Last Tuesday saw me leave Tallinn with heavy bags and a heavy head-cold. And yes, maybe a slightly heavy heart. It is not a city I expected to fall inlove with. It's not a city I even expected to like after my first month there. But now I have a strong fondness the country and am already planning my return trips.
Here are a couple of photos from Breakaway, a contemporary dance piece composed and preformed by two French girls I met, Fleurette Séguret and Mathilde Roch-Penet. Their performance was on one of my last days in Tallinn.
Erasmus
The Palace of the People /
When in St. Petersburg, I was a bit surprised when I was told our city tour was going to be having a talk in the metro. When taking the escalator down some 120meters underground, our tour guide gave the simple introduction of:
"After the wealth of the tzars, it's not surprising that our new government wanted to give something back to the workers. And so, they built the metro, as the Palace of the People."
The shots are quite "touristy" but the place was so amazing I wanted to post them.
Studio work with Elisabetta Silvestri /
Recently, I did a quick portfolio shoot with Elisabetta Silvestri of a couple of the pieces she's working on here.
Elisabetta Silvestri, Italian fashion designer.
Independence Day /
Yesterday was Estonia's 97th Celebration of their Independence. This I didn't quite understand, (not as to why they have an independence day, but the 97 years didn't add up) as in the limited reading I did coming here, I had learnt that Estonia regained it's Independence in 1991. And that is true - they now however, look at 1918 as their year or Independence, and between 1940 to '91, they were occupied from both the German's and the Russians, but still an independent state. I'm not sure if it was knowing this that jaded my viewing of the day, if it was the dark gloomy weather, or if this is just how it is done.
Missing the 07:30am flag raising ceremony, I walked the city for excitement. I was met by protestors, by serious faces and drunks twirling circles in the park. It was not celebration, but a day of affirming strength, military power, and for the protestors "non-russianness". Most locals seemed to just want for it to end so there were no longer these extra people in their way.
And who am I to judge. I didn't even know the date of Ireland's Independence Day (it's the 29th October). Instead we drink green pints once a year, and celebrate the existence of Leprechauns.
Life skill obtained: Can take photos while carrying a flaming torch in the middle of a moving crowd who speak a different language.
The photos below are of a torch walk organised by a newer Estonian party whose aim is to promote nationalism.
Third last photo banner translation:
"Blue sky in the face of a white man with black soil"
February /
I feel the first month of being in a new city you're still a tourist, spending too much money and trying to go see everything. The photos below were taken at the Russian Market near the main train station. Not sure how welcome I am when I walk in there with my camera, but the language barrier between us is so far working to my advantage. Hopefully they'll grow accustomed to me - or if not, at least tell me to leave nicely.
35mm Agfa Colour
Pretty photos thrown in a pile /
More photos from Tallinn! None of these photos really go together, but it's a Tuesday! So they're going out like this. Mixture of shots from the Palace and my walk to it.
