So when I left off last night, I was heading to my room to enjoy a tippaleipä, the traditional sweet that Finns eat on Väppu, their May Day celebrations. Picture thin strips of sweet dough in the shape of a spaghetti ball, fried to a crisp and served with icing sugar. With every bite, parts of it would crumble all over the place, and a thin dusting of icing sugar would cover everything in sight. It was the messiest thing I have ever tried eating and had to finish it leaning over the toilet bowl.
I then headed off to see the Benny and Björn musical "Kristina från Duvemåla" at the Svenska Teatern. I don't know what I was thinking, but I headed out there for the 6:30 show last night without having had dinner. Luckily, there was a lengthy intermission, so I was able to eat a smörgås (Swedish sandwich). So far, my meals on my trip have not been expensive! I have mostly stuck to pastries and sandwiches. The production of "Kristina" was superb. I had only ever seen the English-language concert version of the show at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2009, so seeing it staged really made it come to life. When "Guldet blev till sand" ("Gold Turned to Sand") came on, I have to admit that I wept a little. But seeing the Swedish-language production was more than a little humbling, because even though I knew the story exceedingly well and could follow along, I didn't get much of the dialogue and lyrics...
I got back to the hotel around 10:50 p.m. and promptly went to bed. I managed to sleep a solid 5 hours without waking. However, I awoke at 4:30 a.m. and couldn't sleep again. I suppose it was because I didn't want to miss my 5:30 a.m. wake-up call. So, I just got up and texted my mom and my niece Emilie. Then, at 5:30, I started to get ready for my day. I was down for breakfast a little before 6:00 a.m. This was good, because my ferry ride to Tallinn, Estonia was scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and I had to have breakfast, take 20 minutes to walk there, and they recommended we arrive at least 30 minutes before departure. The staff at the hotel were kind enough to provide me with a complimentary breakfast, even though the breakfast room only opens at 7:00. I had some delicious croissants with strawberry jam, a plum and a banana.
The sun was shining, without a cloud in the sky when I set out on foot for the South Harbour. I got there in due time, and could not spot a ferry from the Silja Tallink Line (the ship I was scheduled to take, having paid for my return ticket in full, on-line, before my trip to Europe). So I walked a little further ahead on the western side of the harbour and confirmed my ship was not there. I figured it was probably on the eastern side, but when I got there, there were no ships docked on that side either. And the Silja Tallink terminal was not only empty, it was locked, without a soul in sight. I knew something was wrong because by then it was 6:45 a.m. So, I called the hotel. The receptionist discovered that she had given me the wrong instructions and sent me to South Harbour instead of to West Harbour, from where my ship was supposed to depart. I asked how far it was, and she said about 45 minutes on foot. She informed me that a cab could get to me in 5 minutes and drive the 10 minutes it would take to get me to West Harbour. I got to the ferry terminal at 7:10 a.m., and discovered there was a long line-up at the counter. And because I only had a confirmation number and not an actual ticket, I too had to wait in line. It was very stressful. There were only about 5 minutes left until departure. I was sure I had literally missed the boat. When I finally got to the counter, the agent said she had been waiting to make sure I got my ticket because she saw me waiting in line for close to 20 minutes. I got my ticket in hand, just as the captain announced over the loud speaker that he was about to depart, so any stragglers should hurry. I bolted up the stairs to the long corridors that eventually led to the Star, and I was a very, very relieved man. Nothing like this to get the adrenaline going and the metabolism activated early in the morning. I made my way to the comfort-class area, where I was part of only 14 people who shared a very comfortable lounging area with complimentary coffee, tea, juices, desserts, etc. I really enjoyed the small donuts they had.
So I was finally on my way to Estonia, a country that used to be part of the Soviet Union. As a teen, I always wondered whether I would ever get a chance to go behind the Iron Curtain. True, there is no curtain to speak of any more, but it was thrilling to be able to journey to Tallinn. Perhaps fittingly, during the 2-hour trip across the Baltic Sea, I read the special magazine celebrating 50 years of the James Bond franchise, which I bought in New York City last November and hadn't yet gotten a chance to read. It certainly added to my prejudices about Estonia.
The Star docked in the Tallinn harbour promptly at 9:30 a.m., as scheduled. Upon disembarkation, I was greeted by several taxi drivers (in Estonia, their vehicles are called takso). I saw a security guard on the dock and asked him if it were possible to get to the Old Town area of Tallinn on foot. He said yes, that it was a ten-minute walk, so I declined all offers from the takso drivers.
