We arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, aboard the Tallink Silja Line ferry from Helsinki at 3:30 p.m. We planned to visit our Radisson Blu Sky hotel and explore the beautiful medieval old town.
When we arrived, we waited for bus #2 to get to our Radisson Blu Sky hotel, but it did not stop at our bus stop. We decided to take a bicycle taxi instead. The bicycle taxi was 15 euros, and it was exciting to be driven through the streets of Tallinn on a bicycle.
We explored the old town after checking in to our Radisson Blu Sky hotel. We first took bus #3 to Fat Margaret Gate (I purchased 24-hour bus tickets for 5 euros each). The bus was extremely crowded, and we barely exited at our designated stop.
According to Wikipedia:
We walked through the gate and into the old city of Tallinn.
We continued walking through the old town, first stopping at St. Olav's Church. I climbed the stairs of the church's tower to the top for some beautiful views of the city. Inna waited downstairs to avoid the long, arduous climb to the top. It was a reasonably claustrophobic climb with very little room to spare.
The top of St. Olav's Church affords spectacular views of old city walls, cathedrals, and the new city.
I took a few photos, walking around the tower.
I came down, and we continued the walking tour (based on directions provided by Rick Steves) by following Pikk Street. The medieval old town that used to contain blacksmiths and other manufacturers has been replaced with cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops.
We went inside Tallinn's oldest cafe, Maiasmokk, founded in 1864. It was really crowded inside, so we did not stay long.
The prices looked much less than in Helsinki or Copenhagen (almost 50% cheaper). We stopped at a Marzipan museum where we sampled 40% and 60% marzipan. We purchased the 60% marzipan bar and ate it on the way. Alex really enjoyed the Marzipan and wanted us to go back for more!
Eventually, we made it to the Town Hall (Raekoja Plats). It is a large square surrounded by old buildings, including one of the oldest town halls. There was an Antique store that sold old memorabilia. We saw old Soviet and German medals on sale (sad to see that it has come to this) and some old Soviet propaganda posters - some very funny!
We heard a lot of Russian and Estonian spoken. According to statistics, 40% of Tallinn residents are Russian-speaking. There were lots of restaurants and souvenir shops and tons of tour groups. We walked around a lot, trying to follow Rick Steves' suggestions. As my iPhone's Google Maps was not working (apparently AT&T 3G data coverage does not work in Estonia), I could not quickly look up reviews of restaurants on Yelp or Tripadvisor - or find directions to the exact location I wanted to go to. Eventually, I could connect to Wifi and check for Yelp reviews, but Yelp does not cover Estonia.
As it was getting late, Inna found a hole in the wall (literally) of the restaurant. We went down into a cavern inside the city wall where the main dining room was located.
The FIFA France-Germany game was on TV, and we decided to eat there while watching the game. It was a fun game to watch! We ordered a few salads and entrees, and the food was acceptable but nothing to rave about. On the positive side, it was cheap - about 38 euros. A Foosball game machine was nearby, and Alex played Inna on it, beating her. Then, he played against me. He won 9 to 6 (beating me in a challenging game), so he did well!
After dinner (which was acceptable), we started to walk home. We walked by a beautiful St. John's Church.
On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at what looked like a shopping mall - Solaris. It seemed very modern inside - with a lot of style and class - much better than even the fanciest American shopping malls.
In addition to having regular clothing stores, it also had a typical grocery store, a movie theater, and many restaurants I had never heard of before. We wanted to find ice cream for Alex but instead ended up getting dessert at the Lido Bar.
This restaurant had nice-looking desserts, and the prices were very reasonable. I ordered a regular beer - A. Le Coq - but did not like it very much. Inna ordered a chocolate dessert called "Ant Hill," which she enjoyed.
After filling our bellies with dessert, we continued our walk to our Radisson Blu Sky Hotel. When Alex went to sleep, we took the elevator to the 24th floor, which has the cool Lounge 24 restaurant and lounge.
We enjoyed the beautiful view of Tallinn there, and the FIFA game was on TV. We spent some time here, but I was annoyed by all the cigarette smoking (people in Estonia smoke a lot).
Saturday, July 5, 2014
In the morning, we decided to get our breakfast downstairs in our Radisson Blu Sky hotel. The Seasons buffet was very busy but reasonably priced at 15 euros per adult and 7 euros per child.
