Sunday, July 05, 2009
Laulupidu - Estonian Song Festival
This weekend has seen an event in Tallinn that happens only once every five years - the Song and Dance Festivals. Thank goodness my work has got something right for once, and we were here to see this!

Yesterday afternoon there was a big parade through the streets, it took four hours to go past my place. This is from the start of the parade, taken from way above, I am on the 9th floor:

Many many beautiful costumes:
And this was normal dress for young girls this weekend:
When we went to the Song Festival arena in the evening for the concert, I was sitting on the ground, so I got a good view of traditional skirts and shoes:
The not so traditional pastic was because it poured with rain!
I saw salmon being smoked:
And here is the stage with 25000 singers, not a great photo, as it was raining heavily by this time;

It was amazing, worth all the walking - the Song Festival arena is about four kilometers from my place, and I had to walk all the way there and most of the way back, there were buses, but they were crowded. I was soaked by the end of it, and didn't get up until quite late today. I've done nothing else apart from some work this weekend!


 
posted by Ally at 10:57 pm ¤ Permalink ¤


1 Comments:


  • At 10:09 am, Blogger KK

    It´s great to read that you liked it :). I´ve been thinking about how wierd it may look like for visitors or non-estonians. A crazy nation who sings and dance...

    2nd day was much better, no rain but more people! I visited also the dance celebration at Kalevi arena on Sunday morning, it was wonderful and very emotional, I almoust cried there (I´m not emotional person at all!).