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

Riga, Latvia - June 23, 2013

Riga, founded in 1201, is the geographical center of the Baltic States and arguably one of Northern Europe's best kept secrets ... tourism is just now beginning to boom in what's quickly becoming one of Europe's top cultural capitals.

The city of 800,000 on the Daugava River is the capital of Latvia, a country finding its place in a new world after being occupied for 50 years (1941 to 1991), first by the Nazis and then by the Soviet Union. Today, visitors will see a city in transition: women embracing fashion trends, men following the latest news on American sports teams, and a Caribbean-themed bar serving mean mojitos (while patrons stare at a portrait of Fidel Castro). School kids are learning English as a second language instead of Russian.

Today, Riga is a happening place boasting big-city attractions for visitors. Opera, music and ballet flourish (even during Soviet times, Riga was known for its arts offerings). The city has museums that house displays on everything from art and textiles to fire-fighting and the history of medicine. Old Riga, the historic center of the city, has been recognized by UNESCO, and the city's Art Nouveau architecture is among the finest in Europe.

Nightlife is active, with hopping bars and dance clubs open until 6 a.m. on weekends. A large number of restaurants serve up an impressive diversity of international options (Russian, Armenian, Tibetan, Tex-Mex). There are shopping malls and hotels springing up, and new cars clog the streets.

But perhaps most intriguing is how the city still feels like a bridge between the Old Soviet and modern Europe.

We took a ship's tour today, which was somewhat disappointing to us. The guide did not speak clear English, had a monotone voice, and brought us to area's of the town that were far from interesting. At one point, we had a photo stop so we all went into the Radisson Hotel Blu to use the bathrooms. As we came out, we watched in disbelief as our bus was leaving----10 minutes early! Without us! :) LOL Eventually, it stopped around the corner and our guide frantically waved us back to the bus. We all agreed that we would have been better off if she left us there! LOL :)













The embassy row area had some beautiful architecture, as you can see above.
















Later on in our tour, we drove through the area that was very depressing. Apartments built by the Soviets during the occupation. Latvia was not independent until 1991, so there's a lot of work to do to bring the homes and apartments up to date. During the occupation of the Soviet Union, it was up to the government to maintain the homes/roads/etc., which of course the government was not interested in doing.















The apartment buildings pictured above are typical of Soviet era buildings. Square, no architectural style. Depressing.

Location:Riga, Latvia

Visby, Sweden - June 22, 2013

Today we have to tender to the tiny island of Visby.


There's not a great deal to do in Visby. But then, that's kind of the point of the place.

Visby is the capital of Gotland, Sweden's beautiful 'holiday island', famous for its soft sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, distinctive grey-fleeced sheep and wild orchids (more than 35 varieties of them, at the last count).

It also has a fascinating history, having been inhabited for more than 7,000 years and invaded by 13th Century Germans (who left behind some spectacular medieval churches) and then by Danes, only reverting to Swedish rule in the mid 17th Century.

Visby itself, which lies on Gotland's northwest coast, is the jewel of the island and testament to its rich history -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Sweden's best-preserved medieval cities (complete with ancient walls).

It has the feel of a real seaside resort and is a truly delightful place to spend a few hours in, boasting some spectacular church ruins, very pretty Botanical Gardens, a few historic houses and an interesting museum -- as well as a sparkling seafront, some excellent craft shops and good cafés and restaurants.

Come here with a go-getting rubbernecking agenda and you might be disappointed that there's not more to it. On the other hand, if you view a day here as a chance to kick back, mosey around and smell the roses (which proliferate -- thanks to its clement climate -- until very late autumn) and you'll have a truly lovely time and experience the laid-back Swedish lifestyle at its best.

We didn't rush to get off the ship today. Visby is the only port that we'll have to tender into, so there was no need to brave the crowds to get off the ship early. We hung around in the Solarium until the crowds were gone.






The seas were a little rough, and we used the lifeboats as tenders, so we prepared for some rocking and rolling! :)






It was a good walk up a pretty steep hill - but we made it without any problems. Just took our time. A lot of the town shops were closed due to the fact that the previous day was a holiday.... "Midsummer Solstice", the celebration of summer.
One of the shop owners told us that the tradition is to stay up until the wee hours, eating, drinking and singing - hence the closure of shops the next day! :)


































Again, we met up with Dave and Carol, who seem to be stalking us! :) LOL - We first met them in the brewery in Copenhagen, then again in the brewery in Rostock and again today! Rich says "Where there's beer, they're here!" :) LOL








We took a mini-train tour around Visby, which was great except for the fact that it wasn't in English! At least we got to see the beach area and some of the residential neighborhoods.













Then, of course - lunch! Pizza! We were surprised how good it was. Pizza in Sweden! :) LOL




On our way back down to the tender, we met up with..........................











The tender driver had a very difficult time parking the boat, which made us just a bit nervous. Then, when we got to the ship, he actually hit the ship hard enough for the officers to have an extremely unpleasant look on their faces.


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Location:Visby, Sweden