M
y first visit to Tallinn, the
capital city of Estonia, was
about 15 years ago. I
remember thinking that
although the medieval
buildings in Old Town were stunning,
there wasn’t much else to see or do.
Also, my meals consisted of barely
discernible variations on chunks of
pork and potatoes, cabbage and
(thankfully) wonderful rye bread.
WOW- what a difference a decade
plus makes! After last month’s visit,
Tallinn gets my vote for “Best
Makeover Ever”! It’s been magically
transformed into one of the
trendiest capitals in Europe, scoring
the title of European Capital of
Culture in 2011. Did you know that
this baby Baltic country is now a
world leader in high-tech industries?
Not only was Skype invented here,
but Estonia was the first country to
allow online voting -- 98% of its
1.3m citizens bank online, and it
holds the world record in start-ups
per person.
Another factor behind Tallinn’s
successful rebrandin g is its exciting
food scene, which buzzes with a new
breed of dedicated young chefs
garnering attention with an Estonian
twist on the trendy New Nordic
Cuisine. There is a new wave of
stylish restaurants paying homage
to a rich bounty of local ingredients
(think wild boar, morels, berries,
pike, herring roe, goat cheese, and
apple wine), gathered from the
country’s farms (many organic),
forests and waters.
You’ll notice this same creative
energy as you wander the
Waiting for Santa to appear
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