Tale of Tallinn

Another beautiful day this time in Estonia.  By gaining an hour we were well rested by the time our ship arrived into the port of Tallinn at 7 AM.  Since Charlotte and I did not sign up for a shore excursion we decided to have breakfast in Truffles the white table cloth restaurant where we normally eat early dinner.  As we were eating, enjoying the company of a couple from Ottawa, we watched Lyle and Marlene ambling up the pier.

We left about 9 AM and found a hop on hop off bus for a tour.  The bus ride took about 50 minutes and we ended up at Old Town along with all the other tours.

Tallinn is now a modern city with a medieval past.  One of the main values of Tallinn is that a large share of the old buildings is preserved and there are now some modern skyscrapers as well.  The present Tallinn area was inhabited at the end of the 10^th century. The Estonian tribes built a stronghold on the Toompea hill in the immediate vicinity of the port. Thanks to its advantageous location near the seas it became an important stop on the East-West trading route. Denmark conquered the stronghold in1219 and built their own fortress there and this began the 700 year period during the time it was ruled by other countries, with many battles fought between the countries for control of Estonia occurring on Estonian land.  Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League of German trading towns in the 13^th century and has keep the form of government established then Peter the Great acquired Tallinn when he defeated the Swedes and built a palace where he stayed when he visited.

There are 1.4 million people in Estonia with about 400,000 in Tallinn.  In 1940 the blue black and white Estonia flag was banned with Estonia under Soviet rule until the bloodless singing revolution started on the “song grounds” where the stage fits 40,000 singers on August 20, 1991. 

Our bus went by the Song Grounds, the central business district, and old fire house and the new Methodist church not to mention the skyscrapers and hotels, but the focal part of the town is still Tallinn old town still behind some limestone walls, but the moat has been removed and the towers have red roofs instead of open for defensive purposes.

Did some souvenir shopping in the bring sunlight and got back to the ship about 1 PM.  I decide to write the blog from the Lido deck around the pool and when I got back to my spot with my beer and cheeseburger, Lyle and Marlene were sitting there they had run into Charlotte and she told them where we were.  We compared notes and purchases and they have retired for a nap so I will finish writing, and then add just a few pictures.  I have more pictures but it takes forever to down load them and internet is very pricey so sorry about that.

We now have two sea days before Amsterdam.  In Amsterdam I will try to find free WI fi for the next blog and also to make our travel arrangements to get to Paris since plan A fell through with a taxi to drive us.

So we will play at Sea for two days and get back to you in Holland.