To be fair, Rakvere isn't the only Estonian town with ugly apartment buildings. In fact, I think they're compulsory. It seems as if every town I rode through/past/whatever since leaving Rakvere had at least one blog of dead-ugly apartments.
I don't know why... Quite often they're the only "blight" on an otherwise lovely old town. Was it some Soviet plot to make sure the humble Estonian knew that, no matter how pretty the lake-side fishing village they lived in might be, their soul still belonged to the state? Look up and see the uniform, spiritless, characterless building, and know your place.
Or was it just some sort of affordable housing initiative? "That town is big enough to have a shop, it must need an apartment building. May as well make it one of those ugly ones we're sticking every where else."
So far I haven't seen any in Tartu, but I can't help shake the feeling they must be around here somewhere.
Oh, and while I haven't been attacked by any bears recently, I have been attacked by bugs. Damn bugs.
Very glad to see you are taking note of the Real Estate on your travels!!!
ReplyDeleteAny bargains??????
Oh, you would not want these bargains, trust me.
ReplyDeleteWe are talking dying-embers-of-an-oppresive-regime type architecture, here. Even if you painted it pink with a lovely white trim to try to match the non-ugly buildings, it would still look soul-crushingly ugly.
Speaking of buildings, I think the national colour must surely be a nice dusky pink. It is everywhere - all of the older neighbourhoods with the historical buildings have pink houses all over the place.
Oh, but there are also some half-finished holiday houses and apartments you could probably snap up for a bargain, if you wanted. It seems a lot of people started throwing money at real estate, before the economy came crashing down...