Tallinn

This past weekend, I took a trip to Helsinki, Finland and Tallin, Estonia. I flew into Helsinki late on Thursday and left Monday morning. On Saturday, I took a boat from Helsinki to Tallin. The ride was about two hours each way and I'm glad I made the trek.

First, taking the boat was a bit of an experience. It was a huge ship and I accidentally bought a deluxe ticket. When I bought my ticket, the website said that I was only guaranteed deck space if I bought the cheapest one. I know that some ships in Europe are serious about that: you buy the cheapest ticket, you sit outside on the deck the whole time. I really didn't want that to happen, so I upgraded to have a guaranteed seat. What I didn't realize was that buying the cheapest option meant that you did have a seat, but it would be an ordinary hard plastic seat in a food court area on the boat. I got a ticket for a fancy lounge area where they had comfy seats, free coffee, wifi, and snacks. It was kind of fun, but had I known I would have saved my money.

When I arrived in Tallin, it was very foggy (the fog was on and off during the day). It was so foggy that I really couldn't see anything and I ended up going in the wrong direction. Although this led to frustration later because I was off my map, I started my day by exploring the 19th century area of Tallin which has a strong Russian influence. 

I then made my way to the old city which was fantastic. Perhaps other than Carcassonne in southern France, I don't think I've been to such a large medieval town. The old town was also especially interesting because Tallin has been invaded and occupied by so many other countries so it showed the influences of its different occupiers over time. Although the whole old town isn't walled any more, part of the wall still exists and I went up and walked on it. I enjoyed wandering through the old streets and seeing the beautiful buildings from different eras. 

I also visited The Museum of Occupations and Resistance, which focuses on more contemporary occupations of Estonia during the 20th century. Poor Estonia! They have just been walked all over for most of their history. However, as a result, Tallinn is an interesting city to visit, full of history and glimpses of many cultures.