posted on 15th March 2011 under Culture, History, Travel Abroad
The historic city Tallinn, capital of Estonia, dates back to the medieval times although the first fortress was built on the hill of Toompea in 1050. The lower town spreads out from the foot of the hill, still protected by the remnants of a city wall and around the city wall is a series of well-maintained green parks, great for strolling.
Tallinn was the first marked on the global map by the Arab cartographer al-Idrisi in 1154 and the old town was added to Unesco’s World Heritage List in 1997, acknowledging its unique value as it has been astonishingly well preserved.
Nokia N8 Panoramic photo
Invited by Baltic Computer Systems and the Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications to give a presentation on EUCIP for Competence and Career planning, my wife and I have been here for some days, combining business with pleasure. As we love to learn about others history, culture and traditions, Tallinn has truly won our hearts in several ways. Although it is a bustling town of 400,000 it keeps its heart alive in the old town section, here are some examples:
The charming old town:
Estonia considers itself a Northern European/Scandinavian country, with very close ties to Finland (ethnic, linguistic, and cultural), and visiting Tallinn you will find a mix of at least three architectures in this very visual city – old Europe (the city walls and rustic buildings), Soviet brutalism (crumbling apartment blocks), and modern Europe (click pics to bigify & enjoy):
Tallinn retains an inner charm seldom found anywhere else
The Town Hall Square:
Raekoja plats , has been the centre of this city’s life since markets began here probably in the 11th century.
It’s dominated by the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe, and faced by pretty, pastel buildings from the 15th to the 17th centuries:
The Medieval Hanseatic Period:
By the mid-14th century, when the Danes sold Northern Estonia to the Teutonic Order, Tallinn was a major Hanseatic town with about 4000 people. A conflict of interest with the knights and bishop on Toompea led the mainly German artisans and merchants in the Lower Town to build a fortified wall to separate themselves from Toompea. However, Tallinn still prospered and became one of northern Europe’s biggest towns.
We found the Hanseatic period history and architecture especially interesting as Bergen in Norway is also a Hansa town. The Hanseatic league was a primarily German trade organisation in the middle ages. They used a network of shipping towns to exchange goods between the different countries with different resources.
Hansa’s major trade item in the trade with Norway was dried cod fish which could easily be shipped in barrels and ended for example in Portugal where they made their national dish of it; Baccalao. The Hanseatic League was an economical superpower in medieval Northern Europe and had a great influence in the development of their trading port towns. The Hanseatic League also traded in towns along the Baltic, for example Tallinn, and left a German influence on the town’s history.
We were fascinated by the architecture in the old town. Hansa warft in Bergen (click to read my post about it) is lined with historical houses which look just like the colourful old houses found in the Old Tallinn center. They truly look like sister cities.
The German name, Reval, coexisted with the local name until 1918:
In 1219, the city was conquered by Valdemar II of Denmark, but it was soon sold to the Hanseatic League in 1285. The city, known as Reval at the time, prospered as a trading town in the 14th century, and much of Tallinn’s historic center was built at this time. Talking about that, as a coincidence: we had our lunch one day at Reval Café:
The changing governments and occupation of Germany and then Russia has left its imprint on the Estonian people, making them fiercely independent today and proud of their national heritage. We have had an interesting visit to Tallinn and met many nice helpful people. They are friendly people who are happy to share their history and national pride with us. Stay tuned for more highlights from this special tour.
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posted on 11th December 2010 under Culture, Fall, History, Travel Abroad
In all the land of Portugal, the whole expanse of Europe, Sintra stands out as one of the loveliest, rarest places that Nature’s prodigious hand has created (quota: the poet Afonso Lopes Vieira). Once the royal town of the country, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its 19th century Romantic architecture. Sintra has a population of about 30,000 inhabitants and is a major tourist attraction, with many day-trippers visiting from nearby Lisbon. Thanks to our magnificent hosts and friends from The Oslo Blog Gathering: Luis and Helena, we had this adventurous whole day trip and I’ll start with the final destination:
Like the English poet Robert Southey describes Sintra; “The most blessed spot on the whole inhabitable globe”:
A noble town surrounded by many estates and pleasant woods – an unusual geography, nestled in a stretch of hills surrounded on all sides by plain, estuary or ocean it has a subsequent climate, perhaps more typical of Northern Europe, so in that sense my wife and I felt it a bit like home:
Even more; I do understand that this verdant paradise where ornate palaces lie hidden behind tall trees and walled gardens, abounds with history and attracted romantics and fixed settlers – particularly from the Roman Period.
