Balderdash

Friday, December 26, 2008

"The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys." - Sir William Preece, chief engineer of the British Post Office, 1876

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Baltics trip
Day 14 - 29th May - Tallinn, Estonia (Part 1)

Walled avenue around Toompea

Information on the Lutheran Cathedral (from 1240 on)

Altar

There were many coats of arms in the cathedral:

Pulpit base

Poor Moses. I wonder if the Anti-Defamation League would consider this Anti-Semitic.

Pulpit

Tombs

Largest pipe organ in Estonia (gah, that's like saying tallest hill in Singapore)

Floor slab

Cross beam (I don't know the proper name)

Sundial on outer wall

Lutheran Cathedral

Orthodox Cathedral

There was supposed to be no photography but the staff didn't care and everyone was happily snapping away (I don't know if this scribbling of mine referred to the Cathedral or the Tower below).

Kiek in de Kok tower (1475-1483)

Information about the tower

Bricked-up window (?!)

16th century armour

There was a strangely incongrous art exhibition in the tower basement, which consisted of photos of nude women in various surroundings:

Cannon

Cannon Poetry:

Written on "The Lion" (1559):

"The Council of Tallinn named 'Lion' me,
so that I'd devour their enemies
Karsten Middeldorp founded me in 1559
and this is the truth indeed."

Written on "The Bitter Death" (1560):

"Bitter Death is my name -
Thus I travel everywhere
Killing the rich and the poor.
To me, who I slay, is all the same.
1560"

(No, it's not just fantasy weapons which have verses)

"Coats of arms of rulers who wanted to conquer Livonia" (Broadly, what became Estonia)

Skeletal warriors. This was bizarre.
The larger one is The Lion, the smaller is Bitter Death.

Swedish Mercenary, 16th c.

Arquebus, 16th c.

Breechloader, 14th-15th c. Replica (?!)

Ballista Model

Swedish coat of arms, 18th c.

Cannon

Plague doctor

Explanation of the funny photos in the basement: "Jaan Kunnap marks his 35 years in alpinism and photography. Proficient in both fields he is passionate about, Kunnap has achieved brilliant results. The author shows places close to his heart and tendencies from his creative path... Many photos are without explanatory references. That's the author's way of inviting the audience to make discoveries of their own."
Translation: This doesn't tell us anything