The Baltic Countries

Waking up at the earliest hour of the whole holiday, we ate breakfast at the hotel at 9am. Honestly, you could barely call it breakfast, as it was merely toast and cornflakes and wouldn't make us full for long. But well, we had something to eat at least.
Afterwards, we jumped into the car for a short drive to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. We hadn't had issues finding a parking lot, we had issues to actually pay for it. It was either possible by coins (in what century are we living?!) or via app (which app ffs?!). As we didn't have coins and we didn't know which app as it wasn't explained or named anywhere, we were a bit lost. But then, a good samaritan saw our trouble and came over. I explained our problem and he then said: "It's no problem, you can drive around and park here. I work here and told my boss you're friends. It's alright! " There ARE good people out there! I knew it!
Super thankful, I drove the car to the parking lot he meant, so that we could make the Free Walking Tour just in time. Just like in Latvia, everyone was super excited to have a dog on the tour and honestly, I just love how everyone adores Aluna from the get-go. Our tour guide Kadri had a dog herself and she was absolutely fascinated by Luni.
On the tour, we've learned that Estonia had the same independence years as Latvia (1918 and 1991), but they've been mostly ruled by the Danes, Sweds and Russians. Funnily enough, they liked their Danish occupation so much that they've built a garden for the Danish king. And they loved the Sweds because they've built the first university of Estonia in Tartu. Apparently, it didn't matter that the Estonians weren't allowed to study there, only the German aristocrats could.
But when the Estonians eventually could study, they've invented their own flag and brought it to each and every national event, so that it didn't take long, that the students' flag and Estonia were associated. After the first independence, when Estonia needed a flag, they didn't have to look far and just chose the next best thing. So, whenever someone wants to tell you, that the Estonian flag symbolises the sea/sky (blue), the soil/forest (black), and freedom/peace (white) - you can call out the bullshit! You're welcome.
They had an easy time with their national anthem as well. When they and also Finland have been occupied by Russia, they gave them the same melody as their colonies. They wrote different lyrics, of course, but the melody was the same. And after they both got their independence (Finland 4 years earlier than Estonia), they both just kept the songs as their national anthem. Why waste all the money on something original?
Talking about wasting money: Estonians loved that especially in the 1990s. Not only was that the time everyone was so happy about the new gained independence that they made loads of babies (biggest baby boom ever), but it was also the time of corruption and throwing around money. For once, they've built the rather ugly statue of Freedom and Independence for 6million Euros, but they also need around 3million to maintain it each year. And secondly, they've built a toilet right in front of the Andreas Nevsky Cathedral for 200k that nobody really needed, and it also costs 4x the money people pay for going on it each year (each piss costs 20cents). And people ask where all their tax money goes to.
Well, nowadays, the Estonians have themselves way better in check. They are actually one of the best developed countries IT - wise. When they've been attacked in 2007 by Russians as the first country to be hacked, they took that personal. Nowadays, they brush Russian hackers off like flies. They've even created a new record for more online votes given than paper votes at their last Parlaments election. They've also had an all-time high with 80% of the population voting.
Estonians are also famous for great computer-based inventions like Skype, the bank card company WISE, and the cute little food delivery robots. They even have a saying that if you don't have a startup, you're not really an Estonian.
Considering, that there are around 1,3million Estonians, there must be an abundance of startups.
30% of the Estonian population is actually Russian, even 44% in Tallinn. With such high numbers, you'd think the integration would be good. Wrong...
There are separate kindergardens, schools, even universities for Estonian speaking and Russian speaking Estonians. The Russians live in different areas and the kids nowadays can't speak a word in Estonian, even when being born and raised here. It's actually crazy, it's a bit like segregation. The Russians don't mind, apparently. They neither see themselves as Estonian, nor as Russians, but as Europeans. And they don't want to change a thing. Now, the Estonian Parlament has decided to not longer waste the Russian populations' potential and to shut down all the Russian kindergardens, schools, universities. However, they don't have enough Estonian speaking teachers... So they can't put every Russian child in an Estonian school. The kids learn the other populations' language, but everyone knows how languages are learnt best: By speaking them on a daily basis. But when there is no need other than learning some vocabulary... Well. And what are the results of that? The Russians get far worse jobs and are poorer in the end.
