Christmas comes to Tallinn

Putting the jõu back into jõulud, next Monday will see the erection on Town Hall Square of Tallinn's premier Christmas tree. At a neck-craning 20 metres tall, this year's tree is being trucked in from the 'Kadrina commune' (as they refer to themselves on the English version of their website: http://www.kadrina.ee/atp/?id=799) in Lääne-Viru county. For those interested in following its progress, here is a timeline of events:

- Monday 26/11/07

*08.00: Felling of the tree to commence in Ülo Kais' garden in Kadrina.

*11.00: Cavalcade to set off for Tallinn.

*13.00-14.00: Tree to arrive at Town Hall Square and erection to commence.

- Wednesday 28/11/07

*Decoration of tree with lights to be completed.

- Sunday 02/12/07

*14.00: Lights to be switched on and advent candles to be lit.

The Kadrina tree was selected to represent the city from among ten entries received in a public competition. The tree alone set City Hall (or whoever paid for it) back 14,160 kroons, while transport, installation and decoration work will cost a further 53,100 kroons and eventual disassembly and chopping up for fire wood or whatever another 33,040 kroons. Total: 100,300 kroons.

And it will be worth every cent. There's something truly magical about wandering around the stalls of the Christmas market on Town Hall Square amid the falling snow with the tree all lit up and the smell of mulled wine and gingerbread in the air. Much as I love our traditional lazy poolside Boxing Days of cold champagne and turkey sandwiches in Australia, nowhere does Christmas quite like northern Europe.

You wait half an hour for a bus...

Someone from Eesti Päevaleht Online with a video camera has been asking Joe Public what he thinks of the city's public transport. Turns out that apart from one young mother who only hopped on a bus to satisfy her tiddlywink's curiosity and a couple of people who end with "...but things seem to be improving", almost everyone has the same complaints.

1. They smell.

It's not very charitable to say so, but boy are there some stinky people in Tallinn: either the great unwashed or the homeless, often with the added pleasure of their bags full of empty beer cans as they head for the recycling points to claim their 50 cent refunds. The heady mix of dirty bodies, dank clothes and all manner of odours emitting from them does not a pleasant environment make on the city's buses, trams and trolleys when, in the case of the latter two especially...

2. They're dirty.

But then I suppose dirty people lead to dirty buses and what not. It doesn't help that the majority of them were made in the heyday of Soviet production when 'Made In Czechoslovakia' was still being stamped on everything. The trolleybuses come in for particular criticism on this count (except the snazzy new ones). It's the kind of thing where I always wash my hands as soon as possible after riding in them - even if it's the middle of winter and I was wearing gloves the whole time.

3. They're often late.

Or indeed early, as I keep finding with bus no. 8 now that they've changed the timetable but seem to have forgotten to inform the drivers. Sod's law though: on the days I set out earlier for the bus stop in case they do come early, they turn up 5 minutes after they're meant to.

4. They're always full.

Not that there's much you can do about it, I suppose. But in combination with the other three above, it does get to a straw-that-broke-the-camel's back kind of point. You've been waiting for ages for the thing, probably in the cold and drizzle, and when it turns up it looks like it hasn't seen a cleaner in years, everyone is packed in like sardines, many of them smell like they are sardines, and the man you're squashed up against has the worst case of dandruff you've ever seen. Which flakes off his scalp in your direction every time the doors open.

I would probably also add to the list that 5. the tickets, for what you get, are overpriced to buggery. I baulk at the €2 you pay to hop on one of Helsinki's trams, but given how efficient, comfortable and sparkly they are, the fact that the ticket is only twice as expensive as a trip on one of Tallinn's rusting 1960s trolleys is a small price to pay.

http://www.epl.ee/video/402794