Coffee Helps

I went out for my first unsupervised wander last night.

I only went to find something to eat. In the end, I failed and returned with only a tube of crackers and some decidedly odd cubes of paprika-covered cheese, as these were the least frightening of the items that I encountered in the little corner shop I eventually found. I almost bought something that could reasonably have been a rice salady thing, but decided against it as a result of not being able to have complete confidence in it not containing large chunks of seal meat.

As I walked happily through the quaint and quirky streets of Tallinn Old Town, I found myself in the middle of some kind of security operation surrounding the Three Sisters Hotel, where it turned out that Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was staying during her visit to Estonia. Nervously, I started to back away from all the uniformed politsei, and was cheerfully beckoned forwards by one of them, who saw no problem at all with letting me walk not only past the building, but actually across the red carpet. If I’d done that in Belfast, I’d have been shot and/or imprisoned for life as a suspected terrorist. It’s a different world altogether, over here. I nodded amicably at Queen Beatrix as I passed through.

This is a little odd, I remember thinking to myself as I strolled along a little cobbled street and found myself having to stand back to make room for several Scandinavian guys, who were dancing along with Extremely Large Beer Glasses lifted high above their heads as they waved them around and sang heartily. No sooner had I had this thought than the sound of chanting echoed quite alarmingly along the alleyway, and I turned the corner on to the town square to find myself in the middle of what was presumably a rehearsal of a traditional Estonian music performance for the queen’s entertainment, but what had apparently turned into quite a merry hooley for anyone who had happened to stumble upon it in the midst of their boozing. An incredibly diverse choir was singing/chanting a weirdly wonderful theatrical piece, as the afore-mentioned revellers danced around the square with their oversized drinks. It was completely unlike any scene I have ever witnessed before. I just stood there in delighted silence, occasionally ducking to avoid a shower of beer from an overly-enthusiastic toast in close proximity to my head.

I got completely and predictably lost on the way back, but it was worth the sore feet and momentary panic. I love this city. It is old, new, quiet, bustling, peaceful, noisy, traditional, modern, and a million other things in between. If every city I visit turns out to be even half as fascinating as this one, I’ll be one happy traveller!