On Tallinn

We started in Amsterdam, and after a stop in Warnemunde, Germany along with an hour time change ahead, we arrived in Tallinn, Estonia.

Tallinn, Estonia was one of the ports we were very anxious to visit. My wife had an uncle who fled Estonia with his family, and never returned. Just 59 miles across the water from Helsinki, Finland, travel guru Rick Steves called Tallinn with its intact medieval sector, “The most interesting city in that corner of Europe.”

From the port (our ship is on the right), it was an easy 10-minute walk to the Old City.

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Enter the Gates at the Fat Margaret Tower

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To stroll their the medieval streets and the bountiful offering of shops

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To discover some of the inner passages

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Along the inner walls where we would find unexpected visitors, possibly from the other cruise ship

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Finding signs along the way for guidance

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To a town square with outdoor cafes

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To the splendor of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral

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To the sparse, but beautiful St.Olaf’s (now a Baptist church)

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To outside the walls into the modern city searching for the one location where we would exchange old Estonian money for Euros

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So why not lunch at an outdoor café

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With an Estonian beer

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The intriguing Freedom Square on our return walk to the Old City.

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Who would have imagined a Marzipan Museum

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As we sail away from this Baltic gem with its medieval structures, we were given a sight similar to that my wife’s uncle painted of his final image. We smiled … and then wondered about the next two days in St. Petersburg, Russia – and another jump-ahead time change. (Direct link to St. Petersburg post)

Meanwhile, below the last picture is a delightful 2-minute video tour of Tallinn.

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