Choose another map, showing:

• Belarus
• Scandinavia
• Europe
• Greenland
• Eurasia
• Eurasia, Africa & Pacific
• The World

Other entries in Tallinn

Deer testicles and dog poo...

We caught the early morning, pensioner express ferry to Tallinn this morning...complete with ballroom dancing and beer drinking. Did I mention it was before 8am?

Tallinn was an unexpected find. Old town was beautiful,  winding streets , turrets and spiers all dating back to the 14^th century. Even this far into the trip, that still amazes me...the 14^th Century. The town is surrounded by 2.5km of defensive stone wall which we walked, and admired the remaining towers.

In the centre is the Town Hall Square where we found our first ‘real’ Christmas markets. So beautiful, freezing cold but sipping Glogi (hot wine, with raisins inside) looking at the stalls of local crafts and foods all the while listening to Christmas carollers around a 20m high tree.

Inside the old town pharmacy, dated back to 1422, we couldn’t help get the giggles over the displayed deer testicles and dried dog poo. What the?!

We visited the towns many churches, Lutheran, Catholic and really really old. Beautiful enough that I didn’t even hear the catch cry...”Not another church”. We witnessed an Orthodox ceremony of sorts that spilled into the streets with the rabi’s (?) singing and chanting. We were the only ones around and felt very privy to seeing it, although we may not of understood.

In the recently “renovated” new town (serious money has been spent since the declaration of independence from Russia in 1991) we visited the very moving Museum of Occupation. It was a really interesting lesson on Estonian history. It all made me feel a bit sorry for them, like they have always been the little brother that everyone picks on, invading whenever they feel like it, a stepping stone to somewhere else.

Back in a dorm room isn’t something I have missed... especially when your neighbour thinks its normal to do sit ups and push ups in his ski jacket, in the middle of the room, at 11pm.

All in all, fantastic place to visit, so much to see and do and the day finished with dinner and nice drinks in underground little bars hidden from street level! Off to Latvia...

Photos / videos of "Deer testicles and dog poo...":