Hi from sunny Estonia, or at least at the moment. Early summer here is much the same as home in Oz where the weather is quite variable. So, sunshine and rain, but definitely no snow as temperature are above zero at night now.

Thanks to those who have contacted me after reading the blog and encouraged me to keep posting. Of course, what I write are my impressions of the country and its culture. Maybe someone else would see it differently and hopefully it might encourage you to come and see Estonias for yourself. I must add here, that just spending a day in the Old City of Tallinn is not really a visit to Estonia anymore than a day in Venice gives you a picture of life in Italy. One needs to escape the "tourist track" and spend time looking and listening, tasting and talking, dining and doing those things the locals do. Unfortunately holidays don't often allow for all that and we are so grateful that we can spend this time to really immerse ourselves in the life of this fascinating little country. So, hopefully, our insights might enable you to understand Estonia and Estonians in a little more depth than would otherwise be possible for most. If it raises any questions please feel free to let us know so we can answer them through this blog.

Now, I would like to set you a little homework. If you haven't already done this I would like you to access a map of Estonia and maybe Latvia as well. I'm sure you can find a good map on the net and maybe it is worth printing it off so you can follow more easily some of our ramblings. Lately we have been on the road quite a bit due to the fact that we have had our first two visits from Australian friends. Firstly Dave and Chris Hutchison from Tassie who stayed with us just on two weeks and then Mike Allen, who is also latterly from Tassie but formerly from San Remo who's was with us just five days. It was so good to have these friends with us to share something of life in Estonia, and perhaps, more importantly, to renew our supplies of vegemite! We had great times talking, travelling, eating and just doing ordinary things that make up daily life anywhere in the world, such as shopping for food, having a coffee and so on. As for the travelling (now refer to your map) we have done trips from our base in Tartu to Narva in the east (two visits) to the island of Saaremaa in the west, (one visit) to Tallinn in the north ( five visits) right down to Riga (Latvia) in the south (one visit ) and most places in between. In fact we have clocked up some 5000kms already in our little car as well as some bus and train journeys. Keep in mind it is a small country so east to west represents approximately 400kms and Tartu to Riga in Latvia is approximately 250kms. The benefit to us is as we show something of the country to our guests we learn more about it for ourselves. It is in the visiting and revisiting that the more important and often more subtle aspects of country and culture begin to make themselves more intelligible to us as outsiders.

The Narva River divides the Estonian fortress on the left from the Russian fortress on the right.

Trucks wait on the bridge joining Estonia to Russia for customs clearance.

I dont intend to give you a traveler description of these places but rather to indicate some of the significance to Estonian life and history that these places represent. Our trips to Narva, Estonia's most eastern town bring into focus Estonia's turbulent relationship with Russia. In Narva you can stand on the bank of the Narva River and throw a stone over the water to Russia....it's that close. Standing on each bank are two huge 16th century fortresses, on the west bank the Estonian fortress and on the east the Russian fortress. They stand as a poignant symbol of more than 400 years of Estonia's subjugation  by either Russia from the east or Sweden from the west. Here numerous bloody battles have been fought, the latest being in the dying days of the second world war, when Narva was almost totally destroyed. Now, in 2017, a beautifully restored, scenic and peaceful place in free Estonia, the echos of those terrifying, tragic and turbulent times are still present, and serve to enhance the triumph of Estonia's present independence and freedom. Yet ghosts are reluctant to diss-inhabit their domains and thus some folks, whose personal history evokes memories of these darker days are often unsure as to the permanence of the current peace.  In spite of these latent fears in some, Estonia as a whole is optimistically and energetically embracing its future, determined to take its place in the modern free world, and with its membership in the EU and its hosting of NATO I feel sure it will be able to pursue those goals with confidence. Narva, perhaps more than any other place in Estonia epitomises the past, present and future of the nation, and, no matter how often I visit,  I always feel it is a rare privilege and deeply emotive experience to stand by that river that flows with so much history.

The immaculate 16th Century Swedish Castle at Kuresaare Saaremaa

If you trace your finger on the map of Estonia to the western extreme you will come to the island of Saaremaa (meaning...Island Land ) This is a beautiful little island, approximately 100kms long and maybe 50kms wide. It is rich in tradition and history. Over the centuries Saaremaa has been influenced by Swedish settlers and that influence is still visible today in the rich red colours of their costumes and streetscapes. Neatly landscaped gardens and a castle, in Kuresaare their main town,  that almost looks painted into its surroundings seem all to reflect that design and order that is reminiscent of Swedish culture. In spite of some dark days in their history, such as the "night of red terror" when 106 ordinary people were massacred by the retreating Russian Army, the overwhelming ethos of this place is that of peace and security. Surrounded as it is by the Baltic Sea, which itself is a substantially calm expanse of water, it seems to draw you into itself, into a place where life moves at a slower pace and wellbeing is a given. It is no wonder to me that so many Estonians want to holiday on this little Island, almost as if boarding the ferry that takes you on the half hour journey from mainland to island is like exchanging all those pressing realities of daily life for a period of peace. This harmony between the land and the people was further emphasised to us when we came across a family of swans, raising their chicks in a nest right beside the main highway. These magnificent white birds, all swans in Europe are white, were unperturbed by our presence and the clicking of our cameras. Now, of course, Saaremaa too suffered under 60 years of foreign occupation. Saaremaa too has had its dark days and deprivation. Along with the whole nation of Estonia it shares the same challenges, opportunities, uncertainties and hopes. It too is populated with real people with real problems. It, no more than any other place on earth, is utopia, but nevertheless one cannot visit it without experiencing a calming presence. If you have the chance to visit Estonia make sure Saaremaa is on your itinerary.

White swans nesting beside the highway on Saaremaa

Tourism is changing the world. The impact of thousands of tourist feet tramping the tourist path actually changes the things they came to see. My question is....."are the places changing the tourists?"
Are we learning, listening, understanding, coming to comprehend what history and place are trying to tell us. Maybe if we shrunk our itineraries down, took time to hear as well as see, tourism might well become a force for good in our troubled world.
Till next time.........