Barnett Vicarious Adventures: August 27, 2013 – Baltic Cruise, Tallinn, Estonia

Had minimal expectations for Tallinn after the awesome two days spent in St Petersburg, but it was a very worthwhile stop. The city and country have made great progress in recovering from 70 years of Communist rule. Much of the Communist era has been erased except for the huge hammer and sickle on top the former Estonia Communist Parts headquarters. Lovely walled “Old Town” with very modern buildings outside the old town area.

Above, parts of old city wall remaining at the tower in the distance.

Very few signs in English but most people speak English. No clue about how to speak or pronounce the words of the local language. Tallinn is just across the Baltic from Helsinki and many people from Helsinki take the day ferry to come to Tallinn to shop since it is so much less expensive than Helsinki.

Remains of the old walls of the inner city.

Tallinn Opera House.

Stockmann’s, the famous Helsinki department store, has a store in Tallinn.

Building was the headquarters of the Estonian Communist Party.

Above, an ultra-modern Methodist Church in Tallinn.

Tallinn marina.

Traditional European open air market.

Entry gates into Old Town.

Narrow shopping streets in Old Town.

Remains of the city wall.

Sadly, the burlesque club was not open!

Estonia flag has unusual blue/black/white colors. Below, a series of pictures from the Old Town.

Local Eastern Orthodox church built in the traditional Russian style..

Old Tallinn Guild Hall where each craftsman went to get their certification in the guild. The old guilds were the forerunners to modern unions.

Above and below, photos overlooking the town of Tallinn with all its red tile roofs.

Panoramic view of Tallinn from the top of the city walls.

Elaine overlooking the city walls. And, below, look, our perfect caption carved into the wall, “The Times We Had.”

Everyone was out on this bright, sunny day. Not many days left like this before winter begins. The harbor of Tallinn freezes in the winter and has to be kept open by an icebreaker to allow for ferry traffic.

Above, more of the well preserved city walls. And below The Tallinn Museum built into the city walls to help with preservation.

More narrow streets in Old Town. Below, a stop for the local beer, “Saku.”

An artist works to paint the narrow streets of Old Town. The walls hang old grave markers.

Above, one of the narrowest streets. I hit my head on the top of the door going into a shop on this street.
City map. The beige area in the center is the Old Town area.

The 50 year old tram system still works fine.

Elaine having yet another Saku waiting for the sightseeing tour bus.

Above, right, a very modern office building. Love the different colors of glass in the sections.

Entry to the Tallinn Zoo. Below, views of the modern part of the city from the tour bus outside Old Town. Buses cannot enter Old Town because the streets are too narrow.

Our cruise ship “home” for the 12 days of the Baltic cruise followed by the 15 days of the Atlantic crossing. Below, Elaine at the sightseeing tour bus and views of the city from the tour bus.