Travelfood

The old city of Tallinn is one of the most beautiful there is. And what a great luck for us Finns that you can get there so easily by boat or hydrofoil! The old city is like a glossy picture of the middle ages and the view from Toombea hill are breathtaking. But as soon as you get outside the old city walls and behind the glass walls of the finance palaces, everything changes. There are either grey concrete suburbs or tarnished old wooden houses in desperate need of refurbishment.

Estonia is much more than just Tallinn and there are lots of places on the countryside or small towns that are highly recommendable. Pärnu is a spa town by the Baltic with sand beaches that are as good as any Mediterranean beach. Tartto is a university town with old traditions and old houses. The island Saarenmaa and its town Kuressaare provide a summer paradise that can be matched with any summer town in Finland or Sweden.

Estonian food reminds me of the middle ages and makes me wonder if the food has changed that much during the centuries. You can find on the menu roasted duck, pork jelly, liver and different kind of meat in berry- and fruit sauces. Russian food is easily found in restaurants and the basic food is usually seljanka vegetable soup or borsch red-beat soup, with or without meat. Beside Russian restaurants some Georgian restaurants are found in Tallinn and their exotic offerings are truly recommended.

When Finns talk about Estonians, the conversation often turns to the inexpensive workforce that is feared to rip Finns from Finnish work places. The fact is that Estonians do their work with high ethics for a cheaper price than Finns do. Should the Estonians be blamed for that? Is that not a sign that Estonians are hardworking and that Finns could learn something from them? Estonians have experienced a lot and they have learnt to manage with less, so for me it is totally understandable that the hunger for success is big. Maybe the country is one of Europe’s most interesting and successful because of this positive hunger.

Estonia, Europe, food, travel, travel experiences