There are three National Palaces in Sintra:
Palácio da Vila. alias “Chão da Oliva” or the Paço da Vila de Sintra:
This is a small part from the backside and entrance to the town’s square of this Palace which after the Reconquest from the Romans, passed into the possession of the Crown and was considerably enlarged, not only in the reign of Dom Dinis – who in 1281 laid down that the conservation of the Palace should be entrusted to the enfranchised Moors of Colares -but especially in the reigns of Dom João I (1385-1433) and Dom Manuel (1495-1521).
The second; Palácio da Pena (sorry no pics), is an extravagant yet relatively modern building, erected in the 19th century in accordance with the whims and romantic fantasies of Ferdinand de Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the German husband of the then Queen Maria II. The third is Palácio de Queluz; Begun in 1747 by the Infante Dom Pedro (later to become Dom Pedro III) on the basis of a former country mansion of the Marquises of Castelo Rodrigo, Queluz Palace (classified as a National Monument) at that time began to be adapted for use as a summer seat of the Royal Family.
Also high in the hills, the remains of the Moorish Castle date from the 8th century and marvellous views are attained by walking along the top of its walls:
Constructed by the Moors in the 8th or 9th Century A.D., this castle is situated on two peaks of the Serra de Sintra, and from its walls there are magnificent views.
Surrounded by walls and several towers, it underwent various repairs, particularly in the Romantic period (about 1860), when King Consort Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha restored it, afforested the surrounding areas and gave the ancient ruins new dignity.
Cabo da Roca:
“Where the land ends and the sea begin” (quota: 16th century Portuguese poet Luís de Camões); this westernmost point on the continent of Europe was known to the Romans as Promontorium Magnum and during the Age of Sail as the Rock of Lisbon. Coordinates: 38” 47′ North and 9” 30′ West – 140 m above sea level:
Once home to a variety of plant life, Cabo da Roca has been overrun with the invasive plant species Carpobrotus edulis. This creeping, mat-forming succulent species – a member of the Stone Plant family Aizoaceae – was introduced as ground cover by local residents several decades ago, but now covers much of the arable land on Cabo da Roca:
A whole day trip:
Like I said in the beginning, these are only a few of the highlights from our adventurous trip outside of Lisbon. It’s impossible to cover it all in one post – but mind you; it’s well kept in our mind along with the experience of sharing a whole day; another experience of a life time, with our hosts and precious friends, Helena and Luis. Let me just end with a couple more photo examples:
One of their favourite beach with Cabo da Roca far behind.
Local Sintra pastries at the café to the right – late afternoon before we left
Lucky we, having local friends who would show us some of these traditional, historical and cultural pearls, a bit out of Lisbon too. I hope you’ve got a clue and enjoyed my résumé!
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posted on 4th December 2010 under Culture, Food, Travel Abroad
Fado music is the heart of the Portuguese soul and maybe the world’s oldest urban folk music. Some say it started at sea as the sad, melodic songs coaxed from the rolling waves by homesick sailors and fishermen or maybe by the poor on the streets of Lisbon. Whatever its origins the themes have remained constant: destiny, betrayal in love, death and despair. Now it is a fixture in the everyday life of Lisbon’s working class and played for pleasure but also to relieve the pain of life.
