for what else to do. My guide book was no help, so I randomly turned the opposite direction from where I'd been so far, and found myself walking through a lovely park along a lake. With temperatures in the high 70s and no shade, though, I didn't spend long exploring beyond the park. After some more shopping and a small dinner, I've given up on the city. Too hot, not enough to do. Nothing left now but a couple of pints and a good night's sleep.
Tomorrow I'm off to Tallinn, Estonia, my last stop on this trip. I can't believe how fast it has gone by.
Tuesday 3 July 2012
Stockholm
It's my last evening in Stockholm, in Sweden even, and I'm not sure what to do with it. Sitting in a bar overlooking the city seems a good start, though.
I arrived 2 days ago, sleep deprived, jet lagged, and utterly confused by everything. I never fully remember my first day on a new continent, and what I do recall tends to be surreal. As such, I didn't try to accomplish much; I did a bit of wandering, watched Spain win the Euro final with a couple of Norrlands Guld beers, and crashed for 12 hours.
I awoke feeling much better yesterday and headed off to visit Old Town (Gamla Stan), which is a short walk from my hotel. I made it to the right part of town, but managed to constantly turn the wrong direction and see things other than what I planned. I also unintentionally visited some other areas of town in the course of being lost. Still, it was beautiful, and I got a lot of great photos in and around the Opera House, City Hall, various churches, and random spots along all the water.
As a consultant at work told me, "Sweden has lots of beautiful old architecture, because -- ya know -- they didn't get bombed."
Maybe a bit irreverent, but true enough.
Today I set out again to see the Royal Palace, and this time I made it. Strangely enough, once I knew where I was, I no longer cared if I was in the "right" place. I ambled around the royal buildings, as well as the Cathedral of Stockholm and the Nobel Museum. The Swedish Navy band was performing, and in addition to the guards on duty, there were a large number of young, blond, fresh-faced servicemen marching around. They were adorable, but man, they made me feel old.
I always feel bad for the guards on duty at any royal residence. I'm sure it's supposed to be an honor, but how hard must it be to take your job seriously while posing for tourists' photos all day?
Other than Instagramming loads of old buildings, my time here has been spent shopping in the city, eating a lot of unspectacular food, and drinking beer. Seems tonight will be comprised of more of the same, then tomorrow I catch an afternoon flight to Helsinki.
As uneventful as my time in Stockholm has been, I still love Sweden, and will probably be back yet again. Something about it just feels comfortable. Yes, I'm the arrogant American, traveling the world, expecting everyone to speak English. But so far, they have. They either begin speaking English the moment they see me, or seem totally unsurprised that I'm American. In Sweden, unlike anywhere else, everyone seems totally shocked, and occasionally disappointed, to find that I'm not a local.
Shrug. I guess it's just a Viking thing.
I arrived 2 days ago, sleep deprived, jet lagged, and utterly confused by everything. I never fully remember my first day on a new continent, and what I do recall tends to be surreal. As such, I didn't try to accomplish much; I did a bit of wandering, watched Spain win the Euro final with a couple of Norrlands Guld beers, and crashed for 12 hours.
I awoke feeling much better yesterday and headed off to visit Old Town (Gamla Stan), which is a short walk from my hotel. I made it to the right part of town, but managed to constantly turn the wrong direction and see things other than what I planned. I also unintentionally visited some other areas of town in the course of being lost. Still, it was beautiful, and I got a lot of great photos in and around the Opera House, City Hall, various churches, and random spots along all the water.
As a consultant at work told me, "Sweden has lots of beautiful old architecture, because -- ya know -- they didn't get bombed."
Maybe a bit irreverent, but true enough.
I always feel bad for the guards on duty at any royal residence. I'm sure it's supposed to be an honor, but how hard must it be to take your job seriously while posing for tourists' photos all day?
Other than Instagramming loads of old buildings, my time here has been spent shopping in the city, eating a lot of unspectacular food, and drinking beer. Seems tonight will be comprised of more of the same, then tomorrow I catch an afternoon flight to Helsinki.
As uneventful as my time in Stockholm has been, I still love Sweden, and will probably be back yet again. Something about it just feels comfortable. Yes, I'm the arrogant American, traveling the world, expecting everyone to speak English. But so far, they have. They either begin speaking English the moment they see me, or seem totally unsurprised that I'm American. In Sweden, unlike anywhere else, everyone seems totally shocked, and occasionally disappointed, to find that I'm not a local.
Shrug. I guess it's just a Viking thing.
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