CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT in Tallin, Estonia

25 May 2019 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags:

Can you walk past this building and not feel like you  are being watched ?

May 25, 2019

Old churches can be fascinating places.  Of all of the churches I went into in Tallinn, the Church of the Holy Spirit was my favorite  – mostly because of its uniqueness.

First off look at these pews – I am 5’6″ and the top of the pew was level with my shoulder.  Once you sat in a pew and close the door, you were completely enclosed up to your neck.

Only a person’s head can be seen in these pews – kind of like  an iron lung.

Another oddity are these 2  buildings hanging on the wall. I am guessing they are private pews and/or confessionals? Even Google didn’t know the answer to that question.

The  original building was built in the 13th century  but  obviously  it has been added on to over the years.

But  pipe organs  were simply  beautiful.

“The fact that there is a highway to hell and only  a stairway to heaven, says a lot about  the anticipated  traffic numbers'”

(Unknown author)

 

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

TRIP to the GROCERY STORE in Tallin, Estonia

25 May 2019 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized

Premium Mussels

May 24, 2019

WARNING – this posting may not be  for the faint of stomach……

A trip to the grocery store in another country is always an education.  Admittedly , I am a very finicky eater and even the sight of some foods can trigger my  sensitive gag reflex.  Add the visual of a see-thru package and now we  add future nightmares to the mix.  That being said……

just in case you need extra…..

Krill?  For your pet whale?

Cods have livers?  And people would really eat just their liver?

Baby Octopus?  If by chance you can  enlarge this photo, you may further understand the God given gag reflex and why it exits.  Just by looking in this package, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to eat this slimy  things.

Seriously?

Please notice the package does not even give a name to these  creatures, just visuals.  But if  you are looking for your favorite creature to eat, you can search for it in the see thru  packaging.

Last of all ,  these  are  chocolate bars and they were advertised as postcard  and/or souvenir  chocolate bars.

After googling the translation, the 1st  bar means “new times” (this is a Viking riding a motorcycle).

The 2nd bar I could find no translation but I believe the man is Stalin and the building in the middle  was built  for  Stalin

( in Riga, Latvia)  and nicknamed “the birthday cake”.

The 3rd  bar’s translation  means “middle ages”.

So I am guessing these chocolates are walking us a bit through history??  If anyone has something further to add for an explanation, please do!

 

Thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoyed!!

 

 

 

 

KADRIORG PALACE, Day 2 in Tallin, Estonia

24 May 2019 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

Palace fountain in the garden

May 23, 2019

Today’s adventure was to Kadriorg Palace.  Peter the Great built this  baroque summer residence for  Catherine 1 of Russia in 1718.  The palace is now an art museum.

Kadriorg Palace and Gardens

 

The Great Hall was the most  grandiose of  all the rooms.

A fresco covered the ceiling of the Great Hall.

Beautiful ceramic tiled heaters/fireplaces/stoves  were  in every room of the palace.

The gardens were modest but it is still early in the flower season here.

I loved  this maritime scene – “Odessa Pier”  1885 by Rufin Sudkovsky .

Is this not a great tree??????  After leaving the Palace, I walked to the Kuma Art Museum. and found this interesting/monster like tree on the way.  A nature-made tree  sculpture .  : )

There was a display of  1952 soviet propaganda  posters at  Kuma.  This one is:  “The Greatest Happiness of All is to Grow and Study in a Soviet School” ”

The best of  the museum was the Estonian Art that focused on the 50 years of Soviet  Occupation (June 1940-1991 ).

Another propaganda poster –  “The Red Army Protects our Family”

On a happier note  – in Old Town, there is a display of 15 flowers stalls all next to each other.  You can smell the floral blooms before you even see it.  It is incredible!  How wonderful it would be to live  across the street and have this view all day long.

Beautiful bouquets every where I looked!

Bird of the day – the fieldfare, a thrush.

Thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoyed!

MEDIEVAL OLD TOWN, TALLINN, ESTONIA – May 22, 2019

22 May 2019 3 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

May 22, 2019

My newest  adventure is a trip to  the Baltic capitals!!! First stop – Tallinn, Estonia.  Tallinn has been on the European  map since 1154.  In the city’s long, assorted history, much of it’s medieval-ness still exists and, and for  the tourists, they play it up when ever possible.   Why, just this afternoon, a wench was captured in the old town square and was taken off to the dungeon.  So  beware, if you come to Tallinn,  your past may catch up with you.

Tallinn, being a walled city since the 16th century,  today  still has, in tact, one mile of the  original wall and 26 of the  46 watch towers intact. Some of the towers can still be climbed and the wall walked.

I walked a bit of the wall today but had to back track to the original  tower I climbed to get back down – as some of those old stone steps  were  so small and worn and with a rope as a banister, they were too scary for me to walk down!

With Tallinn being so far north,  I was lucky enough to enjoy spring at home and  also again in Tallinn.  Also, being so far north, sunrise ( in May) is at 4:30 AM and sunset is at 10:05 PM.

Even weeds can be pretty.

Many of the buildings in Tallinn were  built in the Art Nouveau style and fall under the description of beautiful and / or very interesting.

A close  up of that  lounging  dragon was a must.