The Old Town of Tallinn has a magical storybook feel to it. It is surrounded by tall ramparts. There are several winding, cobblestone roads that one could easily get lost in (and I did... repeatedly). Some of the houses date back to the 1300s, and they are all painted in Easter pastel colours: pinks and yellows and pale blue... absolutely stunning. But it is crowded with tourists, and for this reason it reminded me of Mount St-Michel, in France. But at every street corner, the feel of the city would change. The Old Town was like a shape-shifter, reminding me of several other places I have been to, depending on where I was in Tallinn. Suddenly, it was no longer Mount St-Michel, it was gamla stan in Stockholm, then the town square in Brussels, then St-Malo, France, and then, unexpectedly, it reminded me of Quebec City. Architecturally speaking, the highlight of my day was the Alexander Nevsky cathedral, an imposing Russian Orthodox church, located to the north of the Old Town. (I got my Mom a souvenir here.) As I entered, I caught the eye of a handsome middle-aged man, who seemed very interested in me. When I looked back after he'd passed, he was looking back at me too. It was fairly obvious, and I am usually clueless when I am told this happens to me. The attention was flattering.
I got my postcards across the street at the post office and sent off 10 postcards to family and friends. It took a little while to get them all done. Afterwards, I went out in search of lunch. I knew I wanted something authentically Estonian, so you can be sure I avoided the Texas Honky Tonk and Cantina I stumbled upon in the Old City. Another cafe had a peculiar special: for 6 euros, you could get a glass of wine, a slice of cherry cake and a coffee. Odd combination, I thought.
I finally found a restaurant that promised traditional Estonian fare, so I stopped, looked at the menu, and was lured in. My meal was absolutely delicious. Please allow a foodie to describe his meal. Following the maitre d's recommendation, I got the koduna seljanka hapukoorega, which is Estonian for homemade seljanka soup with sour cream. The soup consisted of seven different types of meat in a tomato broth: fillet, pork, chicken, turkey, entrecote, rabbit and sausage. It was served with küüslauguleivad, thin slices of slightly toasted dark bread, with a side of garlic dipping sauce. With my meal, I had an Estonian lager beer, a Saku, which was delicious.
After that stellar lunch, I found a few souvenirs for my nephew Olivier and some friends. I was on the look-out for the KGB museum, which I really wanted to visit. But at the tourist information office, I was told that you must book with a tour to see it, and there are only two tours a day. Instead, she recommended I go to the Museum of the Occupations.
This museum was a very sobering place. They had exhibits documenting the story of the Soviet invasion of Estonia (1940-1941), followed by the Nazi invasion (1941-1944), followed by the Soviet invasion and occupation (1944-1989). Artifacts in the museum included mines that had been put in the Baltic Sea by the Soviets to stop the Nazi advance on Estonia, handguns from resistance fighters I have learned were called the Forest Brothers, Soviet era currency, a spy door with a one millimetre hole you could spy through, and the suitcases of the Estonians who were deported by the Soviets. It was a difficult exhibit, powerful and thought-provoking.
After the tour, I returned to the Old Town to wander aimlessly through the streets. In my wanderings, I stumbled into a vinyl record store, right as they were playing a Russian cover version of ABBA's "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do". Then, on a nearby stairway, I discovered a little hidden bar called the DM Bar (for Depeche Mode). Everything inside it related to that group: the decor, posters, music videos that are synchronized to play on the televisions... even the drink menu is inspired by the group. I sat myself down as "Precious" was playing in the bar to order the "World in My Eyes" martini. It was a really cool joint and I really liked my brief stay there.
I decided to have an early dinner because my ferry was scheduled to depart at 7:30, and I didn't want to have a repeat performance of this morning's events. On my way, I stopped and took pictures of the church of St. Olaf, and thought of "The Golden Girls". I found another little authentic Estonian restaurant and sat down at a table. The waitress took my order. And then I waited. And waited. And waited. The people at the table next to mine, who ordered around the same time I did, had their appetizers and their meals, paid and left before my meal came to the table. The waitress was visibly flustered and apologetic. She offerd me a complimentary glass of red wine to accompany my meal: smooritud metsanotsu kooreses soustis ahjukardulate ja mesiste köögiviljadega (wild boar stew cooked in creamy sauce, served with oven-baked potatoes and honey dipped vegetables). Another home-run. Delicious... although I did not care for the smoked buns that were served with it... I paid for my meal, was approached by a drunk man who spoke what was likely slurred Estonian, inches from my face, and left the premises as an Estonian cover version of ABBA's "The Way Old Friends Do" was playing on their sound system.
As I was making my way to the ferry terminal, I heard an Estonian version of the John Denver song, "Please Daddy, Don't Get Drunk This Christmas", playing in the town square. I made my way to my ferry, with no problem, and well ahead of time. While I waited for the signal to board, I sat in a massage chair and treated myself to a five-minute deep rub. It felt good, especially after lugging a heavy shoulder bag all day.
I boarded the Superstar and was a tad bit disappointed. The Star this morning was more impressive than the Superstar tonight. I made my way to the comfort-class area (which was more modest than this morning), and finished reading the James Bond magazine. After 2 hours, we sailed into Helsinki harbour, and I was glad to be able to get back to my hotel by 10:00 p.m. And now that I am all caught up in recounting my adventures, I will be able to go to bed because it is almost 1:00 a.m. now, and I need sleep!
Good night, all.
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