9 June: THIS IS A SLEEPY TOWN, quaint and laid back. Not the resort town I expected. I discover a supermarket away from the town square, discretely tucked into a cluster of old buildings, and can't resist buying a smoked herring (prepared the way I used to eat it in my youth) from the fresh fish counter. It tastes even better than I remember -- tender as a rainbow trout. I rent a 24-speed bicycle at Bivarix, a local bicycle shop. Don't ask me why anyone would need that many gears in this flat country! Sure nice, though, to be able to cover a bit more ground in a hurry, rather than hoofing it everywhere. First order of the day is the yacht harbour where I talk to sailors from England and Germany who are heading ... read more

I HAVE TRAVELLED by trolley bus and tram to the city centre and then walked for miles every street in the enchanted old town of Tallinn. I enjoy stepping off the tiled sidewalks onto the uneven cobblestone streets, imagining that it gets me in touch with my roots in a more immediate way. While there is some residential car traffic, as well as taxis and delivery vans, you can hear them approaching from quite far away, their tires padding across the bumpy pavement; so no danger of getting run over (touch wood... except everything is built out of rock and stone here). 6 June: IT'S FREE ADMISSION to any of the many museums in "Old Town" today. Of course I take advantage of this opportunity, visiting the Linnamuuseum (city museum) which contains seven centuries of Tallin ... read more

4 June: FIRST FULL DAY in Tallinn, my mother's hometown. I buy a book of bus tickets at the local supermarket, then pile onto one of the trolley buses going the 3 km into "Old Town." And I do take my verbs seriously -- in spite of the busy car traffic (I have already seen one thoroughfare with six lanes each way!) the buses and trams are packed, and not just during rush hour but at 11 am and 9 pm! When I immigrated to Canada 41 years ago, my arrival in Montreal happened to coincide with Expo 67. This time I arrive in town during another big party. It's Tallinn Old Town Days this week. Outdoors concerts everywhere -- children's, folk dance/music, military and rock bands, not to speak of theatre, ballet, opera... Hey, and ... read more

ESTONIA AND GERMANY by plane, train, ferry and bicycle... And only a week until lift-off, yet still so much to do! Sounds like a common lament of travellers, doesn't it? My trip to Europe is meant to be a voyage both into the past and the future. Early this year I stumbled across the website of an international theatre festival, "Theater der Welt", to be held in Halle, Germany in June. My discovery provided the impetus to wanting to see what's out there in the world of theatre and other performing arts. It took some meticulous planning, but I've managed to select the dates and buy tickets (through the efficient www.ticketonline.com) for a wide variety of hopefully cutting-edge stage presentations, including an Italian puppet play, African fusion dance, multi-media outdoor shows and even an opera performed ... read more