Kali Bliss Travel

Category: Baltic Sea

  • Tallinn, Estonia: Town of Mulled Wine & Rain

    Wow, what a great city Tallinn Estonia is! I never would have imagined this little European Jem. Estonia has been surrounded by major forgein powers and has recently reclaimed their independence between 1918 and 1940. Tallinn today is vibrant and progressive. It was here that the so-called “Singing Revolution” began which was the catalyst for the shedding of Soviet dominance since the end of World War II and the emergence of Estonia as an independent state in 1991. Estonia has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and adopted the Euro currency only this year.

    It is the smallest of the Baltic states and is no emerging as very prosperous and lively. The first written account of a settlement here dates to 1154 when a castle was built on a high ridge offering a commanding view of the coastline and surrounding landscape. This fortification was to endure and formed the nucleus around which a thriving medieval town developed The availability of roasted sugared almonds by street vendors is a tradition which has continued unchanged since the 12th century when Tallinn had become an important Hanseatic town and among the exotic commodities traded were these nuts which were imported into the Baltic from the Eastern Mediterranean. Girls clad in medieval style costume invite would-be purchasers to sample these mouth watering treats, which smell delicious.

    Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and is a huge tourist destination with the medieval history which dates back to the 13th century. There are many buildings, merchant houses, churches, and other public buildings that have survived remarkable degrees despite ravages of fire and war. I was able to visit the outskirts of Tallinn and see the Song Festival Grounds, and area that was very important to Estonians for national unity. There is even a singing bench that recites cultural tunes all day! The town boasts a total of seventeen churches and cathedrals. The dominant religions are Lutheran and Orthodox Russian. One we visited was the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral which houses an impressive array of medieval icons and is lavishly decorated. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Many residences and warehouses of the town’s wealthy merchants have been converted into quality restaurants, cafes, bars and shops and combined with the numerous medieval buildings form a rich, engaging and photogenic architectural tapestry.

    I also walked around the famous old town center, both the Upper Town (Toompea) and Lower Town.  I had some magnificent views of city that gave a good overview of how small the capital is. I saw the famous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which not going to lie, looks much more impressive in photos than in real life. Though, the building is an example of fine architecture. My favorite part of the day was just wandering the streets and petite allies on my own. I went to a cute café in the middle of the square and enjoyed coffee, some kind of Estonia berry cake, and some delicious mulled wine. Estonia is full of mulled wine. It’s a hot wine beverage that is made from real wine then infused with all sorts of other flavors such as cinnamon, raisins, almonds, and who knows what else. I’m in love with it and wished I could have found some to bring home, although I don’t think it would have been the same. Throughout the afternoon of wandering on my own I encountered hints of rain, some down pours, and a few sunny skies. It was excellent, exactly the relaxing afternoon I needed. The town is quite scenic, lots of greenery and parks, and many adorable buildings. I really enjoyed photographing the different vibrant and colorful unique doors, as they were all different. I ate lunch outside at another café in the central square which could have been one of the best meals of my trip, or even life. I had some salmon, ratatouille, and then potatoes that were cooked in some way that made them soft, almost like mashed. I don’t know what it is about Europe, but their potatoes never fail to blow me away. Of course I completed my meal with another mulled wine glass and then went of exploring some more. Estonia has been one of my favorite Baltic States thus far. Not much to do as far as entertainment, but the town is very lively, even if it is mostly tourists. Many cafes and bars blast American music all over the main area and if you’re able to wander out to the alley ways you can find some quite time alone, wandering the cobbled paths, and viewing the incredible historical buildings, churches, etc.

  • Stockholm Sweden & Vasa Museum

    Stockholm is one the most beautiful European capital cities build on 14 small islands with numerous inlets, canals, and waterways weaving under small bridges and along gorgeous parks. It’s a fun and lively atmosphere with a good amount of bikers and very clean and colorful buildings. We were privileged to come in through a river via zodiaks and although it was lightly drizzling, got some beautiful views of the city from water.

    After a bus ride tour through the historic “Old Town”, I spent the morning in the well known, Vasa Museum, learning about the historic Swedish  17th century ship that was resurrected and salvaged in 1956. The Vasa was a warship that had been launched in 1628 from the shipyard in Stockholm, but met a quick fate as she sank and was lost within 20 minutes of it setting sail! It the ship cost a many pretty pennies to construct and the king wanted it to be the most elaborate of all ships, hence the fine details and carvings. I liked the very colorful stern, which was painted in bright colors when the ship first sailed the photo to left is a mini model of how it looked). Today the Vasa in the museum contains 95% of the original material and is an incredible site to see! We watched a film about how the ship was found underwater, what they did to pull it up, then how they got the artifacts and pieces cleaned and preserved. I cant believe one guy in the 1950’s made it his life mission to find the Vasa ship, and after years of searching, he eventually found it! It was fascinating.  

