Baltic Adventure - Day 6

Deb and Westerdam in Tallinn, Estonia

Sunday, June 27: Tallinn, Estonia

Based on everything we'd read in the travel books, we weren't expecting much from our first stop in a former East Block country. And it was Sunday, so we figured most things would be closed, including the churches which would only be open to worshipers. And it was raining.

Mom and Dad went into town on their own. Deb and I decided to kill some time in the Westerdam Spa before venturing into the unknown. But once we did, we were pleasantly surprised. Old town Tallinn is something straight out of the Middle Ages. But they've adjusted to the 21st century tourist trade quite nicely. Many shops and restaurants were open specifically for the cruise passengers. If the weather had been nicer, it would have been a lovely place to spend the entire day, especially in the outdoor eateries and lovely parks.

After a quick taxi drive into the old town, Deb and I stumbled across some incredible bargains at an antique store. Amazing prices on silver and crystal items. This was definitely the place to shop! Lots of inexpensive handknit sweaters and other local crafts as well.

It was getting close to lunchtime when we wandered into the center of town, and that's where we discovered the Olde Hansa restaurant, a truly medieval eatery, with an authentic medieval menu to boot! You've just got to check out their website. Be sure to click around to learn more about the restaurant and find links to other sites in Tallinn as well. It's well worth the effort. This restaurant alone was worth the visit to Estonia. It was quite literally one of our most favorite experiences during the cruise.

After lunch we climbed up the steep cobblestone streets to the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Deb and I were looking for orthodox icons for souvenirs, and this was the place to find them! But soon we were out of time and had to head back to the ship. Our visit to Tallinn was much too short. But it was a place well worth exploring.