Estonia: Powered by a Single Voice

Sprinkled around Tallinn's Old Town are wooden carts, from which pairs of young Estonians sell packets of sugared almonds. The merchants are dressed in mediaeval-style robes and gothic lettering on the awning above them reads "Gourmet Monk". But below the hems of their garments I can see jeans, designer sneakers and Crocs and they take calls on their mobile phones. Tallinn may flog its mediaeval credentials for tourism purposes but this is a 21st-century city.

Our group arrives in Tallinn late in the afternoon, leaving time for a pre-dinner stroll into the Old Town. The sun sparkles on church spires and the turrets of the city walls, bounces off ornate weather vanes above terracotta roofs and backlights the cobblestones on the narrow streets. I haven't seen a place this pretty since I last visited Bruges, but Tallinn is far less crowded and locals have time to chat.

The Sydney Morning Herald:
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/powered-by-a-single-voice-20100716-10dix.html