Lovely weather

Nordic summer can offer lovely warm and sunny days also.

Back up in the daylight

The pointy buildings are typical of Northern hanseatic-style medieval downtowns.

Blogging on

I seem to apologise endlessly right now for late and intermittent blogging. With moving, a new (if very familiar still) job and family and friends much closer, as well as fewer travels, my time just never seems enough for even showing you my backlog from earlier this year. Some UAE photos are still aiting, as well as Sweden in the summer. For winter coming, Cairo looms again - so keep the hopes up and keep checking back!

And you have new articles and reading recommendations personally selected by me almost daily in the left-hand column!

Tunnel interior "decoration"

Each room was made out to represent on time and one usage of the tunnels 300 year history.

Tunnel details

Still details of the tunnel construction.

Still Tallinn Underground

Back down in the fortification tunnels, you see wellbuilt sturdy walls and vaults!

Oud virtouso

We heard Iraqi oud player Naseer Shamma last night in Stockholm - magic! Especially when joined by a Swedish folk musician joined him with his very traditional instrument.

Quick trip to London

and I didn't have time for more than my meeting, but passed the Royal Academy of Aart on Sunday afternoon and was a little tempted by the exhibition "Treasures from Budapest". Have a range of London museums I would have liked to go to had I had more time...

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?