The extensive buffet featured Russian-style crepe pancakes, lingonberries, cheeses, eggs, and pastries. All of the dishes were delicious, and we were impressed at the quality of the food for such a low price. How I miss those lingonberries!
After breakfast, we hurried to the Tallinn Old Town (the Tourist Info office). We met up with Linna (the tour guide), and she took us around Tallinn's old town and explained the history of Estonia and the essential sights to see.
As Linna explained, Estonia has been constantly invaded by different peoples: Danes, Swedes, Germans, and Russians. The name Tallinn comes from Danish Towne Linn, which means town.
When we arrived, we waited for bus #2 to get to our Radisson Blu Sky hotel, but it did not stop at our bus stop. We decided to take a bicycle taxi instead. The bicycle taxi was 15 euros, and it was exciting to be driven through the streets of Tallinn on a bicycle.
We explored the old town after checking in to our Radisson Blu Sky hotel. We first took bus #3 to Fat Margaret Gate (I purchased 24-hour bus tickets for 5 euros each). The bus was extremely crowded, and we barely exited at our designated stop.
According to Wikipedia:
Fat Margaret was built in the early 16th century (from 1511 to 1530) during the reconstruction of the medieval city gate system. The etymology of the tower's name derives from the fact that it was the largest part of the city's fortifications with walls measuring 25 meters in diameter, 20 meters in height and up to 5 meters thick. Apart from being a fortification against would-be invaders to the port of the town, it was also built to impress outside visitors arriving by sea.
We walked through the gate and into the old city of Tallinn.
We continued walking through the old town, first stopping at St. Olav's Church. I climbed the stairs of the church's tower to the top for some beautiful views of the city. Inna waited downstairs to avoid the long, arduous climb to the top. It was a reasonably claustrophobic climb with very little room to spare.
The top of St. Olav's Church affords spectacular views of old city walls, cathedrals, and the new city.
I took a few photos, walking around the tower.
I came down, and we continued the walking tour (based on directions provided by Rick Steves) by following Pikk Street. The medieval old town that used to contain blacksmiths and other manufacturers has been replaced with cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops.
We went inside Tallinn's oldest cafe, Maiasmokk, founded in 1864. It was really crowded inside, so we did not stay long.
The prices looked much less than in Helsinki or Copenhagen (almost 50% cheaper). We stopped at a Marzipan museum where we sampled 40% and 60% marzipan. We purchased the 60% marzipan bar and ate it on the way. Alex really enjoyed the Marzipan and wanted us to go back for more!
Eventually, we made it to the Town Hall (Raekoja Plats). It is a large square surrounded by old buildings, including one of the oldest town halls. There was an Antique store that sold old memorabilia. We saw old Soviet and German medals on sale (sad to see that it has come to this) and some old Soviet propaganda posters - some very funny!
We heard a lot of Russian and Estonian spoken. According to statistics, 40% of Tallinn residents are Russian-speaking. There were lots of restaurants and souvenir shops and tons of tour groups. We walked around a lot, trying to follow Rick Steves' suggestions. As my iPhone's Google Maps was not working (apparently AT&T 3G data coverage does not work in Estonia), I could not quickly look up reviews of restaurants on Yelp or Tripadvisor - or find directions to the exact location I wanted to go to. Eventually, I could connect to Wifi and check for Yelp reviews, but Yelp does not cover Estonia.
As it was getting late, Inna found a hole in the wall (literally) of the restaurant. We went down into a cavern inside the city wall where the main dining room was located.
The FIFA France-Germany game was on TV, and we decided to eat there while watching the game. It was a fun game to watch! We ordered a few salads and entrees, and the food was acceptable but nothing to rave about. On the positive side, it was cheap - about 38 euros. A Foosball game machine was nearby, and Alex played Inna on it, beating her. Then, he played against me. He won 9 to 6 (beating me in a challenging game), so he did well!
After dinner (which was acceptable), we started to walk home. We walked by a beautiful St. John's Church.
On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at what looked like a shopping mall - Solaris. It seemed very modern inside - with a lot of style and class - much better than even the fanciest American shopping malls.
In addition to having regular clothing stores, it also had a typical grocery store, a movie theater, and many restaurants I had never heard of before. We wanted to find ice cream for Alex but instead ended up getting dessert at the Lido Bar.
