2014: MY YEAR OF TRAVEL

Twelve months ago travel was pretty much at the bottom of my 2014 agenda. Twelve countries later, this turned out to be the most travel-intensive year of my life. Some of the journeys were for work, some for fun, and some were undertaken on a whim. By the end of the year I have crossed…

TALLINN AIRPORT: A REVIEW

Why am I reviewing an airport of all things? Because Tallinn’s Lennart Meri Airport is THE CUTEST! By far the most adorable airport I’ve ever been in. It is cozy and cheerful, and feels like a big lounge room with a cafe or a library or a playground throwing in here and there. Actually, why tell you about…

TALLINN’S UNEXPECTED CULINARY ADVENTURE

Whatever my expectations for Estonia, having a mind-blowing gourmet experience wasn’t on the list. Yet this is exactly what I got in Tallinn, over and over, in just three days. How did Estonia surprise my palate? Let me count the ways. The best pork I ever had. Ever. Possibly the best entrée, period. On my…

ESTONIA’S GORGEOUS COUNTRYSIDE

You know how parents tell their kids to never get into cars with strange men? This is exactly what I did in Estonia. The strange man in question was the Nice German I met on my first evening in Tallinn. Long story short, as a result of making this acquaintance, I abandoned my original plan…

TALLINN: BITS AND BOBS AND A BEAUTIFUL PALACE

Here are some random interesting bits from Tallinn. A Tale of Two Churches The Soviet Union was not kind to organized religion of any stripe, and thousands of churches were outright destroyed or re-purposed for other needs of the people. Old Town Tallinn has two remarkable examples of ecclesiastic architecture with equally fascinating histories. The Russian…

TALLINN: TOO MUCH WHIMSY?

I mean – just look at this place. Where have I seen this before…? Even their souvenirs looks like they were taken straight from Elsa’s and Anna’s wardrobes (that’s a “Frozen” reference for you heathens). I never thought any place in the world could have too much whimsy for my liking, but Tallinn came close…