Radio Broadcast on Estonia

Chris Christensen at the Amateur Traveler recently interviewed me about my travels in Estonia, especially in the lovely medieval capital city of Talllinn. For lots of tips on what to do and see and to find out why I love Estonia, check out this podcast.

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A Magical Estonian Retreat

As soon as I set foot on the property, I knew that a one-night stay wouldn’t be enough. All week as I traveled through Estonia, the weather couldn’t be bleaker. Yet, though the cloud cover remained and storm clouds hovered on the horizon, the Nami Namaste property conveyed an air of sunshine.

The name that literally means "yummy, welcome to my heart" just about sums up my visit to Nami Namaste, a country inn on the small Estonian island of Muhu. Owner Sikke Sumari, who once owned a cooking school in Finland, told me that she found this enticing property under somewhat magical circumstances: Seeing the property for the first time and still undecided, Sikke noticed that the black tulips bent in the direction of what would become the main house. The magic continues with her property that entices all the senses. She walked me through the aromatic herb garden that grows lavender, sage and oregano that are used in the inn's recipes. Most everything is locally sourced, including the meats and eggs, with many of the vegetables, from parsnips to onions, also coming from her property. Snuggled amidst the lush foliage incongruously stands a Tuscan stone pizza oven. I found out that Italian chef Davide Alberoni built it and now presides over the kitchen, dishing up tasty recipes derived from his hometown region, Abruzzo, and other parts of Italy, with a hint of Asia for a more international flavor. (Like Sikke, he couldn’t be friendlier and more welcoming. If my Italian was more proficient, it would’ve been fun to practice with him.)

This 18th century fisherman's farm is outfitted with an outdoor hot tub that sits under age-old apple trees, a white-on-white presidential suite that has hosted the president of Estonia, and a sauna that's housed in a former blacksmith's shop. This is truly a place to spend at least a few days relaxing in the garden and taking day trips around the woodsy, placid island.

Sikke is very much into a "back to basics" mode, whether it means having guests learn how to make pasta in one of her cooking classes or relaxing in the former barn, now a lounge, beside a lovely stone fireplace. She’s the model hostess, providing me with a thick blanket and warm wool socks to snuggle up with while I listened to jazz and browsed the design magazines stacked on the tables.

While on Muhu Island, we drove roads that wend past dense woods and paths leading to limestone cliffs. In Kogura Village, that preserves buildings dating to the 1500s, former farm buildings that once belonged to the family of Juhun Smuul, a noted writer, were transformed into an open-air museum. Here you can see the old school house, as well as a contemporary art gallery exhibiting works by local artists and an ethnographic museum displaying traditional clothing and other textiles.

I plan on returning Nami Namaste for a weekend of cooking classes with time to check out the horseback riding, bicycling and canoeing in the area.

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Tallinn, A Trendy Medieval City

On my recent trip to Tallinn, the medieval capital city of Estonia, I found that it straddles a fine line between quaint and trendy. Its old quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with ancient wall fortifications and a multitude of steeples piercing the skyline. Yet, this city, which will be European Cultural Capital 2011, is hardly stuck in the dark ages. In fact, quite the opposite. After all, Tallinn is home to Skype, the internet-based communications program.

Trendy restaurants, cafes, wine bars, galleries and boutique emporia can be found down many a cobbled lane. Last spring, an Asian fusion restaurant, Chedi, opened. Grilled Chilean sea bass with Chinese honey and stir-fried venison are a couple of the dishes served in this intimate space. The Gloria Wine Bar with its warren of cozy stone rooms and a fourth-floor attic that's home to Veini Pooning are two of Tallinn's most intimate bars to sample wine. One of the most curiously-named restaurants, Ö, meaning "island" in Swedish, serves up Euro cuisine that's heavy on Scandinavian and Estonian products. Diners sit among images of Rubens hung on the walls. Past tall cast iron gates, another restaurant, Egoist, is housed in a centuries-old mansion that's detailed with antiques galore.

Tallinn has no shortage of cozy cafes with fab pastries, including Chocolaterie, Kohvicum and Bonaparte. I particularly loved the tranquil outside courtyard at the former that serves creamy homemade truffles, including those filled with passion fruit and chiles. Bonaparte has a comfortable subdued interior where you enter through a rustic tall wooden door reminiscent of what you might find in a castle -- after all, the building dates to the late 13th century -- yet contemporary art hang on the walls. Here I devoured a very tasty red currant tart -- there are so many yummy pastries it's hard to choose.

The city's relatively new vanguard institution is the modernist Kamu Museum that's built into a limestone cliff and displays contemporary and classic art. You could spend the whole afternoon wandering the sun-filled interior. The Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design didn't get a lot of tourist traffic when I was there but it's definitely worth a visit to see the works (from furniture to porcelain) of Estonian designers that they promote. More locally produced works can be found at Nu Nordik, a small shop chock full of creative, whimsical items, from T-shirts and pillows to jewelry and pottery. Reet Aus is an eco designer-owned shop selling very wearable, comfortable women's clothing.

On the accommodation front, these are my two picks: Three 14th century merchant homes serve as the home of Three Sisters, a boutique hotel that mixes old and new where no room is alike. An old wooden staircase spirals up to the rooms where some have claw foot tubs, four-poster beds and centuries-old wood beams. After dinner, a visit to their cellar wine bar makes a fine way to end the evening. Another accommodation, the Hotel Telegraaf is aptly named for the 19th century telegraph building where it's housed. Their spa offers Tibetan massage as well as wraps using a Balinese recipe.

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