This restaurant had nice-looking desserts, and the prices were very reasonable. I ordered a regular beer - A. Le Coq - but did not like it very much. Inna ordered a chocolate dessert called "Ant Hill," which she enjoyed.
After filling our bellies with dessert, we continued our walk to our Radisson Blu Sky Hotel. When Alex went to sleep, we took the elevator to the 24th floor, which has the cool Lounge 24 restaurant and lounge.
We enjoyed the beautiful view of Tallinn there, and the FIFA game was on TV. We spent some time here, but I was annoyed by all the cigarette smoking (people in Estonia smoke a lot).
Saturday, July 5, 2014
In the morning, we decided to get our breakfast downstairs in our Radisson Blu Sky hotel. The Seasons buffet was very busy but reasonably priced at 15 euros per adult and 7 euros per child.
The extensive buffet featured Russian-style crepe pancakes, lingonberries, cheeses, eggs, and pastries. All of the dishes were delicious, and we were impressed at the quality of the food for such a low price. How I miss those lingonberries!
After breakfast, we hurried to the Tallinn Old Town (the Tourist Info office). We met up with Linna (the tour guide), and she took us around Tallinn's old town and explained the history of Estonia and the essential sights to see.
As Linna explained, Estonia has been constantly invaded by different peoples: Danes, Swedes, Germans, and Russians. The name Tallinn comes from Danish Towne Linn, which means town.
Estonia declared independence on February 23, 1918. It was a functional republic until being invaded by the Soviet Union in 1940 (part of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany).
During WW2, Germany occupied Estonia until the war's end, when it was again occupied by the Soviet Union. Estonia regained independence on August 20, 1991, during the Soviet Union period of Perestroika as part of the Singing Revolution.
A large Freedom Monument in the central square is dedicated to the short time that Estonia has been free from occupation.
When the tour ended, we rushed to our hotel to pick up Alex (he did not join us on the city tour) and returned to get lunch at the recommended restaurant - Von Krahil Aed.
I ordered the Jerusalem artichoke-cauliflower puree soup and a Fish with early potato, asparagus, and cauliflower cream.
The soup was acceptable - nothing special, but the fish entree was delicious. Inna ordered the Trout fillet with sour cream, smoked goat cheese, and mustard sauce for the appetizer, and for the main dish, the Mushroom salad roasted on a courgette pillow with hazelnuts.
She liked the trout appetizer, but the mushroom salad was too salty, and did not feel well afterward. Alex ordered the salad with chicken fillet but complained that the salad did not have enough chicken.
Overall, it was a good restaurant. We would definitely come back again (when we're back in Tallinn).
After we left the restaurant around 2:30 p.m., we went to Independence Square to watch the parade of ethnic Estonian singers marching.
Estonians celebrate a singing day once every 5 years, and today was the day for the festival.
The streets were mobbed with people as they watched the processions of thousands of singers to the main stadium.
The singers ranged in age from very young (6 years old to very old).
Most were dressed in ethnic Estonian peasant costumes. The procession started at 2:00 p.m. and continued until 8:00 p.m. when singing would commence (until midnight).
Here is a short video clip of the procession:
Since we wanted to also visit the nearby park and the Estonian art museum, we walked with the marchers until we reached Kadrioru Park. We planned to see the Kadriorg Palace and the Art Museum of Estonia and visit nearby children's playgrounds. We stopped at Kadriorg Palace to get coffee and cake for Alex, as he was still hungry and tired.
After walking around Kadriorg Palace and taking some photos (the palace is tiny but extremely beautiful), we walked to Kumu (the Art Museum of Estonia), where we looked at some classic and contemporary Estonian art, including paintings and sculptures.
The building housing the museum is very modern, and the entrance fee is relatively modest - 5.50 euros per adult.
I am not a big fan of modern art, but I was interested to learn about Estonian artists and sculptures.
There were a few exhibitions on display. The permanent exhibition - Treasury - focused on classic Estonian paintings from the 18th century to WW2.
We enjoyed the paintings, especially the progression from classic to impressionism and cubism.
There were some interesting and sometimes provocative sculptures.
The second exhibition we saw was of Nikolai Triik - and I did not like any of his works as they were too depressing. The third exhibition, "Difficult Choices, " focused on art during the Soviet occupation when more artists were forced to create propaganda posters to promote Communist ideology.
