Tender In Tallinn

Tallinn, capital of Estonia.

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Summers like London but as you might expect of a Capital on the Baltic sea and close to Russia its winters are vodka-fuelled. In February, the coldest month, you will need a cuddly valentine and an all-embracing coat, or vica versa, as by day it’s a little below freezing. Head for the roaring log fires and saunas early as the winter days are shorter than ours.

Estonia is best known for its mysterious medieval capital Tallinn, one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. The narrow winding, cobbled streets with little traffic below terracotta roofs and towering ramparts, spires and domes are enchanting but tough on kitten heels. Opera and concerts, art exhibitions and antique shops, museums and gorgeous shops and boutiques abound. Fame also abounds: Sting played here last Summer and Carmen, the top model, comes from here. Tallinn is easy as most people speak English and all major cards are excepted. Even better prices are cheaper than ours, and better again bars close at 1. It even has a nailbar (Ravala pst).

In the late evening near the tiny parliament buildings we sat drinking champagne in the calm peace of a night atop the old town. At a glorious viewpoint,‘kohtuotsa vaateplats’, a cobbled court yard among trees surrounded by lovely old buildings, we had a spectacular bird’s eye view of the roof-scape and bright lights of a beautiful city with a Baltic sea backdrop. This popular daytime spot was now ours alone.

Estonia akin to Scandinavia has a love affair with the sauna. Even some of the clubs have saunas! In the late afternoon before hitting the tiles we got hot and steamy in the Hotel’s sauna. We stripped off on the pine and turned up the heat while sipping ice cold g & t’s and Bloody Mary’s. After, rejuvenated, we lay down on a chais longue and drank long glasses of ice cold lemonade.

Pegasus Restaurant & Cocktail Bar - an innovative restaurant with progressive interior design and a daring menu of world cuisine, lately with its sushi it has made a splash . And more importantly for the true Cosmo girl a chance to sample the "Cosmopolitan" from the cocktail menu. It says, "Cosmopolitan: Vodka, lime and cranberry juices, triple sec and four words: sex in the city". After one of these to whet our appetites, a gorgeous seared pepper-crusted Ahi tuna with wasibi and miso ailos was followed by scrummy chocolate & caramel pudding.

We stayed at the lovely new Schlossle Hotel, hewn out of old buildings, it takes you back in time. Its cavernous cellar makes for the intriguing restaurant ‘Stenhus’, an elegant refuge decorated with colourful swathes of cloth reminiscent of a fairy tale castle. The staff were wonderful, including the young 26 year old chef, an Estonian "Jamie Oliver’ trained in London who made a fantastic cheese soufle au gratin served with cherry vodka and cheese sauce. Fort that at least, I want to go back!

After landing in Tenerife we took a short taxi ride to the bustling port of Los Cristianos and our ferry. Half an hour later we arrived in San Sebastian, capital of La Gomera, and a different world, one decidedly more peaceful.

The sun always shone in La Gomera, and we enthusiastically bathed in it, and the sea. Much of the time we lay on our terrace and chatted in between paperback chapters, cooled by refreshing Atlantic trade winds. Apart from a distant cock crowing, our village and the island was ultra relaxing with, what is an often all too rare, holiday tranquillity ever present. La Gomera is the‘hiking island’ and in the winter high season you see many walkers, so we joined in a little, with a somewhat more relaxed fitness regime!

We shopped at the markets for jewellery, luscious fruit and food, and items made of woven palm leaves. Great discoveries at great prices can be made in the resort’s boutiques. We had a great girly time in a cottage-style boutique! My mum very excitedly tried on many outfits stocking up her summer wardrobe with many bright colours.

Adventurously we drove to the west of the island heading to the resort of Valle Gran Rey, situated reputedly in the island’s most beautiful valley. The sun-baked cacti South gave way to the more verdant North of forests and the valley of 1001 palms. On route, we stopped at the charming village of El Cercado with its many rustic stone cottages and vegetable gardens, famous for its traditional pottery. Here, you pass local women sitting on their verandas, hand working red clay, to go in to their houses to view and buy their pots. At Valle Gran Rey we watched bronzed surfers before we took the higher ear-popping, sometimes clouded, road through the verdant national park, that makes up the highest part of the island, where we stopped for a late picnic.

The slower gentle pace continues into the balmy night. We often had a drink, perhaps a local miele di palma spirit, at a seafront bar watching the amazing sunset, chatting together or with others.

After kicking off our flip flops, we got ready to go out, trying different clothes and doing make-up. Sometime later we set off, my Mum in newly bought outfit, to find the restaurant. The resort offers many lovely restaurants, all reasonably priced and close by, including the wonderfully atmospheric fish restaurant La Cuevita, which is situated in a cave! With wonderful mojos sauces and potatoes and locally caught fish, we drank local wine and Banana Crème Flambé. Going back, giggling and a little merry we delighted in the scent of Jasmine, honeysuckle and ocean, and the sound of cicadas as we walked past the gigantic leaves of the banana grove canopy.

Wanting to spoil my Mum, most evenings I set her up on the candlelit terrace with a G and T and olives while I cooked. This role reversal saw me using wonderful local ingredients while challenging my culinary skills and trying to stop my Mum helping — although relenting when she insisted on washing up. It was great to see her relaxing and I think I will treat my Mum to a holiday again, with me of course!