Tallinn

The hotel breakfast was expansive. It has tried to cater for all nationalities. We needed to burn it off so by the end of the day we had achieved over 17km of walking. Tallinn doesn’t open before 10am so some of the areas were very quiet. We scouted out some shopping to return to later. The main malls were outside the old town. Prices were ok - more like NZ. We have to remember that we are shopping on the Euro.

After a few items deposited back at the hotel we ventured back into the old town and the throngs of tourists. Maybe we were ready for it today as the town square felt less frantic. Lots of Asian tourists with the obligatory guide holding the flag for them to bustle along behind. The guides have radio transmitters to talk to their passengers. No more yelling. I just look and see the poor guides herding the cats. What a job!

We managed to find more streets undiscovered. Bought the best cinnamon rolls and sat up on the hill behind the town to enjoy them. While walking back we found all the bus tourists at 2 viewpoints that we didn’t know existed. Very busy of course.

We took a look at the KGB prisoner cells. Now an exhibit of course. From what we could tell, once you go into this building, you won’t return to freedom. Usually shipped off to the gulags if you’re lucky. Plus if you are convicted of a crime, your family also get convicted and sent away. Dinner was a pork hock that I had spotted yesterday. We know we’re in Europe with that much meat served up. Walk required again to settle stomachs.

There is quite a contrast of people travelling across from Finland. Tallinn has more Eastern European influences, the look and the accents. All very stereotypically Russian to us.
Friday is a travel day. We are back on the ferry to Helsinki then to the airport for an 80 minute flight north to Rovaniemi in the Arctic circle. Uber is our friend!En savoir plus