Jaanipäev

Last Tuesday night saw the celebration of St Johns Day (Jaanipäev) in Estonia, which is one of the biggest holidays in the country. Last year I worked and stayed in Tallinn, and as I walked around the deserted streets of the capital I told myself that next year I would join the throngs heading for the country for the midsummer celebrations. So this year Sirli and I, along with some friends, headed to Vergi, a tiny little port in Lahemaa National Park for Jaanipäev. I've got to say that it was a great decision. The weather was fantastic and with a few drinks and good company we couldn't help but have fun.

Jaanipäev is a celebration that has been held in Estonia since pagan times, but those pesky Christian crusaders put their religious spin on things and called it St. Johns Day. Though even with Christian meanings attributed to it, the midsummer celebrations have always retained an elelment of unruly pagan traditions. Wikipedia even reveals that:

Balthasar Russow wrote in his Livonian Chronicle about Estonians who placed more importance on the festival than going to church. He complained about those who went to church, but did not enter, and instead spent their time lighting bonfires, drinking, dancing, singing and following pagan rituals.

Even to day there is a tradition to light a bonfire and jump over it, once it has died down a bit. Traditionally this was designed to scare away evil spirits and ensure a good harvest, though nowadays it's just something fun to look at while getting drunk!

The only down side is that from now on every day gets shorter from here on in. Winter is coming! (Is that overly pessimistic??? It happens when you live this far North.)

Those on Facebook will have seen photos already. Those who aren't can look at them here, or just enjoy them in an Animoto video below.

Michael Jackson - Death Reportage in Oz V Eesti

You have to cash in on what's big in the media. I've got nothing to say about Iran, so I'll write something about Michael Jackson. (Actually his death is probably a disaster for Iranian protesters!) The coverage of Jacko's death is probably as intense in Australia as it is in Estonia. With such a long and diverse career, and a life lived constantly in the spotlight, there must have been hundreds of photos for newspaper pictorial editors to choose from. However it seems the Age from Australia and Õhtuleht have used the same picture on their front pages.

Though its interesting that along side Jackson one paper has a Bikini clad girl on the front page, while the other has Aussie Rules and Cricket. Could say a lot about the two countries. Or perhaps just about what a trashy paper Õhtuleht is!!!

Õhtuleht - Estonia

The Age - Australia

Death of a Dream

Some people may know that I ever since I have been in Estonia, I have dreamed of purchasing a run down manor house and restoring it to its former glory. Wilder fantasies even have a little micro-brewery there as well, perhaps even in the former manor brewery, if there was one. I even had one particular manor house in mind. Keila-Joa Manor is one of the stops on one of my tours, and each time I walked past the abandoned Neo-Gothic building I always dreamed of re-rendering and painting the outer walls, getting the garden in shape and sitting atop the tower with a cool beer form my micro-brewery while taking in views of the nearby waterfall.

I even blogged about the place twice, here and here.

The price has dropped recently from 20 million Crowns to 5 million, but even if I could aford that the estimated 200 MillionCrowns to renovate it made it even more of a ridiculous dream. But that's what dreams are, aren't they? Something slightly crazy but fun to think about.

Well today the dream ended. I read in the paper that someone has bought the manor. They will live my dream. I wish them all the best.