ESTONIA SINGS  AGAIN

I turn a corner in Tartu, Estonia, and step back a century. The sunny cobbled place outside the town hall vibrates with brightness and movement, colour and music as dozens of  brilliantly costumed couples whirl to a beckoning beat. A folk festival is in full swing, literally. But the difference for me is that this time, I am one of just a handful of tourists caught up in the thrill of discovery.

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This article continues with details of Estonia and  includes information on its history, accommodation provided, local food and cuisine, things to do and see.

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(finishes…)

This is not the usual cultural display, a show-and-tell parade of professional dancers. The costumes you can tell have been crafted painstakingly at night, by lamplight, using remnants of other clothes and the skills of an almost forgotten generation. The dancers are not all lithe and adolescent. Middle aged couples swirl amongst younger ones, and silver hair peeps from under a few embroidered bonnets. There are no sideshows and cheap souvenir stalls, no picture postcards, or Tartu badges and stickers. This is a celebration of life and freedom.

©Sally Hammond 2006

Picture Credits: ©Gordon Hammond 2006

(Sally and Gordon Hammond travelled independently)

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