by Sebastian Cuevas
Tallinn
My friends usually ask me about my fascination with Estonia. They just don’t get that a Mexican could prefer Tallinn over say, Barcelona. Granted I do love Barcelona, it’s too familiar to be as attractive as something as distant as Tallinn. That is, nevertheless, not the main argument why I’d take Tallinn over any other city.
Basically, Tallinn is the whole package. It’s a beautiful and incredibly interesting city. It speaks to me. I enjoy walking around there, I enjoy the can-do attitude of Estonians, and feel like I’m in a place where history is kept propped up instead of swept under the rug like in Germany. It’s northern European through and through, yet you can still find the informality of the Slavic world. Estonians still take pride in who they are, though without making you feel less or left out. Tallinn is global, everybody speaks English, and people are very interested in tourists. Estonians lovingly joke about themselves their little country of 1,3 Million. I like people who don’t take themselves all that seriously yet won’t take shit from nobody, so I like Estonians.
On your way to Tallinn’s city center you’ll pass small wooden houses and Soviet apartment blocks, walk through small street markets and smell freshly cooked home-made food from the little restaurants with no name. Get out of that area and streets will be lined with high-rises with glass facades and old Soviet government buildings. The outer defensive walls of the old town welcome you into the old Hanseatic trading city founded by the Danes, and subsequently ruled by the Teutonic Order, the Swedes, the Russians, the Germans, and finally the Estonians themselves for a short stint before being annexed by the Soviets, invaded by the Germans, and reconquered by the Soviets. Estonians were not independent for long yet they longed to be independent again, just as their Baltic counterparts. To a large extent, the breakup of the Soviet Union started in the Baltics.
Layers upon layers of influences make the city so unique. It’s run down and fucked up in some parts, polished and clean in others. And for some reason they have a strange fascination with Mexican food, which they share with their “older brother” Finland. Granted is not the best ever, at least it’s easier to find than here in Germany, and that’s great news if you ask me. There are also plenty of other foods from distant countries available, especially from Georgia.
Too bad the weather up there just sucks.
Strangely, my top 5 are in former Communist countries.
What are your favorite cities in Europe?
Thanks for reading. Til my next post,
Seb
This post was originally published on Between Distances and was used here with the author’s permission.
