Traveling around Estonia this summer was an amazing experience. Of course way too short as with all my trips but six days were better than nothing. I loved this clean country which is basically full of trees and not much else. Oh yeah and beaches, let’s not forget these. So even though I have been to Latvia last year, Estonia is quite different from its neighbor. Anyway, here we go with my observations and what else I learned in Estonia. Yours, Pollybert
1.) In case you are interested where the name Tallinn comes from: Danish Castle > Castrum Danorum > Taanilinnus in Estonian > hence the name. Neat, isn’t it? I like a good explanation.
2.) You don‘t get a ticket in a museum but a stick for your shirt.
3.) Once inside the museum you are neither allowed to bring your shopping trolley nor use your skateboard.
inside the Kumu museum @Tallinn
4.) Nobody jaywalked in Tallinn, I felt like a criminal but did it anyway.
5.) Most restaurants and coffee shops have numerous electrical outlets to plug your phone or any other device.
6.) Tallinn has no metro, but four Trams and countless buses. You buy your ticket with the driver.
7.) When you need a sign to show the way to the internet.
the way to the internet @Haapsalu
8.) Within one minute I was removing my jacket because it was hot in the sun while opening my umbrella because it rained so hard. Tallinn has a remarkable Scottish weather likeness.
9.) there are swarms of midges everywhere, even during rain. I wonder how that is even possible.
10.) Estonia has a lot of same sex bathrooms.
11.) Sidewalks can be really narrow like for instance this one here in Kuressaare.
narrow sidewalk @Saaremaa
12.) Wine prices are exorbitant. In Austria you can get a good bottle for the price of a glass here. Stick with the excellent gin.
13.) Estonia has an amazing number on beauty salons. Every place I went there were salons on all corners.
14.) Dishes are kept rather small with not a lot of carbohydrates on the sides. No wonder the people are slim here.
15.) The airport in Tallinn has a ping pong table. How cool is that?
16.) The airport is also only about 10 minutes from the old town and 5 minutes from the main bus station.
17.) Lots of coffee shop have self-service, this needs some getting used to it.
18.) Garbage bins hang sometimes quite high up.
garbage bin in lofty heights @Tallinn
19.) They have pedestrian lights with two red lights but only one green. I have seen that in Tallinn but forget to take a picture.
20.) The old town of Tallinn is basically one large souvenir shop. There is one shop after another.
