The vibrant red sun is setting before my eyes as we slowly sail towards Russia and the port of St Petersburg. It is gloriously warm and there is a faint breeze which takes the bite of the heat away. It is almost 9pm and the gold streaks are just dusting the sea. A flat calm and a perfect evening on a cruise ship. There is hardly a soul around as passengers are either dining or watching the first of the evening shows.
Tallinn was such an interesting city. Obviously it was much more up to date, and more fast paced than our island stop yesterday, but none the less a unique place with much Baltic flavour.
It is a small city, and the old quarter walkable in an hour. We stopped first at what seemed on the surface to be a great big uninteresting boulder about 3 m high and 4 m wide. Our guide Allys told us that this boulder was very significant as it was used in 1991 to block the road to the old town, so the Soviet tanks could not reach the buildings and destroy them. Independence was to come only hours after that act, and together with the Tallinn cross of peace, in the city square, made deliberately of glass because Estonians know how fragile freedom is, these monuments fill the people with hope and remembrance.
We walked next to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built by the said man and saint for the Russian Orthodox Church in the late 1700’s. We went in around 9.30am, and were told that a service would be happening. How lucky we were! The wondrous male Orthodox choir was singing for all they were worth, and the deep dark harmonies rang around the building like a sweet earthquake. It was in 4 parts, Basso Profundo, then 3 lots of various Baritone parts and not a Tenor in sight – or hearing!
The iconography was so colourful, and the place was very grand but in a different way to the Catholic Baroque churches of Western Europe. An almost simplistic decoration, gold and red everywhere – just like my sunset!
I was moved to light a candle which would stay lit for a day, to wish my parents happiness in their new home at a kind and caring house in Portree for the elderly. I know they are moved in now, and will soon settle. My Dad would have loved the cathedral and the singing; he would also have suggested I gave them a mark, if not an adjudication !
Coffee.....................Well today it was free! Well, it came as part of the tour to the Kadriorg Palace, along with a croissant, so probably that does not count! The palace itself was a kind of warm up act for those we will see in St Petersburg, a delightful pink confection, now the National Art Gallery of Estonia, with bits restored and bits still quite derelict and tired looking. There is a great deal of hope amongst the young folk, but I heard a 60 year old lady say how afraid she was of the ‘return of the bear’. Our young guide told us that her grandmother has seen 8 currencies in her lifetime with all the times the country had been occupied!
We passed a beautiful statue of an angelic Russalka, of the opera character who is a folk tale heroine, but this was a memorial to a Russian ship called Russalka, which went down in the bay sometime before WW1.
Of interest to singers everywhere, Estonia has a great choral tradition and a wonderful outdoor concert venue where many huge concerts are held, the biggest choir recorded singing there was a mere 34.000 choristers! Blimey, I wondered, who was the man brave enough to conduct, and try to keep control of that lot!! There is a bench in the audience which gives the sitter a big surprise. I did not find it; well we did only have 8 minutes to look! When it has a posterior placed upon it, selections of choral music blast from speakers built into the frame!
Now there is a thought, hey ho for the bottom parts!
Pics later when downloaded, away to my bed – 8 hour tour in St Petersburg tomorrow – Can’t wait!
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