12 June 2007
This post has nothing to do with Estonia, but it deals with a topic that is important to me, so I hope you will take the time to read it through!
I’ve loved the architecture of Antoni Gaudi since I first saw it… in a book. In fact, I still haven’t made it to Barcelona. But that doesn’t mean the fate of the Sagrada Familia (Gaudi’s temple-in-progress) isn’t important to me.
Gaudi’s architecture is whimsical and shows a generosity of vision that I adore. So, after reading Warning: Trains Coming. A Masterpiece Is at Risk. in yesterday’s New York Times, I immediately began looking a way to lend my voice in protest against the coming damage of the Sagrada Familia. And I found this petition: SOSSagradaFamilia.org
I hope that Gaudi, architecture, and the protection of a UNESCO World Heritage Site are important enough for you to also sign the petition and to encourage the same among your friends!
25 May 2007
I wrote a little piece on Saaremaa for The Baltic Times last week: ‘Spaaremaa’: Estonia’s Island Getaway
For some reason they don’t include photos with the online version, so here ya go:
2 May 2007
Green Fairytales:
The British Council in co-operation with the Estonian Green Movement and the daily Eesti Päevaleht have explored the issue of urban sprawl since January 2007, when we started our Green Fairytales event programme with a roundtable of specialists discussing the topic.On four Thursdays in May, the same partners organise bike rides to the most interesting urban sprawl areas around Tallinn. We work together with experts of urban sprawl and of local parishes to explore the burning issues of climate change, new communities, logistics and built environment.
We invite anybody concerned about Tallinn urban sprawl to join us on 3 May afternoon for the first bike ride to Harku region. We will cycle through old and new city development areas to Rannamõisa kindergarten. There you’ll have a chance for a snack and a discussion about the architectural ups and downs of the area by an architect and an architecture researcher.
5 February 2007
When it comes to English-language publications that regularly cover Estonia, there aren’t many options. Here’s the run-down:
The Baltic Times (newspaper): According to their website, they’re “an independent weekly newspaper that covers latest political, economic, business, and cultural events in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.” This is the only weekly newspaper in English, so they don’t have much competition. That may be why the quality of the writing is a bit iffy. Part of this has been a lack of a good editor (a good writer does not a good editor make) and a lack of writers with native English skills. Which is not to say it’s all crap, and it’s likely to be getting better in the near future (if the rumors of a new editor are true). Still, it’s more or less essential reading for those who can’t read Postimees.
B EAST (magazine): I discovered B EAST recently, and I’m glad I did. This is a high-quality, glossy, more-or-less-quarterly mag that is all about “FASHION, ATTITUDE, CULTure FOR THE NEW EUROPE.” Though this isn’t a mag focused exclusively on Estonia or the Baltics, its editor-in-chief operates out of Tallinn, so there’s a fair amount of coverage on Estonia. The most refreshing thing is that they cover fashion, unlike the other English-language pubs. It’s very much geared towards hip, young things.
City Paper (magazine): This monthly magazine’s been around since the early 90s, but it was sold a few years back to a Finnish company when the original owners/editors returned to the U.S. It’s editor-in-chief is Scott Diel, an expat who originally came to Estonia with the U.S. Peace Corps in the early 90s. It isn’t the most beautiful mag around, but the articles are consistently good. The restaurant/hotel guide comes in handy, too. Aside from its print version, City Paper publishes a weekly newsletter. Week In Review is a clever survey of the week’s news delivered to your inbox and published on the website.
Tallinn In Your Pocket (magazine): It’s always seemed to me that IYP is geared towards backpacking students, but it’s a useful guide for those visiting Tallinn. Perhaps even more so because it isn’t written by Estonians (like Tallinn This Week), so this publication may have a better idea of what visitors are looking for. Lots of restaurant reviews and ideas on things to do around town, with plenty of online content (the same can’t be said for The Baltic Times or City Paper).
Tallinn This Week (magazine): This is a city guide written by Estonians and published six times per year. It’s small, free, and easy to find around town. I usually pick up a copy when I see it, though it’s strictly a guide without commentary or reviews.
Did I miss anything?