I did not like these works, but I am sure artists had little choice. We saw some really contemporary art on the 5th floor of the museum, but I did not like any of it.
Afterward, we explored the park's gardens outside the museum (some of the roses were blooming) and stopped at the children's playgrounds.
There were multiple children's playgrounds for kids of different ages. We found one for his age group, and Alex played there for a few minutes, doing monkey bars and climbing. Soon, we noticed some other attractions nearby - one with a ball floating on water in which kids were enclosed. Alex wanted to try it, so we went to try these paid rides.
For 4 euros, I purchased tickets for Alex to try the encased ball ride. Alex was placed inside a see-through plastic ball, the air was pumped in, and the ball was sealed to prevent air/water leakage. The ball was floated on a large, shallow water pool. Alex bounced around in the ball while floating. Alex really liked this ride - as it was highly unusual. I have not seen this ride anywhere else in the world.
Here is a video of Alex enjoying his time in the airball:
On the next ride, Alex jumped on a trampoline. He had done this ride before but wanted to try it again in Tallinn. He enjoyed it but was not allowed to do flips. He had a lot of fun jumping and enjoyed himself.
Here is a short clip of him bouncing on the trampoline:
The next activity that Alex tried was shooting small cans using pellets. One had to shoot 14 out of 15 cans to win a soft toy. Alex started well but only shot down 11 cans out of 15. It was an excellent first try for someone who had not shot this type of AK47 plastic toy rifle before.
We rested in the gardens, looking at the gazebo in the Luigetiik Lake, which had two black swans swimming. I did not have my zoom lens, but I took some wide-angle shots of the swans.
As it was starting to get late, past 7:00 p.m., we decided to get dinner at the Gourmet Coffee restaurant nearby. We chose to sit outside, as the weather was still pleasant and enjoyable (although Alex wanted to sit inside to watch the FIFA Belgium-Argentina game).
We ordered Bruschetta with Salmon and Avocado for an appetizer, which was delicious. Inna and I ordered two main entrees to share: Pasta with Chicken and Salad with Goat Cheese. Both of our main entrees were delicious. Alex ordered a Kanapasta for his main entree.
We ordered a freshly made Napoleon Cake with homemade chocolate and rum candy for dessert. Alex ordered a Sour muffin for his dessert. For drinks, I ordered an apple cider, Alex ordered a lemonade, and Inna ordered a black tea.
Both desserts were fantastic, and the cappuccino and latte we ordered later were great. We enjoyed our food and dessert, and the price was less than half of what we would have paid in Norway or Denmark (we paid 50 euros for everything). The food quality in Estonia is first-rate, and prices are much more reasonable than in other Scandinavian countries.
After watching the last minutes of the Belgium vs Argentina soccer game (Argentina won with a score of 1 to 0), we returned to our Radisson Blu Sky hotel for needed rest.
We went to the 24th floor of our Radisson Blu Sky Hotel to look at the sunset.
Even at midnight, it was still light out. I ordered an Irish Coffee using Estonian liquor, and Inna had a Strawberry Daiquiri and hot Jasmine tea.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
After a delicious breakfast at the Radisson Blu Sky Hotel, where I ate crepes with lingonberries and yogurt with fruits, we walked to the Tallinn Old Town for a Lahemaa National Park Tour.
The tour costs 49 euros per person for a 9-hour tour.
The tour was going to cover the following:
It took us about 45 minutes of driving in a minivan to get to our first attraction - the Jagala-Juga waterfall.
The waterfall is 24 feet high and 150 feet wide. It looks like a miniature Niagara Falls. Some of the water coming down was a bit yellowish - and that was because of the bogs (which were explained to us later). We walked to the bottom of the waterfall and took some photos. Inna was even able to walk slightly behind the waterfall.
On the way to all of these destinations, we sat in the 2nd row, and we could barely hear the driver talk. The minivan did not have working air conditioning, so it was a bit stuffy and hot inside. I wish the guide had explained where we were going and what we would see there better. The tour could have been a lot more interesting.
From here, we drove to an old, abandoned Soviet submarine base. This base was literally falling apart.
It was used by the Soviets to de-magnetize their submarines so that their magnetic signature could be erased. Other than colorful graffiti, there was not much to look at.
After this, we drove to the Altja fishing village, where we walked to the beach to see some rocks. On the way there, it smelled like rotten tomatoes (sulfur-like) - and the guide told me that the smell was caused by the vegetation. There was not much to do there but climb some small rocks.
