Helsinki to Tallinn in 15 minutes: New travel options set to revolutionise travel

The tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn will not only unify the two cities but also connect Finland to continental Europe via Rail Baltica.

The consensus is that by 2050, people will be able to travel from Helsinki to Tallinn in just 15 minutes. Passengers will be able to enter a hyperloop capsule that will speed at 1,200 km/hour through a vacuum tube. The same set-up could potentially shoot people from Helsinki to Stockholm in under a half-hour.

This is definitely something to look forward to!

To read the full Yle article, please click here: 

Helsinki to Tallinn in 15 minutes: New travel options set to revolutionise life in Finland

Merry Christmas! Häid Jõule!

The big day is finally here! Christmas Eve! It's the most important day on the Estonian calendar and today people will be busy celebrating the festive season. Myself included!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope your Christmas wishes come true!

Thanks for reading!

Estonia prepares to launch Estcoin

E-Residency managing director Kaspar Korjus recently provided an indepth update to the Estcoin proposal. Information about the proposed crypto token has been read by approximately 200 million people worldwide and has received excellent feedback as well as some criticsm. On the whole, people across the globe are looking forward to the release of Estcoin.

To read the full update, please click here: We’re planning to launch estcoin — and that’s only the start

2017 Christmas Lunch at Sydney's Estonian House

It has been seven years since I have celebrated Christmas in Australia and now that I am back home for the holidays I am really looking forward to enjoying the festive season with family and friends! There are four Christmas parties I plan to attend this year and the first was a very enjoyable lunch at Sydney's Estonian House on December 16. It was great mingling with the local Estonian community once again!

Approximately 80 people attended the Christmas lunch this year.

Santa Claus (Jõuluvana) made an appearance.

Jõululõuna

I enjoyed a very tasty traditional Estonian Christmas meal.

The lunch included verivorst, pork, potatoes, cabbage and of course piparkook!

Estonian folk hero kalevipoeg watched over us all.

The mural of Kalevipoeg is a prominent feature within Sydney's Estonian House.

The next event I am interested in attending at Eesti Maja is the handicraft day on January 6. Should be good!

The 2017 Gingerbread Mania theme is Tallinn's Old Town

Baking is taken seriously once a year in Tallinn. The 2017 Gingerbread Mania exhibition is now open and will blow your mind with Old Town themed baked treats. It is hard to believe that everything on display is made out of gingerbread. Simply wonderful!

The exhibition runs from the 9th December 2017 - 7th January 2018.

The Estonian Coat of Arms.

Clock from the Holy Spirit Church.

Door knocker / handle.

Notke's Danse Macabre.

The original artwork is currently on display in St. Nicholas Church.

For more information, please refer to the official website: Gingerbreadmania

World's oldest eye fossil found in Estonia

An "exceptional" 530-million-year-old fossil contains what could be the oldest eye ever discovered, according to scientists.

The remains of the extinct sea creature include an early form of the eye seen in many of today's animals, including crabs, bees and dragonflies.

Scientists made the find while looking at the well-preserved trilobite fossil.

These ancestors of spiders and crabs lived in seas during the Palaeozoic era, between 541-251 million years ago.

They found the ancient creature had a primitive form of compound eye, an optical organ that consists of arrays of tiny visual cells, called ommatidia, similar to those of present-day bees.

The team, which included a researcher from Edinburgh University, said their findings suggested that compound eyes had changed little over 500 million years.

To read the full BBC news article, please click here: Researchers find 'oldest ever eye' in fossil

Rakvere produces another fine Christmas tree

It has become somewhat of a tradition in Rakvere in recent years to construct a uniquely designed  Christmas tree. For the past five years local designers have wowed onlookers with their creative and innovative designs, often leaving them wondering what will be next. This year's tree was designed by Teet Suur and is an interactive tree featuring many doors for vistors to walk around and explore.  Looks great!

More information about the tree can be found here: Teet Suur loob Rakveres viiendat korda ilmaimet