There are fado houses and so called “revistas”, a popular genre of “vaudeville” in Lisbon and since we had our local friends, Helena and Luis as hosts and guides when visiting the city, we had our Fado evening at one of the best; Café Luso in Bairro Alto:
The traditional accompaniment for the singers is a Portuguese guitar = guitarra, a 12-stringed instrument (left in the pic below), and a bass guitar (right), or viola. Sometimes a second acoustic guitar (middle) is added like when we had this fantastic music adventure this evening:
The essential element of Fado music is saudade, a Portuguese word that translates roughly as longing, or nostalgia for unrealized dreams that speaks of an undefined yearning that can’t be satisfied. Like other forms of folk music such as American blues, Argentine tango or Greek rebetika, it’s hard to explain – it must be felt and experienced – and the performers must have the soul to transmit that feeling. That’s why my wife DianeCA and I are so thankful for having local friends to take us a place like this – I hope my explanation and these pics give you an idea:
Fado can be performed by men or women, although many aficionados prefer the raw emotion of the female Fadista. Dressed in black with a shawl draped over her shoulders, a Fadista stands in front of the musicians and communicates through gesture and facial expressions (click pics to bigify & enjoy):
Café Luso gives gourmet adventures too:
Even if this special traditional music adventure was the main objective, Café Luso had excellent food and wine. I believe my regular readers would feel something was missing if I didn’t share the meal – so here we go:
Main course: “Wild Magret” (magret of duck in a sauce of orannge and wild berries on a celery bed with wasabi and sauté leeks)
Dessert: Puff-Pastry of “Sericaia” with Plum Jelly of Elvas – DOP – and Syrup of Lime and Lemon
This evening was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Romantic, inspiring, and delicious to all the senses, we are especially grateful for sharing it with good friends who know the music and the culture. Discussing the singers and how they were different from each other, and what each ones special style was added to the experience and helped us to learn a lot. We were so inspired we even bought a CD from one of the singers so we can relive the memories. Hope you are enjoying our trip to Lisbon. If you have experienced Fado or something similar I hope you will share with us in a comment!
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posted on 1st December 2010 under Food, Travel Abroad
Built on the foundations of the 13th century monastery church: Convento dos Frades Tinos (destroyed by the 1755 earthquake), Cervejaria Trindade is a combination German beer hall, Portuguese tavern and restaurant. In operation since 1836, it’s the oldest in Lisbon and owned by the brewers of Sagres beer. It is surrounded by beautifully tiled walls: this mosaic is typical for Portugal – with scenes of themes from natures four elements on one side and the four seasons on the other (click pick to bigify & enjoy):
It was in this beautiful and historical establishment we had the first dinner on our trip to Lisbon. The trip was an eye-opener and a journey through Portugal’s culture and history, well conducted by Helena and Louise, a couple from Oslo Blog Gathering 2010 who became friends for life. I’ll get back to that, but let’s first take a closer look at Cervejaria Trindade – at this time of the year of course elegantly decorated for Christmas:
These scenes and ornamental tiles are made of wonderful glazed tile-panels or azulejos, dated from 1863 and signed by Luís Ferreira. Also quite famous are the walls decorated with small stone mosaics inspired in the fantastic calçada Portuguesa (Portuguese pavement), signed by the renowned artist Maria Keil (with works in some of the subway stations in Lisbon).
Located downtown, close to several attractions, Trindade boasts a spacious bar and a restaurant where the decor complements the food. Many Portuguese diners prefer the bife na frigideira (steak with mustard sauce and a fried egg, served in a clay frying pan), but the tavern also features excellent seafood and Helena helped us select the very best 3 course dinner. I let you join us in trust of that photos says more than a thousand words:
Left: The Seafood display – Right: Traditional Portuguese potato and vegetable soup
Main course: selections from the sea
Dessert: Portuguese cream, almond and egg pudding topped with cinnamon.
Excellent hosts they showed us every detail of the area and even followed us back to the hotel which is located in an old section of town known as Chiado. We also greeted the famous poet Fernando Pessoa in front of A Brasileira, even if he wasn’t that talkative late at night:
Luis and I greeting Fernando Pessoa
This was a five day trip with many highlights so stay tuned for more adventures in the Portuguese capital with our local host Lelé Batita and Luis.
