EuroTrash 2016 - Estonia, Salzburg and Odessa

[EestiTiger]

One place I was determined to head back to was this amazing beer garden my friend first took me to years ago. It wasn't quite the weather to be out in the beer garden unfortunately but they also have multiple big beer drinking halls - the next best thing The beer was still ridiculously cheap when compared to Australia with the 1L ceremic stein costing 6 Euros. I have paid well over that for something not much bigger than a schooner of coughpy Australian beer at home

If you find yourself in Salzburg, find your way to Augustiner Bräu - Brewery and beer pub in Salzburg, beer from wooden barrels and regional delicacies

A little tip from the locals... Whilst you can buy your food there, most locals take their own condiments, breads dips etc and just purchase their meat there. The only thing you can't take in with you is alcohol / beer.

 

[EestiTiger]

Having been to Tallinn before I haven't exactly taken too many pictures of the Tallinn old town this trip. For those of you following along at home I thought it might be a good idea if maybe I did snap a few pictures as it is just gorgeous.

View from outside the old town towards St Olaf's - the tallest building in the World for close to 80 years.


Freedom Square with the War of Independence Victory Column.


Various old town streetscapes.

 

[EestiTiger]

A few more of the Tallinn old town square (Raekoja Plats). The Christmas markets here are spectacular. A fairytale scene if you are lucky to get snow. I was here in December 2009 and it is still one of my happiest travel memories.

 

[ellen10]

Enjoying the trip report and great photos.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[JohnK]

Very interesting trip report.

So many places. So little time.

 

[EestiTiger]

Just a quick post...

Last weekend I ended up at this lovely manor house about 20mins out of Tallinn called Schloss Fall. We popped out here to get out of town on a nice day and to have lunch at the restaurant. Both the food and service was great.



Currently in Odessa and it is spectacular...

 

[marki]

Just a quick post...

Last weekend I ended up at this lovely manor house about 20mins out of Tallinn .....

Currently in Odessa and it is spectacular...

Starting to look like Autumn

 

[EestiTiger]

Back from Odessa and it was sooooo much fun. What a great place. Can't wait to go back next Summer

My entry into Ukraine was filled with a little drama, nothing too bad, more of an inconvenience. Australians can now get a visa at a few of the entry ports including Odessa Airport. Unfortunately my early morning arrival from Tallinn (4am flight) meant that the visa dude was not on duty yet! So I had to sit with an armed minder for a bit over an hour until he turned up for work! All of the airport officials and guards were great They were very apologetic and when old mate arrived, they blasted him! I am a pretty relaxed person so I thought it was just a great story for my grand-children My friends (all Estonian) were having a great old time in the arrivals hall as below.

 

[EestiTiger]

Having just celebrated the Estonian 25th anniversary of independence, our arrival into Ukraine saw us arriving on the 25th anniversary of their independence. Only thing to do was to have a few drinks to celebrate.

We found this awesome local restaurant called Kumanets. Good food and cheap food and drinks. Not that any of us needed it but complimentary vodka shots came out. We drank a lot of the local sparkling wine and whilst it might not ever win any awards, it was perfectly drinkable.

 

[EestiTiger]

The weather in Odessa was warm with no rain, which made a nice change after a pretty wet Summer. Due to the troubles in the Crimea, Odessa has seen a bit of a boom with a heap of newish beach clubs opening up to take the Ukrainian beach crowd who used to go to Crimea. They were about AUD$12 to get in which gives you a big three person lounge or a single lounge. This is where all the Odessa beautiful people hangout and it was funny to watch them so obsessively trying to capture the perfect photo to upload to Instagram. That seemed to be all the girls were there to do. Not sure having my ugly mug in the background was going to help them get more likes!

The centre of all these beach clubs is called 'Arcadia'.



The first place we visited was called Mantra Beach Club. You can view the fruits of the Instagram girls work here: https://www.instagram.com/mantra_beach_club/

Another of the clubs we visited was Ibiza Beach Club - https://www.instagram.com/ibiza_odessa_official/



Random foot shot at Mantra Beach Club.


If you are after a cheaper than Western Europe beach holiday - this is so your place Nordica fly there direct seasonally from Tallinn in Estonia. The flight is a killer though - 4am.

 

[EestiTiger]

Sorry I haven't closed my trip report out! The end of my trip disappeared in a blur and before I knew it I sobered up and I was back at work. Already planning next year's trip but I digress...

One of my morning walks took me all over the city with many beautiful buildings. Some were not in the best condition but give it a few years and I am sure Odessa will be a stunning summer hotspot.

[h=1][/h]
Cathedral Great Martyr Healer Panteleimon


Odessa Railway Station - I love Railway stations in Europe. I always seek them out even when I have no train to catch.





Odessa Opera House


Monument to Catherine II

 

[EestiTiger]

One of the things that struck me about Odessa was how green it was. There were a lot of trees even right in the centre of town.

Some more streetscapes below and the number one tourist attraction in town - the Potemkin Stairs.

 

[EestiTiger]

One of the cultural attractions of Odessa is the Opera. One of my good friends managed to get us some tickets for the princely sum of 10 Euros each in our own box. The actual opera was in Ukranian and was not a traditional opera. It combined opera, ballet and theatre. It was pretty hard to follow but it was an amazing experience.

 

[fairbasa]

Awesome trip report ozmatt!

Love Linnahall and Lennusadam! I almost fell off the treadmill in the gym a few weeks back when I saw that Alan Walker - Faded video clip. Most of it is shot at Linnahall.