Season Greetings 2008/2009

For all my cherished friends who have made the Earth a warmer place...


I HAVE A LIST OF PEOPLE I KNOW
All written in a book
And every year at Christmastime
I go and take a look

And that is when I realise
That those names are a part
Not of the book they're written in
But of my very heart

For each name stands for someone
Who has crossed my path some time
And in that meeting they've become
A treasured friend of mine

And once you've met some people
The years can not erase
The memory of a pleasant word
Or a friendly face

So when I send a Christmas card
That is addressed to you
It's because you're on that list
Of folk I'm indebted to

And you are one of many folk who
In times past I've met
And happen to be one of those
I don't want to forget

This, the spirit of Christmas, that
Forever and ever endures
May it leave its richest blessings
In the hearts of You and Yours.


p.s. poem author unknown.

The other song, for many even dearest

Here you can see the song festival ground in Tallinn and hear the song mentioned in the story i posted first - just copy the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08nf7hk4iBo

Its not the anthem but for many Estonians - and some say for most - its even dearer than the anthem. And you can see with your eyes at that video, it really is a huge choir and just one conductor.

The bird you see here - dressed in national colors of Estonia - blue-black-white is called "sinitihane" and its from site of the Nature Omnibus friends, created by friend of mine and many others Jaan Riis who for many years has offered Tallinn nature-loving inhabitants a brilliant chance to get off on weekend to islands, nature resorts and many other beautiful landscapes. You can check their site at www.looduseomnibuss.ee Credits for photo from their site go to Heino Ruiso.

National anthem of Estonia and Finland sounds same

Estonians share the music of the national anthem with Fins with whom they also share a lot of other things - a close language, a common Finnish Bay between these two Baltic Sea states formed on the land their ancestors have lived for thousands of years. And even the birth date of their modern time independence is separated with just few months - December 6, 1917 - Finland and February 24, 1918 - Estonia.

But one of the biggest differences is that over the centuries Estonians have been much more mixed with other nationalities who have been eager to make make the land their own, starting with Danes in 13th century (who "robbed" our Tallinn flag - the red with white cross on it - and made it their state flag called Dannebrog), plus the Swedes, Germans and the ones from the East who have tried to be masters in Estonia over the centuries. A lot of what I became I owe to my grandmother Elfriede, mum of my dad. My other grandparents were like her sweet and warm persons too but they left too soon. My grandmum E. used to insist when I was child to always remember I am a Swede, not Estonian but I never felt it like that. But the identity of being a mix-up of many nations - like some of my ancestors - and inhabitant of Tallinn with its great historic background has already since childhood made me to feel sometimes more cosmopolitan and a tallinner instead of being linked to one nationality. But then, on some occasions like the unic national song festivals hold every fifth year I feel it 101% when - whether I wish it or not - the tears appear in eyes always when the choir and crowd of thousands sings the most sweets national songs that warned our hearts also during the years when for many the hope seemed to have left behind.

ESTONIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
Music: F. Pacius
Lyrics: J.V. Jannsen
Translation into English: Jenny Wahl

My native land, my joy, delight,
How fair thou art and bright!
And nowhere in the world all round
Can ever such a place be found
So well beloved as I love thee,
My native country dear!

My little cradle stood on thy soil,
Whose blessings case my toil.
With my last breath my thanks to thee,
For true to death I'll ever be,
O worthy, most beloved and fine,
Thou, dearest country mine!

May God in Heaven thee defend,
My best, my dearest land!
May He be guard, may He be shield,
For ever may He bless and wield
O graciously all deeds of thine,
Thou dearest country mine!

Birthdays this weekend...

Me 45 and Estonia 90...

The photo is made in North Germany at the music festival, attended by tens of Europe orchestras, including one from Estonia. As I happened to be there too, they asked me to carry Estonian flag and gave me also uniform - felt like soldier from WWI. But it was really great to carry the flag in front of joyful orchestra from one of Estonian counties. Next morning when i was jogging near sea, an old local lady stopped me and said she had noticed me the day before. "You were the one with Estonian flag!" she said.

Prince Albert II restores Tallinn-Monte Carlo car rally, but makes it green

Official name: Tallinn - Monte-Carlo Electric Race Marathon 2011

June 2, 2011

Monaco's Prince Albert II was in the Estonian capital Tallinn on June 2-3, 2011 to re-launch the Tallinn-Monte Carlo rally cut short by World War II, giving it an eco-friendly twist as a race for electric cars only. The prince then waved the flag signalling the start of the event which runs through to June 11 and will see competitors travel through Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and finally to the finish-line in Monaco.

I went to see the start and the finish place but decided to walk back home, seeing suddenly the prince with his car sitting near to my home behind red lights at Narva street/Kreutzwaldi crossroad without anybody on street seemingly realizing who is driving the old Soviet car.

As the Monte Carlo famous car rally is not representing an environmental approach at all, the initiative to make Tallinn-Monte Carlo annual rally an electric cars rally is very nice step, depicting much more the many green initiatives Monaco leader has launched at home and far from that (see more on that at Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation).

The distance of electric cars rally from Tallinn to Monte Carlo is 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles).

The first Tallinn-Monte Carlo rally was held in 1930 but was discontinued after the 1939 outbreak of the World War II.

Albert who was also driving the Tallinn part of the rally on June 2, 2011 drived Soviet era made Pobeda car from 1958, same year he is born. The car had been rebuilt by Estonians and is now an electric car.

"We do not need to buy new things all the time but can also make old things environmentally friendly," Prince Albert said shortly after coming out from the car.

Prince Albert II of Monaco also dedicated a park bench to his late mother American actress Grace Kelly at Tallinn Rotermanni centre close to historic old town.

A plaque on the bench was engraved with the Estonian poem "Do you know the mother's heart", written by Estonia's renowned poet Lydia Koidula (1843-1886).

p.s. You can read my article about it at AFP when you search at google the headline "Prince Albert launches Tallinn-Monte Carlo rally with twist".

More info about the Tallinn-Monte Carlo annual electric car is at the site:
http://www.electricrace.eu. Back to full front page from HERE.