Red Corner: Tallinn Still Hopping

by Neil Woodburn on

Wow, it seems every time I turn around, some other newspaper is writing about what a hot party destination Tallinn, Estonia has become. Last Sunday, it was The New York Time’s turn.

We’ve posted about this Estonian phenomenon before, but obviously a mention in the Times gives the hype credence. The article discusses how the small capital has become the Las Vegas of Western Europe, playing host to all manner of bachelor parties and weekend getaways–thanks to its cheap (but rising) costs and inexpensive easyJet airline tickets.

Fortunately, the article doesn’t focus entirely on the local hedonism; Tallinn is an old historical town that has so much more to offer than tawdry strip bars and bottomless beer mugs. The new Kumu Art Museum which specializes in Estonian modern art, for example, is a nice sober detour.

Red Corner: The Danube into Eastern Europe

by Neil Woodburn on

The Danube is perhaps most well known for sharing half the title of a very famous waltz, The Blue Danube. It is also quite beloved as a popular cruising destination in Western Europe. It starts in Germany’s Black Forest and continues through Austria and Hungary. Most passengers, however, disembark at this point before the river flows into the less inviting regions of Eastern Europe.

If you ask me, the Eastern European stretch is where the journey gets infinitely more interesting. As it meanders through Croatia, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria, the monasteries become more plentiful, the cities more rustic, and the nature more rugged. And of course, there is also the amazing delta which boats must pass through on their way to the Black Sea.

So, if you are considering a cruise, go for the gusto and ride that boat all the way to the Black Sea. You won’t regret it.

Red Corner: Prague’s New Cubist Hotel

by Neil Woodburn on

Most people are familiar with Cubism through such legends as Picasso. The movement often stretched beyond canvas, however. This was especially true in Prague where a number of notable buildings were constructed using this school of design in the early 20th century.

The capital of the Czech Republic has just added another entry into their fine collection. The Marriott Courtyard has embraced the cubist style in their latest hotel which just opened last May. As you can tell by the above photo, the exterior has a little bit more of a modern twist than the more traditional cubist architecture seen around town, but it still makes a heroic effort to respect the country’s artistic past.

The sharp angles so typical of the movement aren’t just limited to the outside of the hotel. The interior, designed by Helena T. Dunn Interior Design incorporates the cubist style from furniture to wall hangings throughout the hotel’s bar, restaurant, lobby, and guestrooms.

Personally, I am quite surprised the normally bland Marriott chain would so whole-heartedly embrace such an avant-garde theme. I have yet to visit the hotel, however, and will have to reserve judgment until I make it back to Prague.

Museum piece or kitsch? If you’ve checked it out, let us know…

Red Corner: The Russian Stroll

by Neil Woodburn on

Like so many other immigrants, Russians who move abroad bring with them so much of their former lives. Paul Berger of The New York Times reflects on one such activity which has crossed the Atlantic and is now quite visible in Russian filled Brighton Beach: walking.

Of course, everyone walks. But in Russia, and so many other poor countries around the world where money is tight, walking is favored over bars, nightclubs and cafes for the simple fact that it is free. On weekend nights and summer evenings throughout Russia, promenades, boardwalks, and sidewalks are filled with the masses out for a stroll.

The same can be said of Brighton Beach where old customs die hard. Sit in the same place long enough and you will start seeing the same pedestrians over and over again as they stroll away the evening hours.

Red Corner: Spy Tour

by Neil Woodburn on

Berlin and Moscow are two exotic cities which struck fear into the hearts of western spies throughout the Cold War.

There is nowhere on this planet more legendary for espionage and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night than these two capitals. Sadly, with the fall of communism their glory days have long passed. The spooks and their haunts, however, still remain.

Lovers of the Spy Genre will be happy to hear that The Smithsonian is conducting a nine-day tour this October that whisks cloak-and-dagger fans through the former headquarters of East Germany’s Stasi, the KGB Museum in Moscow, the Glienicke Bridge (where spy exchanges were conducted), Gorky Park, the remains of the Berlin Wall and a host of other John LeCarre locations. The tour will even be joined by retired KGB officers in Moscow who will undoubtedly have a handful of great stories to tell.

The cost is $6695 and must be paid with small, non-sequential bills or uncut diamonds.