Blogs from Tallinn, Estonia, Europe - page 10

Many of the guide books give Tallinn taxis a bad wrap. They are rip-offs, and sneaky with it. Not all but many depending on the company one chooses. CS and PP don't use taxis much anywhere but we have to report the one we got from the ferry terminal to our hotel, Radisson Blu Olympia, from the queue and therefore a random selection, was swift, direct, efficient and cheap. The hotel is bigger than some we have had on the trip - 28 floors. We were on ten, which we discovered in the mornings was a bad place to be. The lifts could not cope with the traffic and we were unable to cram ourselves into several downward travelling cars. Just as well we have no trouble with ten flights of stairs! This little 'toy town' ... read more

Sunday- 7 AM- We boarded the S.S. Superstar (actual name of our ship) very early Sunday morning for our day trip into Estonia, the 5th country on our trip in just over a week! The entire old town of Tallinn is a UNESCO world heritage site and is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. Walking through the gates of the old town transports you back in time. The cobbled streets and multitude of guild houses, merchant halls, and churches tell the story of a city that has been conquered many times but never destroyed. We began our walking tour with our local guide. She pointed out quirky details in local architecture and strange stories of traditions and people of Estonia’s long history. A large group of us ate lunch in a traditional Estonian ... read more

The ferry ride from Helsinki was smooth and fairly easy going for a 3 hour crossing. We had the chance to grab a couple of drinks while catching up on writing this blog. Once we got close to the dock in Tallinn we seemed to be the last to realise we’d gotten close as the door for exit, yet to be announced, was surrounded by people and their luggage. Walking off the boat into the cool night air was a shock in itself, only to be bettered once we found out which of the four docks we’d come into. Luckily for us it turned out to be the closest to our hotel, so we got our packs on and walked towards the centre of town with some rough directions courtesy of an app on Anna’s phone. ... read more

Sightseeing is prohibited! This amazing phrase revealed itself on the website of UK Visa Department among the rules for transit visitors as I was industriously looking for information about transit and tourist visas for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, upon suddenly learning that Russian nationals were bestowed with the right to pass UK in transit without a visa for 24 hours, the so-called visa concession. I got much excited about the prospect to visit London, no matter for what duration. Also, I’d never guess the possible cheap cost of getting to London; but that’s a matter left now aside for some distant future, since I don’t like the uncertainty of this visa concession and, taking into consideration the relatively simple list of visa documents, I’ll go there in nearest future on a ... read more

If it's a one stop shop for all things medieval you're after and you can ignore some questionable authenticity, then look no further than Tallinn. The buildings of the old city of Estonia's capital look as though they've been lifted straight from the pages of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. 500 ish years young, Tallinn has received the full makeover. A nip and tuck, breast implants, Botox and the old boiler scrubs a treat. It's not only the structures that are easy on the eye. You want a job in the service industry here? 3 criteria will give you a decent head start: "Young, female, good looking". The minds driving Tallinn's tourism industry have decided sexing up the "if you build it they will come" ethos was a sure fire winner. And come they do. On ... read more