Tallinn, Estonia

I am writing at about 5:30pm (local time) on board a ferry returning to Helsinki from Tallinn, Estonia.

This trip was planned by Gabriel, who had the foresight to plan it specifically today. It just happens to be Estonian Independence Day today (more about that later). The day trip to Estonia is very popular amoung the Finns. Prices for alcohol are so much less expensive in Estonia that Finns take empty suitcases to Tallinn for the sole purpose of bringing back cheaper alcohol.
I would say about 30-40% of the people had some form of empty luggage specifically for this purpose.

Our ferry was scheduled to leave at 9:15, and we had to get there early in order to get a seat. To call it a ferry though would not paint a good picture. It is definitely more like a cruise ship, capable of seating a lot of passengers and it was very nice. We were able to find a booth, inside a two-deck entertainment area, with a bar and seating on the top part. Our seats provided a great view of the Baltic Sea and we were able to view the dance floor below, where a band, and later, a musician preformed.

About two and a half hours later, the ferry arrived at the Gulf of Tallinn. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, and our visit was spent exclusively in the "Old Town" area which houses the City Center and many medieval buildings, dating back to the 1300s. Old Town is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our visit started with the Oleviste Church which was the tallest church in medieval Europe. Inside was a very spirited service. We then passed through the Suur Rannavarav, an arched gate designed to protect Tallinn and into the rest of the Old Town area. We soon arrived at Town Hall, which is the most-well preserved medieval Town Hall.

At this time, I was getting pretty hungry, so Gabriel recommended a rustic cafe connected to the Town Hall. The cafe was crowded and the doorway was narrow, so it was difficult to step in at first, but once we did, it was pretty sweet. The cafe is candle-lit and the dishes are pottery, and when I looked up, I was greeted by two women who appeared to be wearing medieval type costumes. I ordered a bowl of elk soup and split an apple pastry, Both were really good.

We continued onward in our exploration of Old Town, and not too far from the Town Square, we ran into a big crowd celebrating their Independence Day near the Estonian War of Independence Memorial. There were no les than six military trucks on display for children to climb up and play on. There was also a band playing what I assumed were Estonian songs.

Afterwards, we did more walking. Fortunately, the Estonian History museum was open, and had reduced admission due to Independence Day. They had some nice videos and information displays, which helped me learn more about the country. Like Finland, Estonia is relatively new as an independent country (1918). However, also like Finland, Estonia had previously been ruled by different countries prior to independence. In Estonia's case, it had been ruled by eight countries over the previous eight centuries, all envious of its strategic location by the Baltic Sea.

By 4:30pm, it was time to head back to the ship, which departed around 5:15pm. This time we were not able to get actual seats, but were able to sit by the staircase and it actually is not too bad.