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posted on 17th November 2010 under Food, History, Travel Abroad
Located by Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom – Northern Europe’s largest Gothic church), Alter Wartesaal or The Old Waiting Room is part of the railway station (Hauptbahnhofs) and looks back on to impressive history. His majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II and wife used to take tea or champagne in the former waiting room for first-class passengers at Cologne’s main train station. I was there some weeks ago (I’ll explain why later) and gladly share it with you – including pics taken with my Nokia x6 (at night with difficult lightening!). Let’s start with the front of the Duomo and at its foot; the entrance of the waiting room (click pics to bigify & enjoy!):
The restaurant was first opened in 1915 and remained a popular attraction up to the end of the golden twenties. It sustained little damage during World War II but gradually lost importance as a meeting point for high society. In the early 1980s private investors restored the restaurant, which had fallen into disrepair, to its former condition as an architectural jewel with elegant cherry panelling and art deco chairs and light fixtures:
Re-opened as a club, restaurant and concert venue, it now provides better ways to spend your time than waiting for a train. With its impressive architecture and cosmopolitan atmosphere, it features remarkable rooms and offers lots of space for larger events:
I was there one evening while participating at the ECDL’s Forum 2010 in Bonn where we had a gastronomic adventure including the Award Ceremony. You see, rounding out the many sections of the terrace of the old waiting room, you can dine with excellent views of the imposing cathedral:
As has been a habit from my business trips like this, of course I’ll share the delicious dinner with you – from the starter to the sweet and artistic dessert:
White Wine: Heger Sonett Grauburgunder & Starter: Salmon pate
Left: Carrot ginger soup – Right: Main course: Fried brook trout with chanterelles and thyme foam
Dessert: Chocolate Walnut torte with fresh berries
ECDL Forum 2010 Awards:
ECDL (European Computer Driving License) enable proficient use of ICT that empowers individuals, organisations and society through their end user certification programmes. Known as ICDL (International CDL) outside of Europe, with more than 10 million candidates participating it has set the global benchmark in end-user skills certification. Every year, representatives of Computer Associations (exclusive country licensees) from all over meet up at the Forum meeting – this year in Bonn.
Typical for meetings like this is a dinner party with presentation of various annual awards. You know it’s always nice to celebrate and recognise outstanding efforts of participants and associates: best licensee, best promoter, best newcomer and innovator etc. I was lucky to sit at the table with representatives of one of the winners: The Irish Computer Society (ICS) and was allowed to take part in the extra attention that was given to the table after dinner. Let me give you a clue:
ICS’s 2010 ECDL Best Practice Trophy calls for champagne!
Alter Wartesaal Dance- & House- Party:
Dinner like ours is one example, but at the historically-preserved complex of the Cologne train station the premises are perfect for more events like: evening concerts, fashion shows, TV productions, cabarets, comedy nights, and product launches etc. Because the location which in 1983 was opened by the famous talk-show host and TV chef Alfred Biolek is outstanding: the magnificent restaurant with up to 4.80 m high, stuccoed ceilings and the original Art Nouveau hall from the year 1915, the variety of events leave no stone unturned. While at the wardrobe I saw a couple of posters which gives an example of some performances and I could not resist capturing them with my Nokia mobile phone:
1998: Jennie Lee – 2001: DJ Da Trooth
Hope this whets your appetite for more travel posts because there will be some of them in the near future. Today my wife and I will be travelling to Brussels, and we hope to be travelling to Portugal the week after that. Keep your fingers crossed for us because there is a general strike planned for the day we are to travel!!! I hope we make it to Portugal in the end because we are really looking forward to it!
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The historic city Tallinn, capital of Estonia, dates back to the medieval times although the first fortress was built on the hill of Toompea in 1050. The lower town spreads out from the foot of the hill, still protected by the remnants of a city wall and around the city wall is a series of well-maintained green parks, great for strolling.
Hansa’s major trade item in the trade with Norway was dried cod fish which could easily be shipped in barrels and ended for example in Portugal where they made their national dish of it; Baccalao. The Hanseatic League was an economical superpower in medieval Northern Europe and had a great influence in the development of their trading port towns. The Hanseatic League also traded in towns along the Baltic, for example Tallinn, and left a German influence on the town’s history.
