Under the hill

One of the most interesting things we did was visit the under-hill fortification tunnels starting under Kiek in de kök - the construction started by Erik Dahlberg under Swedish rule in the late 17th century. They were in various uses up until the early independence days of modern Estonia in the 1990s, as Soviet bomb shelters or as housing for homeless. Each section was prepared to represent one usage, walking backward in time through history - very professionally done! I appreciate good museum productions, as you know.

Tallinn fortifications

Defense towers are a fascinating topic - the 3 lower photos are all of medieval Kiek in de kök - coming back to that shortly!

Sleepy Sunny Saturday

An autumn with a new (but familiar) job, a container to take care of, few trips, and having family and friends much closer than before has given very little blogging time. But I still have a backlog and hope to catch up.

Estonian parliament

A tribute also to Estonia's democracy, with photos of their parliament building.

Celebrating democracy

I usually don't use this blog as a diary, but want to highlight tonight anyway. Am following Swedish election results tonight. The husband is away receiving and counting votes.

Read Al-Jazeera on our elections here and on another, much more tenuous election yesterday, here.

Voting is a civic right to nurture, perform and protect, whether in Stockholm or in Kandahar.

Skyline and churches

The Old town offered to many scenic views of the medieval hanseatic style - aw well as glimpses of more modern Tallinn. I think the links between living history and modernity is a very Nordic feature of my own home town, Stockholm, and very årevalent also in Tallinn.

Tallinn by night

It doesn't get much darker in the north in June - but check out the cellar door below!

Peek-a-boo!

Seems to be a local trend, these relief-figures peeking out of walls!

Spouts and other facade details

Amazing little deatils to be found for those who looked.

Doors

All these photos are from the old downtown, the medieval and hanseatic Tallinn, in surprisingly nice shape too.

Tallinn theatre

Building an outdoor city theatre, I think for next year's European Capital of Culture.

Electric installation...

... of a fascinating kind?

Globalization

Two different but illustrative examples of the global market - the Swedish bank (very prevalent and hardly uncontroversial in the Baltic states) and the Indian restaurant on the town square.

Rainbow in Tallinn

Nordic summers can produce rather shaky weather but also beautiful side-effects of passing rainshowers - like the rainbow over the rooftops here!

Retro-futurism

Punky, funky Tallinn graffiti, on the walls next to the parliament.

Tallinn in early summer

Lots of walking around Tallinn during a June weekend we spent there!

Summer breakfast on the balcony

A heavenly summer morning, breakfasting on our downtown balcony.

Rachid Taha!

The stage setting

A wider view of the stage, during an amazing hour...