Tallinn’s Old Town is known for their orange and red roof tops and many church spires and it truly is a beautiful sight.

Sometimes other creeping sights also appear….

Along with some interesting downspouts…

Many churches,  most of them very old , can be found in this city but my favorite was Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, named after a Russian war hero.  Built in 1894 and is Russian Orthodox.

Bird of the day – white wagtail lunching .

Stay tuned – more postings will be coming……

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

CLOSING PHOTOS from the BIRDING FESTIVAL with help from GOOGLE

12 Nov 2018 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized

Wilson’s Warbler

November 12, 2018

I hope you enjoyed all  the beautiful birds from my latest adventure.   The following  birds  I saw, but  could not capture with my camera – mostly due to their speed and my lack of speed.  So, rather than my readers miss out, Google supplied the photos in this posting.

Yellow Throated Warbler –

Blue Gnat Catcher

Ladder Backed Woodpecker

Ringed Kingfish

Lastly, the Orange Crowned  Warbler.

For all the birders and nature lovers out there, if you ever have the opportunity to visit Texas, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks for reading!

LAST DAY of the RIO GRAND BIRDING FESTIVAL 2018

12 Nov 2018 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

Hooded Oriole

November 12, 2018

The last day of the birding festival I ventured alone to a nearby park.   I was delighted to see some of the south Texas birds that I had missed on the previous days…..

Here are my favorites……

Gotta love the colorful orioles!

Especially when they are drinking from  humming bird feeders.

Black Crested Titmouse

Golden Fronted  Woodpecker – not the best photo but I liked how it  especially showed off his yellow and orange head.

Curved Bill Thrasher

Had to share this last photo of the Green Jay having a bad hair day.

Can you see it?  There were spider webs, spider included, at every turn.  The drizzle  in the early morning light  made  the webs sparkle  incredibly  with just  a touch of eeriness…….

especially, in this setting of over grown grasses  and  gnarly  mesquite trees.

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 3 RIO GRAND BIRDING FESTIVAL

10 Nov 2018 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

Texas blooms in November

Nov. 10, 2018

Day 3 at the birding festival brought some pretty birds, scary  looking  fauna and dinner at a unique steakhouse.

First – the beauty……

Couch’s Kingbird

Another Altamira  Oriole

A parade of White Pelicans

and a clever Green Jay.

Texas  bird  feeders  also are impressive…..

and some are complete with stadium seating.

Next, the scary ….

Lastly the unique…..

Only in Texas can you go to dinner and see……

In the back yard there are horses and ……

But the flip side – they  bring delicious  free cowboy soup and my diet coke in a pitcher!

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

RIO GRAND BIRDING FESTIVAL’S FALCONER and his BIRDS

09 Nov 2018 2 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

November 9, 2018

The  highlight of the festival’s trade show was a  falconer and his 17 birds.   Twice  a day he would introduce his birds,  give a little history about each one and demonstrate the  flying abilities of 2 or 3.   Now when I watched, it seemed most of the birds did not really co-operate, but I enjoyed them anyway!  Here are 13 members  of  his beautiful  bird family………

 

American Kestrel

Eagle Owl – he was huge!!

I never knew there would so many kids of owls!!

what was Mother Nature thinking????

 

this is the national bird of Iceland

This was my favorite – a snowy owl  and he was napping  every time I saw him.  The falconer would kiss the top of his head when he introduced him and  explain that the snowy owl was an old guy so he  just lets him sleep.

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

DAY 2 at the RIO GRAND BIRDING FESTIVAL

09 Nov 2018 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Green Jay

November 9, 2018

Day 2 of the Birding Festival in southern Texas was wonderful!  I successfully saw some new birds  to add to my birding  history and I  owe it all to the terrific professional bird guides.

The Rio Grand Valley  is home to the World Bird Center which  is made up of  several  different locations of nature centers/ sanctuaries.  Many of the sanctuaries also set up bird blinds and feeders to lure  the birds more easily into view.   Through the festival, I could pick from a large selection of birding field trips led by guides.   My opening photo is of the Green Jay, who were beautiful,  plentiful and noisy.

Altamira Oriole

Great Kiskadee

Inca Dove (which is cute and about 1/2 the size of other doves)

Scissor-tail Flycatcher

Female Indigo Bunting

Plain Chachalaca (also plentiful and noisy)

Red Winged Blackbird

Lastly a  Texas Spiny Lizard showing off his colors..

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!

RIO GRAND BIRDING FESTIVAL NOV. 2018

08 Nov 2018 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

November 8, 2018

Hello from the Rio Grand Birding Festival!  My first ever birding festival!  So come along with me and I hope to
have interesting birds (and other tidbits) to report.

Day one was arrival  at the Harlingen, Texas airport and a 45 min trip to South Padre Island to try some birding on my own.  Here is what I found….

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Duck’s bottoms up

Duck’s bottom down

Great Tailed Grackle

Baby Alligator who laid very, very still waiting for lunch to float by.

Things really  are bigger and better in Texas….

Lesson of the day – watch where I am walking while  looking for birds – Texas has  yucca  trees that grow taller than me and are extremely painful when walked into…..

Stay tuned……more birds to come……

Thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoyed!

 

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