If you’re looking for a Nordic country getaway, you might want to stopover by Tallinn, Estonia for a magical experience. A short two-hour ferry ride from Helsinki on Megastar ship, takes you there. Once you arrive at Tallinn, a five-minute taxi ride for as little as $20 will get you to the sprawling Sokos Hotel Viru, a cheery 516-room property, situated at the edge of the Old Town. With pop art on walls, stylish lounges, shopping plazas, and even a KGB museum, the hotel itself is a great place to unwind.

The Charming Old Town

Exploring the Old Town on foot is a delightful experience. The local tourist office conducts walking tours of Old Town for free, and taking one helps put towns into historical context. For Architecture, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a fine example of Russian revival architecture, shoppers can find interesting knickknacks at the Town Hall Square marketplace, while the 13th Century Gothic-style St. Olaf’s Church, offers the best views of the city from its climbing tower. Museum-lovers, do head to the Vabamu Museum of Occupation, where KGB prison cells and other memoirs of the country’s difficult struggle against Soviet and Nazi Occupation are well-documented.

Gastronomy galore!

Hungry after all the exploring? There are plenty of standout restaurants to choose from. Restaurants like Must Puudel (“black poodle” in English) serve fantastic spreads of tapas and wine for a modest amount. Then there’s Rataskaevu 16 for brazen a Nordic-style meal of Braised elk and wild boar served in a cave-like Viking setting! If you’re an early riser, you may want to make your first batch of coffee yourself, as cafes don’t open until 10 a.m. in Tallinn! We do recommend stopping over at Rost Bakery in the Rotermann District, for rich coffees, sourdough bread, and pastries, made in front of patrons.

A short and sweet stopover at Tallinn can indeed add a whole lot of zest to your Nordic Trip.

While the worldwide pandemic has been affecting almost every layer of society, it has also given rise to a new type of pandemic-based street art. Creative and touching art pieces have been spotted all around the globe, showing messages of hope, frustration, and respect. Such artwork can be seen on large walls, empty public spaces, and on the side of buildings in most countries affected by the pandemic.

Artist Corie Mattie Created Her Street Art in Less Than 48 Hours

One art piece is nothing more than a bright yellow wall with black words in a bold font, shouting for attention. Another represents a figure wearing a face mask and sunglasses, with an open coat that reveals the word “HOPE.” A mural by artist Corie Mattie has been spotted on a wall in West Hollywood, California. Mattie actually painted her masterpiece in less than 48 hours. Artists like her continue looking for suitable walls to deliver their messages.

It’s noteworthy that throughout human history, artists have often reacted to times of great turmoil by depicting their emotions on public edifices, walls, and buildings. Such street art can be found on both the walls of ancient Pompeii and the subways cars of New York. The current pandemic has given rise to a unique trend with many of the artwork featuring masks, grimaced viruses, and messages of solidarity.

Many Unique Trends Can Be Spotted in the Pandemic-Based Street Art

It’s uplifting to see creative artists around the world expressing themselves publicly through their street art, and some of the pieces are truly stunning and thought-inspiring. The artwork often depicts the feelings of the people, including their love for the healthcare workers, frustration at the crisis, and cynicism for the politicians, while other pieces are simply focused on encouragement.

Despite how long the current pandemic might last, one thing is certain — the direct, witty, and poignant messages of these mostly unknown street artists will remain timeless, showing that while the streets may have been devoid of people and traffic, they were not devoid of humanity.