Tag Archives: Tallinn

Jul4

Old Town days in Tallinn

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Various days, between Friday 07-June-2024 through Sunday, 09-June-2024


Another quick entry, similar to the farmer’s market – While exploring around the Old Town of Tallinn, I happened across the Old Town days festival!

I ended up staying quite a while, each time I came across the event. One time, watching dancers swing and twirl in synchronization. Another, listening to a full ensemble playing Estonian folk music in the rain. A third, walking around and seeing the different sides and colors of what I believe to be May-day-style colorful ribbon braids.




Now, I’d normally include some historic or similar context for these… some kind of information as to what Old Town Days was celebrating, or when the costumes or music were from. In this case, though, I don’t know any of that information. The festival was surprisingly light on information… which is to say, there was literally no explanation or event charter to explain what was happening.

I asked around, of course, chatting with a few other people nearby… but no one could give a certain answer… and those that could (people in costume) either didn’t speak English, or were busy twirling and dancing.

Instead of clouding the event with context and history, then, we simply see it for what it is. Beautiful music, interesting instruments, and beautiful dance. Even without context, it’s pretty amazing.

Jul3

An Estonian farmer’s market

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Saturday, 08-June-2024


While out and about, wandering and exploring Tallinn, I came across something I haven’t seen in a while. Something that called to me, from back in the olden days of living in Hood River, and sometimes Portland, Wilsonville, or even Cambridge in Massachusetts.

A primal event.

A farmer’s market!

I stopped, of course, because how could I say no to seeing what a European farmer’s market is like? Especially one from the Baltic!

Well, it was pretty big for a starter. I didn’t take many pictures, but please believe me that this was not a small affair. There were quite a few stalls, with quite a few people… with long lines looping around in many cases.

The booths that seemed to be getting the most traction were berry sales – strawberries, mainly, with people waiting in long lines 30+ people long. The lines moved quickly, as one would expect from just buying a pot of strawberries, but still. I was impressed at just how many people were queueing up… and with how many strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries they were picking up.

Past the berries, the farmer’s market stretched out into a full-on flea-market and swap meet. There were booths with clothes, dried foods, antiques and curios, and even a lingerie shop! A little bit of everything – I explored, but only actually bought some dried ginger and a few old bank notes from the 1960s CCCP.

Seemed neat, though, and I’m very glad I stopped!

Jul3

Walking the Walls – The old town of Tallinn

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Various days, between Friday 07-June-2024 through Sunday, 09-June-2024

During my early adventures around Tallinn, I noticed something about the Old Town of the city… it was ringed by walls. Now, in retrospect that shouldn’t be a surprise – European Cities were generally fortified at some point in the past, which inherently means walls. I hadn’t really seen any walled cities on this trip so far, though – Iceland and Greenland didn’t have city walls, and Oslo / Stockholm / Helsinki didn’t appear to have them either. Perhaps because they were all water-based cities, and didn’t have such a risk of land-based invasion?

Either way, Tallinn did have city walls. City walls which made for an excellent hiking target.


I woke up, got some coffee and food inside me, and headed out to circumnavigate the old town of Tallinn.

(Now, keep in mind that most of this happened on Sunday the 9th… but my adventures and wanderings on previous days did take me around and through the Old Town. I’ve included those pictures here, just to keep everything simple)


The wall around Tallinn isn’t continuous, I quickly learned, and is instead sort of like a dashed line – some sections have fallen to time, and some sections are effectively just houses now. While it wasn’t a clean and easy trail, it was definitely a fun way to wander around the city. I passed shops, found gardens, and saw quite a few towers and ramparts along the way.

I didn’t dive into any of the museums surrounding the town – and there were quite a few. Each tower seemed to have its own gallery, and while they would have been a welcome respite from the rain… galleries and museums weren’t my goal for the day. I wanted to walk – to be outdoors, and to have some time for my mind to rest and parse through some of the adventures I’ve had… basically, time for both my mind and body to wander.

I accomplished that goal perfectly, I have to say. For an active rest day, the Walls of Tallinn were a great companion.