Elowen in Estonia: Day 3

Our third day in Tallinn was one of low-key exploration--taking in the city walls again, wandering around a market, visiting the Bohemian Kalamaja, and (of course) delicious meals.

 

Dr. Pepper representing in this cocktail list! When you're the best, you're everywhere. We stopped into this little brewery to get out of the rain and to accommodate Elowen's love of sitting in booths like the very big girl she is.

Talking more walks around the old city walls.

 

 

We also hiked up to Toompea Hill above the city to see the astounding Alexander Nevksy Cathedral, built in the Russian Revival style from 1894 to 1900. Estonia restored the cathedral to its former glory in 1991, after they gained independence from the Soviet Union. Though it was closed when we walked by, if we'd gone inside we'd have seen eleven bells cast in St. Petersburg (one of which is 16 tons!). Seeing the gorgeous cathedral made me sad I'll likely never see Russia, but its influence in Eastern Europe is part of why I enjoy the culture and experiences in those countries so much.

 

The view from Toompea Hill. 

 

We also had a chance to go inside Maiasmokk, the cafe I mentioned in my last blog post that is famous for its detailed and varied marzipan figures. I didn't try the marzipan since it's not my favorite sweet, but I did pick up a delicious chocolate eclair and enjoyed the lavish interior. 

 

Another world-renowned Texas treasure--Tex-Mex! Unfortunately we couldn't figure out the hours, and when we did finally find the restaurant open, it was packed. Perhaps that wasn't too much of a loss, as I've never had good Mexican food in Europe. And while you can't see it, Elowen is wearing her cowgirl-print dress is anticipation of some queso and enchiladas.

 

Since we couldn't enjoy the cheesy, salty glory of Tex-Mex, we headed to a Georgian restaurant beside one of the old city walls. Stepping inside felt like walking into a different country, with the traditional textiles, warm wood beams, and traditional music gently playing. Elowen of course had to study the menu, but we went with our old standby, khachupuri. The table sitting beside us was a group of soldiers who had been stationed in Georgia and were taking a trip down memory lane--we shamelessly eavesdropped as they reminisced about their time there. At the end, the owner's daughter came out to play with Elowen (though our reserved little nugget was not too sure about this.)

From the market we walked to a bohemian area called the Kalamaja--it's the former fisherman's district and is marked by its historic wooden houses and industrial complexes. Now it's also something of a business area and hipster paradise, filled with small shops and covered with street art that ranges from the whimsical to the thought-provoking. We wandered around the stores, I enjoyed some spruce ice cream (tastes exactly like you'd expect), and we peered into the various breweries and distilleries that weren't open so early in the morning. It would definitely be a fun place for couples without kids to explore at night. (We had fun, of course, but it wasn't really aimed at our demographic.)

We also took a long trek to the Balti Jaam market, which had a bit of everything--fruit, vegetables, preserves, textiles--and also featured an indoor market with food stalls and restaurants. I've been minorly obsessed with trying food from Uzbekistan after watching an Andrew Zimmern show, and since the market had an Uzbek restaurant, we had some chicken noodle soup with dill for breakfast. It was the perfect meal for the slight crisp in the air, and I've wanted to put dill in everything since.

 

 

 

To cross major roads--for instance to get to the market--you go down into tunnels and walk under the street. I couldn't figure out what these tracks were for, but since there were no elevators it made me laugh to think maybe they were for daring residents in wheelchairs? I'm at a loss to understand what other purpose they serve...

And finally, I can't get these last few pictures of the Kalamaja to move up, and frankly I'm very lazy. So here's some more street art to end this post! I especially enjoyed the hamster/gerbil creature and wonder if its by the same artist who created the rabbit we saw in Porto--they look of a similar size and style, and were both made with discarded items and what would otherwise be trash.