I guess that's a good example of how to not do integration.
The Russian population also has quite a different lifestyle, as they are very religious and use the churches for their actual reasons. The Estonians however, see them more as decoration. Only 4% of Estonians have a religion. All the others are more or less Atheists. So the German crusades bringing religion to the pagans didn't work at all. But the Estonians do believe in some things... e.g. that trees have souls. 69% believe in that. Maybe that's their religion after all.
Estonians don't quite like to be one of the Baltic countries, they would much rather like to be considered as Scandinavian. But as not even Finland or Iceland have been allowed to wear this label, the Estonians have little hope to be welcomed to the gang. However, maybe the occupations of Denmark and Sweden help the argument.
Two funny stories for the end of the tour: The narrowest street in Tallinn was too narrow for two women in the 18th century to go side by side in, as they all wore these gigantic blown out dresses. So when two women wanted to go through it, there would often be a fight until the police had enough some day. They invented the rule that whoever was older, should go first. Now, the arguments still continued but much nicer. "You go first!", "No, you go first!" was the polite way of saying: "Fuck, you look older than me, I won't go first and be the older one!".
Second story: There's been a man called Otto in the 18th century. He's been a party king, having women left, right and center. And he didn't care at all. But when his end came near, he finally regretted his sinful life and asked the church for forgiveness. He paid them lots of money to put his grave right in the entrance of the church. He told the church, that he hoped that whenever a believer would enter the church and pray, it would wash away his sins. However, Estonian believe otherwise. Remember the enormous skirts of the ladies? And his first row seat right beneath them when they were entering the church? Yes... Once a womaniser, always a womaniser!

The tour ended at the great market place beneath the Town Hall, where Old Thomas always gifted candy to children (nowadays, he wouldn't make the top of the town halls dome, I guess). Kadri has told us about the big market at the station, so we headed right there. The first thing I saw was the chimney cakes. I know them from my trips to Prague and Lrskow and I'm obsessed with them, so I definitely wouldn't resist today. Especially not of they offered them with ice cream, strawberries and chocolate! I was in heaven immediately. For Aluna, they had some nice meaty lamb snacks as well, which underlines the Estonians love for dogs. Honestly, every person we meet goes "Awwww!"
After finishing our delicious dessert, we headed inside to find some souvenirs, vintage shops and lots of food stands. We could've stayed the whole day, but I had the nice guy from the parking lot in my ears telling me, he's only working until 3pm. And, oh shit, it was already 2.45pm. I gathered Shakhzoda and Aluna and rushed them back to the parking lot, but the gate was closed. I just wanted to freak out, when I realised, that the locket wasn't actually locked and that he must have just closed it for show. Oh my god, whoever you are: I hope you and your loved ones live happily ever after and that you'll get a good samaritan when you need them one day!
Having avoided a huge mess now, we parked at the parking lot next door, where the paid time has already been up (Saturdays only until 3pm, Sundays for free), and decided to go back into town. There, we wandered around some more through these beautiful streets of Tallinn and just enjoyed our time. When it finally was time for dinner (5.30pm, no, I'm not 83 years old, I'm just hungry), we decided to go to the vegsn restaurant near the Town Hall. There, the waiters were extremely kind again (especially to Aluna) and we ordered some amazing vegan food. I had the lasagna, Shakhzoda chose the burger and luckily, I said Yes to the bread the offered. Holy shit, the bread must have been fallen from heaven. I'm a total bread lover but not easily pleased. This bread I could have bathed in. I don't know what's in there... I need the recipe.
When even the last bit of your delicious meal was digested, we asked for the receipt. When the waitress came with the check, she was amazed by Aluna. She told me, that she had lost her dog a year ago. And I said that I couldn't even imagine how that must feel like, maybe like losing a child (as Aluna is basically my child). She looked me in the eyes, so deeply, that something clicked as if our souls bonded, when she said: "No, it feels as if you would need to die, too". And it's strange, but really, in this moment, I felt so connected with her, it was crazy. I got goosebumps all over my body and tears into my eyes and I just knew, thst she felt the same. I don't really believe in cosmic energies or whatever, but if I would...that would have been one.
Maybe I should really make an appointment at the tattoo studio and get my Aluna tattoo at last.Читать далее