Tallinn, Estonia - June 24, 2013

Estonia is the northern most and smallest of the Baltic States. Also, it is the most westernized and lies on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, between Russia in the east and Latvia in the south. Some 18,000 square miles in area, with a population of about 1.5 million people, it is a country of plains, marshes and forests, with as many as 1,500 lakes and 500 islands. In 1991, Estonian independence from the Soviet Union was declared and the United Nations recognized it as a Sovereign State. Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, only 53 miles by sea from Helsinki. It is the Republic's largest industrial and cultural center and an important Baltic harbor. With a population of 400,000, Tallinn is thought to be one of the prettiest cities in the Baltic and was once one of the largest towns in Europe. Set on a hill above the port, the old town is a medieval enclave with old walls, towers, winding cobbled lanes and buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. The main industries include electrical and oil drilling machinery, textile and paper manufacturing.

A short shuttle ride from the ship, we arrived in old town - a beautiful and quaint medieval town.

We met our tour guide, Carol, a young and enthusiastic woman who we immediately liked. She spoke clearly and was very interesting and competent. We were joined by Lynnette and Jeff and Pam and Gary, and of course, Rich and Jane, who will also be joining us for our tours in St. Petersburg.















































 

After a very enjoyable and interesting tour - off we went in search for some traditional Estonian food. Carol mentioned that the Estonian's love potatoes and have a similar dish of Lithuania - a potato dumpling stuffed with meat. Since we had no luck finding this menu item, we stopped at the first place that accommodate the six of us. We were seated inside a very dark and medieval restaurant, offered a free schnapps, which we all were happy to try. Our visit to the WC was less than pleasant. Then our menu's arrived. OMG What is this food? We were horrified. Not a thing on the menu was edible. So, when the waiter turned his back, the 6 of us hi-tailed it out of there! :) LOL

Found another restaurant with a reasonable and readable menu and enjoyed a very nice lunch.






















We managed to get in a little shopping before going back to the ship. We all were in agreement that this port, Tallinn, was delightful. Weather today was again, warm and a little cloudy - which we welcomed! Our weather has been beautiful, although much warmer than expected. We all brought warmer clothing, expecting light jacket weather.

Location:Tallinn, Estonia