(From e-mail which were sent to my Estonian Penpal Merle Mones in 2001 and 2002.)


Part one:

Alingsås 08.10.2001

It already began in Helsinki. After leaving the ship from Stockholm some minutes past nine o´clock in the morning I found myself rushing, looking for the ship "Georg Ots" which was determined the destination - Tallinn. Finding the ship rather quickly I thought: "Well, no problem, she will not sail away before 9.30." I had not then counted on the heavy Finnish Custom Service though! Being somewhat stressed I presumably was showing something of a wild look in my eyes - and, indeed, some hard looking Officer from that Finnish Custom Service directly brought me in for an investigation before I manage to board the "Georg Ots" ship. I can not say that I was in the mood for this treatment at the moment; but what could I really do about it? Of course I was "clean", even if the custom Officer could not understand some details reffering to my cargo. Hundreds of match boxes! His English showed to be, I dare to say, somewhat odd. My Finnish was too, indeed. And like most of the Finns - even if every single Finnish citizen has to study Swedish at school - his knowledge in Swedish was still yet to be invented! I can asure you that there was slight a problem to convince this man that those match boxes only were brought in order of being souvenirs, to be given as gifts to different people who I would meet on this journey.

Well, I finally succeeded in boarding the "Georg Ots" on time. More than three minutes to go... And now for the first time I was on my way to Estonia!

When onboard I tried to converse the personnel in Russian: Blue-eyed (naive) as I was then I of course thought that anyone living in Estonia (then USSR) liked the idea of speaking in Russian! I had just begun to study Russian and was then eager to test my knowledge of that language. The crew which was of Estonian origin did not seem to understand one single word! They totally ignored me together with a little smile... Right then I did not understand the situation; I thought that I managed to handle some Russian phrases rather well? (Nowadays I of course understand this situation perfectly! I was talking to you proud Estonians in a language then used by your former occupants. I really beg your pardon.)
(To be continued...)
Nils


Part two:

Alingsås 28.01.2002

Well, after being onto the sea for about three hours we finally managed to observe the Estonian mainland. And for another half an hour we landed in the Tallinn harbour after studying those rusty USSR ships during our way into the harbour. A terrible sight! Worker´s Paradise? Dirt, oily ships, unorder wherever you looked! But myself I was not shocked at all, after having visited Leningrad the year before...

Passing Customs showed to be an adventure of its own; some (Finnish) passengers seemed to be a little bit too noisy and "happy" and this procedure did not remind me of the hard one at the Finnish-Russian border which I experienced the year before? But all of the passengers finally went through... Some sloshed Finns, as well as one Swede wearing too many boxes of matches...

Now we went by bus to the Viru hotel, a hotel which was built by the Finns some years before. It was already a little bit worn out, but not bad either. Still I can remember all the trams passing outside the hotel, and the nearness to the wonderful Old Town! (Toompea, Kiek in de Kök etc.) And a possible nearness of the KGB? Well, after having dinner we were ready to explore this interesting city!

(To be continued...)
Nils


Part three:

Alingsås 03.02.2002

But first of all, before visiting the Old Town we went to our rooms for unpacking. I wrote we - this was a Tourist trip and I had to share my room together with another person. My room mate was named Kåre, a 69 year old man - from the Swedish Region of Värmland - who once before had travelled in the USSR as a tourist; then travellig in the River Don Region including Rostov-na-Donu. By the way; I immediately understood that he was something of a "Good Old Communist", but he was also a very nice old man (even if being a little bit naive?)

Well, now we went outside our hotel, passing the nice "Viru Gate" and very soon we were standing at the Raekoja väljak looking at the ancient Raeapteek. Incredible... What a wonderful place and such an interesting old apotek! Weather felt very comfortable; sunshine and no wind. We walked around a little in the Old Town just enjoying ourselves with that cosy atmosphere...
(To be continued...)

Nils

© Nils Sondefors 2002