Saturday, August 20, 2011

Head Kahekümnendat Taasiseseisvuspäeva Eestimaale!

Nanny and I strolled over to the Lauluväljak this evening to celebrate Estonia's 20th anniversary of re-independence. The nights are getting shorter by about five minutes every day, and the sun started to set around 9:30 as we left the festival grounds. In the two hours or so that we were there, we heard some great bands (check out the Latvian band Brainstorm and the Estonian band Ewert and the Two Dragons), listened to President Ilves' speech, and took pictures of me having far too much fun. We also caught a gorgeous sunset on the way back.

Forest, forest everywhere. A scene on the walk from our neighborhood to the festival grounds.



Part of the monument to Russian something something (I'm sure that's how the Estonians feel about it). I was afraid the kid on the bike in the upper right corner was going to fall on me as I walked underneath. He didn't.



I glanced up at the entrance to the Estonian History Museum grounds as we passed below it.


It's true! Tallinn is the European Cultural Capital for 2011. I have a lot of culture to pack in these next few months.


Lauluväljak!


Estonians!


Flags!


We were off to the side, but close enough to see both the screens and the performers. Well, as best we could considering all the people in front of us were 7 foot tall Estonians.


Friikartul!


The sky was lovely.


And so was the bungee-trampoline concoction.



The Old Town



I heart that sky.


Ducks splashing in Tallinn Bay


Estonian mothers on maternity leave.


Kudos to Estonians. As The BBC recently pointed out, they're doing quite well.

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