Blogs from Tallinn, Estonia, Europe

Motorhome News from Estonia Sunday 20th May 2012 I was just four years old at the outbreak of WWII. My memories of those years are somewhat vague after all that time; the fearful whine of sirens, school lessons in dark underground shelters, the drone of German aircraft overhead, the bombed out house with the lampshade on top as I walked to school, watching the VI 'buzz-bomb' gliding past the front door, our Anderson shelter, shrapnel through the front-room window, evacuation to Birmingham when the V2's started to fall around London and the VE Day street party by the local concrete-shelter. But World War II didn't end there for some. The Red Army returned to Estonia in September 1944 forcing Germany's Nazi troops to surrender, leaving the country under the dark cloud of Soviet domination once again. ... read more

Tallinn's Old Town looked like it had emerged straight from a picture book. Narrow winding streets blanketed with snow muffled the sound of voices and music emanating from cellar bars, occasional doors opening to spill golden light onto the drifts and eject a heavily muffled figure from its depths. Emerging into the central square, a Christmas tree festooned with twinkling lights was slowly being blanketed by white flakes, as the city's inhabitants forsook the streets for the warmth inside. On the Toompea, the hill overlooking the city, the spires of the churches stood silent guard as we made our way back to our small hotel. The following morning the snow had cleared and the sky was a bright cold grey. Bundled in multiple layers of thermals, jumpers, coats and hats we set off to explore, climbing ... read more

If you’re planning to visit Estonia upcoming year then you should find a reason to stop by from Raudsilla (Iron Bridge) Recreation Center. First things you’ll notice about Raudsilla are these triangle shaped cottages which are great shades on hot summer days but they will also warm you up for winter adventures. They are houses with no doors, only shoddy carpets! Raudsilla sauna that fits the whole company has a barrel in the middle – you have to hop in and hop out quickly because it’s filled with freezing water from the river that gives you more energy to enjoy healing sauna procedures. You can do your own barbeque, they even give you good lessons but you can also eat healthy homemade Estonian food! Just 45 minutes away from the busy capital I really experienced genuine ... read more

Thursday, 11th August Tallinn, Estonia. My aunts Eva and Kaija, my cousin Marja and I decided that we would go and see the sights in Tallinn for a day. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, a mere 80 km from Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland. It still bears some of the signs of the Soviet era, but it is emerging as a vibrant city and a tourist destination because of the old city, where centuries old buildings have been preserved, among which are many tourist shops offering handcrafts, Baltic amber jewellery, restaurants and fashions at prices much better than in Finland. One of the biggest drawcards however are the numerous bottle shops offering huge discounts on alcoholic beverages, which are snapped up and carried across to Finland by eager locals by the suitcase load. The ... read more

art Museum and first contacts with the city, few words to describe the very impressions: medieval, cannelle, amber, pastel colors.... read more