How much is the Cow on the Window?

Photo by Vahur in Varnja, 27 June.

Guts of a Cute Wooden House

A cute wooden house is being renovated in Tallinn Magasini street. It's a typical Estonian 19th and beginning of 20th century city/town dwelling. WWII destroyed thousands of those but there are still large areas intact.

You see that time has taken its share of the wood, insects have eaten their ways into logs, but this can be overcome just shaving off damaged parts. Usually the building as a whole can be saved, if the roof has not been leaking too much.

I also want around the back, to take pics of the garden. It appears the veranda and back side are already in good shape.

Photos by Vahur Afanasjev 24 April 2014 Tallinn

Lodi

Lodi is a type of sailing barge used a lot on the Mother River (Emajõgi), Lake Peipsi (all the way to Pskov and Novgorod in Russia) and other Estonian waters. Lodi (plural: lodjad) has been documented in Hanseatic Tartu town and Emajõgi since 14th century.
See some old footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e-tzBV-oD8
Soviet occupation put a full stop to many fields of economic and human activity, so last lodi was seen in 1950ies... Until around 2004-2005 a group of activists built a brand new lodi. Nowadays it's used for tourism and nature sighting, not for transportation of goods, but still the ancient ship building tradition is kept alive. Currently the Lodjakoda activists are building a larger two-mast lodi in Tartu.
Photo by Vahur Afanasjev 30 March 2014
Trivia:
There used to be a huge beautiful bathing house (the wooden structure was heavily damaged in WWII and the later rebuild was destroyed in 1970ies) on the river by the the Lodjakoda site.
Even though we love CCR, their song "Lodi" talks about a city in the United States of America.

Independence Day

Cheers for the Estonian Independence Day! (Starring: spicy sprats on rye bread, filled eggs with egg-spratpiss (salty brine) filling, pickles with chillies (pickled by my mother), Moe vodka (from ecologically clean Estonian grain only), fresh tap water (the purest in Estonia) and, as a decoration, some snowdrops (galanthus) I picked in from of my country house earlier today).

Photo and food by Vahur Afanasjev, 24 February, Tartu.

Ready to meet the president

Photo by Mare Sabolotny, Tallinn, 24 February 2011

Estonian Goddesses, Vol 5, Epic Fail of Nature Photographer - Green, Green Grass of Pond...

"Then I awake and look around me, at four grey walls that surround me. And I realize that I was only dreaming" (Curly Putman - Green, Green Grass of Home). Photo by Aapo Ilves, 11. 07. 2010, Ketta.

modern usage of seto-sleeve-pattern

Photo by Aapo Ilves, 22. & 23. 07. 2010,Viljandi Folk Festival.

...and a Happy New Year!

First year with the great fallic Cross of Freedom in the centre of Tallinn. All hip people hated it but then again not a bad landmark next to which to meet the new year.

Photo by Kris Moor 31 December 2009, Tallinn

Seto Kingdom Day

Seto Kingdom Day, 01. 08. 2009 in Luhamaa, South Estonia.

Straw Men

We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw
T.S. Eliot

Photo taken by my parents in Metsakivi/Kirepi village (Lake Peipsi area) 13 July 2009. The straw men look pretty alive and spooky, too. Should be taken to modern sculpture exhibition.

National Tennis Shoes

This is exactly what we're aiming for - modern urbanproof clothing, footwear and other stuff bearing national design. Applause! Hopefully the availability of those fashionable tennis shoes won't be limited just to the folks taking part in Estonian Song Festival.

Photo snatched from Folkr blog (more pics in their Flickr).

Estonian-Finnish Battle

Well, no battle really, as the men in black are armed only with spoons and all are using rough jokes as ammunition. Guys on the left are wearing traditional Estonian ring hats (murumüts), made usually of six pieces.
Photo by Ebe Pilt, July 2008 in Kunda.

The Friends' Market (Sõbralaat, Sepramarkkinat) on north coast of Estonia and south coast of Finland dates back to the beginning 20th century. The tradition of crossborder festival and handycraft market was revived after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The vintage photo was taken by Carl Sarap on the same event on Mahu beach more than a hundred years ago; snatched from Kunda Club website.

Santa Claus Beggar / Kriisiaegne jõuluvana

Santa Claus was spotted today begging for money on the way to Tallinn's poshy Old Town. Says it's his forth day at "work", daily income 50-60€. Nice boots, though. Photo by Rosin (Kass Ting) 8th December, 2008.

Tänane leid, Viru tänava nurgalt.
Kriisi Jõuluvana: Inimesed, andke Jõuluvanale pappi!
Rosin: Mis eksperiment see on? Kas pilti võib teha?
Kriisi Jõuluvana: Võib, aga anna natuke pappi ka. Jube palju pildistatakse, TV3 ga rääkisin pool tundi. Aga kui tuttavad ära tunneks oleks jube häbi, läbi selle habeme keegi ei tunne.
Rosin andsi kümneka.
Kriisi Jõuluvana: Neljandat päeva seisan siin. Külm on, muidu on tasuv töö. Üleeile sain tonni, eile sain 700.- . Inimesed on ikka lollid. Kui sa kümneka annad, oled lahke, aga kui 100.- annad oled loll.

A Wife with a Knife

Don't mess with Estonian ladies, they carry huge knives. Photo by Elo Kuuste, taken at Mütofest, 16 August 2008.