Fezler Blog and Photos: Day 13- Tallinn 8/21

The day started very early (again)! We docked at 7am and by 7:45 Steve and I were out and about the streets of old town Tallinn in Estonia. What a gorgeous day to explore – it was sunny and warm! Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is one of the oldest cities in the Baltic sea, founded in 1154. It lies on the northern coast of Estonia on the Gulf of Finland and is an important industrial, political and cultural center, as well as a busy seaport.

Its old town has remained remarkably unchanged for the past 600 years, making it one of the most attractive cities in Europe. Because we woke up so early, Steve and I got to see and explore most of the city without many other people and tourists around. We even ate a wonderful breakfast of coffee (the stuff at this one particular shop was powerful) and danishes. By 10am however, it started getting busy. We decided to have a beer in the town square, and ended up meeting with our dinner friends Helen and James who were on the cruise for their honeymoon from Leeds, England. From our view point we could see just about all the main structures. The town hall built in the early 15th century was right across the square. We also saw a number of churches and castles built in the 13th century and several 15th century towers. It was just like being tossed back in time. The whole town was lined with cobblestone streets rising and falling like ocean waves. You had to definitely watch your step while wandering around.

We saw everything in old town as we wandered through shops and windy streets, before heading back to the ship for our late afternoon departure to Denmark. It was so lovely out that we ate a late lunch in the top deck by the pool and then Steve had a quick dip in the cold pool and we both sat in the hot tub for a relaxing soak, enjoying the sun and atmosphere. After that we went back to the room for a power nap. Good thing too – as the evening quickly escalated into far more drinking that either of us had planned! Dinner was again incredible and we went to the show in the theater with amazing Motown vocals from a woman who is popular in the UK. After dinner they had trivia and dancing in one of the bars (although it was Trivia from the 60s and 70s and I think we were a little unfairly matched to the people who were actually alive during those eras!) – then Steve talked me into going to the casino with him for black jack. It was really very fun & Steve has managed to make some good friends with a few other couples that were gabling. We tried to learn how to play craps, but quickly saw our money disappear and decided to stick to Black Jack. We didn’t win… but we didn’t lose too much either, so all in all it was a good end to another perfect day.

Beers in the town square.