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To commemorate the Smithsonian Presents Travels with Rick Steves magazine — now on sale online, and at newsstands nationwide — Rick is blogging about the 20 top destinations featured in that issue. One of those destinations is Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
Visiting a tiny land like Estonia, I’m impressed by the resilience of a small nation. How can just over a million Estonians survive the centuries wedged between Russia and Germany? With the agenda of tyrants to the East and West, I’d think Estonia would fare like a sheet of Kleenex in a flushing toilet.
And not every tiny land survives. There are countless sister cultures that are simply gone or nearly gone today. (For example, Livonia, in this same Baltic region, or the Sorbs of Germany.) But the pride and strength itself of nationalities like Bulgarians, Montenegrins, Kosovars, Icelanders, Estonians, and Basques as they maintain their traditions and language in the brutal (if not flushing) demographic currents of the 21st century is an inspiration.
With our new TV series, I find myself highlighting the Basques, Montenegrins, and Estonians. Come to think of it, even Norway (with about the population of Alabama) is a mighty mite, and we’re doing two shows on that country. Maybe, subconsciously, these days — when the media work to homogenize us all, globalization tries to convince us that selling our souls is the only option, and material values have become “too big to fail” — I’m in the mood to celebrate the cultural underdogs.
So here’s to the 1.25 million people who speak Estonian, the 700,000 people who speak Basque, the 150,000 people who speak Montenegrin, and the 5 million people who speak Norwegian. And here’s to traveling to a place where you can hear Estonians, Basques, Montenegrins, and Norwegians — in their own language — drink to your travels.
How long till someone posts to say Montenegrin isn’t a language?
Also Luxembourg, which gets short shrift in the guidebooks, but which I loved (partly because of some excellent food at a charming country hotel), and Slovakia, ditto, with great mountain hikes and pretty Levoca.
Rick, you should write a book. Yeah, I know, you have tons already! I mean that a book full of your philosophy on life, travel, and politics would be great. If you already have one and I’ve missed it, I need to find it!
Blog Editor Note: Sarah, Rick has written exactly such a book. It’s called Rick Steves’ Travel as a Political Act, and it’s available on our website (http://www.ricksteves.com/politicalact) and at bookstores nationwide. Enjoy!
I enjoy Rick’s insights. Butin addition to his observations are those of many others who recently feel, Norway is outrageously pricey and the Basques are shooting themselves in the foot by striking right now, and Tallin is being victimized by drunken hooligans.
Hi Rachel, here are just some statistics: a) In 1991, there were 534,000 people in Yugoslavia who called them Montenegrins, but they spoke Serbo-Croatian language. b) Today, ~270,000 people call themselves Montenegrins in Montenegro, rest of them reverted back to call themselves Serbs, even while living in Montenegro. Interestingly, in latest Montenegrin census (while political establishment consider themselves Montenegrin, speaking Montenegrin languages), only 140,000 declared to speak Montenegrin, while 130,000 Montenegrins declared to speak Serbian. We have unique situation that official language of country is not spoken by 80% of population of the country. Off course, it is mot point, as difference between Serbian and Montenegrin is way smaller than between Southern US dialect and Yankee one. All Montenegrins before 20. century called themselves both Montenegrins and Serbs (like Californians are also Americans).
Bravo Rick for pointing out the “homogenization” of the globe, especially by the media. I remember as a kid traveling the US, and different places were…different. Different clothes, stores, food, accents, etc. Nowadays, it seems everything’s the same everywhere, even on a global scale. There’s the PF Changs/Cheesecake Factory along with everyone wearing the same fashions they’ve seen on the latest episode of “I’m An Idiot TV Reality Show.” I supposed there are some benefits to this sameness, but a tapestry with one color thread is pretty boring, utilitarian, and frightens me a bit. Feels a little like the cultures those “tyrants of the East and West” created…
Could someone tell me what the picture represents?
The picture is of Town Hall Square in Tallinn’s Old Town. A wonderful city in a delightful country.
My Estonian half thanks you!