TALLINN - I'm not a big history buff, preferring to live in the present. I don't really care who did what to whom when, but on one sunny Sunday I decided to go and see Sagadi manor anyway. When I arrived, I found a big, pink beautiful building in a well-maintained park near a hotel. The plan of the house is strictly symmetrical, in the Baroque style, but there are Classical elements in the building as well. Signs pointed the way to a hostel and a forestry museum.
Sagadi Manor was one of the most confusing museums I've ever been in. A map I'd picked up gave the name of each room and how to get there. But in what the map called the servants' quarters, I found a collection of china tea sets. In the lady's bedroom were a table and chairs, but no bed. I understood my confusion when I read the information under that map: the furniture has been brought there from all over Estonia, and many items come from Toompea Castle.
The children's room is decorated with original furniture from the manor. One hall was incredible. There were chairs and a table with legs made of horns, and the wall was lined with guns and animal horns. Someone must have been a passionate hunter and a good craftsman. There is also a second floor, which simply presents furniture from different times up to the 1930s.
On the second floor is a conference room 's not too big, but equipped with everything necessary. Lost, I turned to a staff member for directions. She looked at me and said, "I know nothing about that either. I just help out organizing weddings." It turns out weddings here are quite popular. From the balcony on the back of the house, I could see someone's empty wine glass still shining on a post near the pond. On the pond was a small boat, which you could use to row to a tiny island. Sagadi Manor was given to Estonia's State Forest Management Center in 1977, and they renovated the building, finishing in 1987. In addition to the manor museum, there is a forest management museum, a nature school, a hotel and a restaurant.
By the time I left I had formed a different view. Although still not a fan of history I must admire the taste of those who decide to spend their most special day in a place like Sagadi. It reminded me that although ordinary people lived simply back in the day, some still had plenty of room to live in style.
