A letter to Tallinn...

Tere,

You are a lovely city but the continuous snow for three months is as much as I can take. Spring is at your doorstep - please let her in. Temperatures above freezing would be nice for a change. To walk without slipping would be a bonus. I am told it will get warmer and I can't wait to discover more of you in the sunshine. That said you do look beautiful in the snow. The white snow adorns your streets, window ledges and roofs. The icicles hang from your rooftops like glass chandeliers. It envelops you and lends you mystique keeping your secrets from us.

Your heart lies in the old town which is a wonderful ode to Medieval architecture. The narrow winding, cobbled streets, the stone archways, the high triangular rooftops, the tall spires and steeples all add to your old world charm. You have allure. The curving alleys hold cafes and restaurants which serve fresh coffee and handmade chocolates! Bookshops, handicraft stalls, shops selling posh haute couture, tourist shops with knickknacks rub shoulders with each other and beckon us to visit. The town square is a perfect space for summer festivities and Christmas markets. The old churches, the art galleries and the museums add to your mystique. You are truly a tourist's paradise.

On the other hand when we were flat-hunting we often found beautiful properties situated too close to strip clubs. While I have nothing against people who frequent these places (Tallinn being a popular stag do location I can see why they are so popular) but I do feel that they detract from the beauty of your old town. I personally would not like drunk lads shouting outside my flat at wee hours of the morning! I know every city has its dark underbelly and yours is not too hard to find. There is deprivation evident in the old ladies who try and peddle their cheap wares to passersby despite the biting cold. There are the older men who come up to you and ask for money. There is exploitation and sadness in your heart and you know it.

Next to the glitzy malls and the expensive shops there are the boarded windows which hide desperate eyes.Like your frozen seas they wish for the endless winter to end.

Are you waiting like me for summer to come, for the sun to melt the snow and ice and set your warm heart beating again? Are you watching us as we go about our lives in your midst? If you are, a big aita to you for taking us in.