    Next, it was on to the city hall, and a guided tour through this magnificent building. The lobby is where the Nobel Prize Dinner is held on December tenth each year; this is the first stop. Then we were able to see most of the second floor, and enter different rooms, like the Council Chambers and the Golden Hall. Each room was very unique in both architecture and design, from the elaborate truss work in the ceiling of the Council Chambers, to the incredible tile mosaic walls of the Golden Hall. 

    My Afternoon Solo Adventure

                I spent the afternoon wandering the streets of Stockholm with just my purse and camera. It was great. The streets are lovely, with cobblestoned streets, bikers everywhere, and very colorful buildings. I nestled into a cafe and watched people bustle around the shops as I got wifi. Then I walked through the shopping district more and to my surprise found out the H & M is a Swedish company. I saw a few and looked in some, seems like the prices are a bit more than in America, and maybe the same style? The shopping district is Stockholm is grand. I found myself in a six story indoor mall at one point when I was searching for a bathroom. After climbing to the top story, paying about 10 franks, I found one. The mall was not too interesting for me though, many of the same brands and clothes as in America. I always enjoy boutiques and street shopping anyways. After too many shops I decided to drift toward the sea and walk along the water. I people watched for a while, and eventually wandered over to the famous old town, or “Gamla Stan.”  This is the most historical part of the city, and probably one of the quaintest with many tourist shops, small cobbled alleys, and restaurants.

    Facts about Sweden-

    –       They love architecture and have a lot of variety of styles, emphasizing Italian

    –       The city build with 14 islands

    –       There are 2 million people in Stockholm, 9 million in all of Sweden, and Sweden is the 5th biggest Europe Country

    –       Swedish people love nature and the water

    –       About 1 in every 8 people owns something that floats

    –       Sweden has 1/3 water, 1/3 parks, and 1/3 buildings

    –       Stockholm is known as the city swimming on water

    Below are some photos from Stockholm, including Swedish food, streets, buildings, the City Hall, Waterways, etc. We had dinner out both nights and ate at some fine restaurants, and I even tried Swedish meatballs! Although it was probably the only meat I ate on the trip, it was delicious and the potatoes were perfect. I want to know why Europe Potatoes are so much better than California potatoes! We also checked out a restaurant/lounge that we were told locals went to for a drink. The interior was decorated red and the downstairs, main bar area, was quite elaborate. However, we just sat up in the main lounge, after all, it was just Monday night.

  • Swedish Archipelago – Utö Island

    Today we had the opportunity to visit the island of Utö, an island in the Swedish Archipelago, which consists of thousands of islands, some large and some small, and all very much loved by the locals. Many small houses are to be seen among the Scotts pine trees, lovely Sunday and vacation houses, away from the bustle of the city. Upon arriving to the island I never thought there would much of anything, especially houses, or nice boat docks, as the island does not look industrialized at all.

    Utö has a popular old iron mine that was worked even by the Vikings since the year 800 you can walk and explore. Of course, it is abandoned now, full of groundwater. There is a quaint little museum next door with a great variety of minerals and the history of the mine. I decided, however, to rent a bike and cruise through the small island. It was perfect; exactly what I needed to get away from everyone, the ship, the group, and just be, on my own. I turned on my ipod, put in my headphones, and rode off into nature, without a clue where I was or where I was going. I tried to follow and keep track of my path on the map, but since it was in Swedish, it was somewhat difficult. I do know that the road to the beach I was trying to get was closed off because on that particular day locals were shooting in the fields. Interesting right? The island was beautiful though. I rode through empty two lane roads surrounded by tall dark green trees of some kind, viewed some fields with horses roaming, saw a few houses, and road parallel to the sea where the boats were docked. Surprisingly, there were many speed and fishing boats, though none out on the water. I also learned that this island is a popular place for students to come for the summer and work from larger areas of Sweden, like Stockholm. I was surprised because I only saw on family, and no young teenagers hanging out anywhere.

     

    At midday we left Utö Island and began our leisurely ride to Stockholm. By early afternoon we were near the city and stopped the ship where we lowered the Zodiacs and began our leisurely ride into the city along a lovely waterway/park, built by one of the Swedish kings, where, of course, levies were taxed upon all those entering the city.