Then, we drove to Kasmu Meremuuseum, where we ate a lunch of homemade baked salmon and potatoes in a large fishing boat. The salmon was delicious, and Alex entertained everyone with his questions to one of the tour guides. I did not realize he could be so funny! He was asking one of the tour guides whether or not he had a girlfriend - questions that are not usually appropriate :-)
There was a large guard tower in the middle of the village, and we walked to the top to look around, as this used to be one of the Soviet's old installations that monitored Estonia's coast for intruders.
The museum was tiny and just a collection of boat parts lying around. Two cute dogs were sleeping in the house, and Alex and Inna enjoyed petting them.
Then, we drove about 30 minutes to a natural spring to refill our water bottles. There was nothing more to do here than get free, fresh spring water.
From here, we drove the long bog hike. The hike was a 90-minute walk through multiple bogs (over wooden planks) covering this part of Estonia.
The bogs are created by rainwater that does not drain, and trees and plants grow in the bog. The bog is unstable, and stepping on it could result in suction and quicksand. Alex especially enjoyed walking here. Some exciting plants were growing in the bog, like the lingonberry plant. We saw a few of these on the way through the bog.
In the middle of the bog is a large overlook platform, which we climbed to look around the area. Bogs and small lakes stretch for miles across. Some people were going to swim in one of the bogs, but we were not interested in this idea.
We returned to the minivan by 6:30 p.m. and then drove back to Tallinn's old town, arriving around 7:00 p.m. It was a lengthy and tiring day trip.
When we returned, we were hungry and decided to eat at the Russian Troika Restaurant, which Rick Steves recommended.
I ordered "Siberian Pelmeni," a pot with horseradish and sour cream.
Alex ordered a Russian-style "Kotleta" (hamburger). Alex really liked his lamb hamburger (he said it was better than Mom's), and I enjoyed my pelmeni.
Inna ordered blintzes with sour cream. They were delicious.
The Russian food we pretty good at Troika, but a bit expensive and the portions were small.
Since desserts were expensive there, we decided to grab dessert at the Lido Bar (inside the Solaris shopping mall) on our way home. Thankfully, it was still open, and we purchased a few delicious desserts before closing.
I had an apple cider and Inna a cappuccino, while Alex enjoyed a hot chocolate. We had a few chocolate desserts, like the "Ant Hill," which Alex liked. The cost was a reasonable 10.45 euro (much cheaper than anywhere else).
We were going to take the elevator to "Lounge 24" for our last night in Tallinn, but we were too tired and went to bed instead. It was a very hectic but productive day.
Monday, July 7, 2014
This was our last day in Tallinn, as we had to catch an overnight ferry to Stockholm at 6:00 p.m. on the M/S Baltic Queen.
After a delicious breakfast of yogurt with fruit and lingonberry pancakes at our Radisson Blu Sky hotel, we packed our bags and put them into storage while Alex played his Clash of Clans game at the hotel.
We went to look inside the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It was crowded with tourists around 10:30 a.m., but we went inside anyway. It was well decorated inside but not as lavish as I expected.
Afterward, we toured the nearby souvenir shops, looking for something memorable for Inna but finding nothing worthwhile. She had her mind set on one amber stone for a necklace, but we were unsure of its worth.
We went to look at some of the best overlooks of the medieval portion of Tallinn and took a few photos. Afterward, we returned to the Tallinn Townhall, where we wanted to get lunch.
We decided to try a medieval cafe called "3 Dragons". It was one of the oldest eateries in Tallinn and tried to be as authentically medieval as possible.
There was no menu - you could look inside to see what was available. All the signs were in chalk; inside, it was very dark - as all light was from candles only.
The restaurant is located in one portion of the Tallinn Town Hall, and it looks like a cavern with uneven stones.
Prices were very reasonable, but there were only a few items on the menu: cow pies, pork pies, soup, beer, apple cider, and pickles, which you had to fish for yourself out of a barrel with a long fork.
I ordered a cow pie, an apple cider, and soup. The beef pie was very delicious, and the apple cider was so pleasing that Inna drank all of it. There were no utensils provided - this is how medieval people ate - and you were told by the waiter to clean up after yourself when you were finished.
I did not like the soup (you had to drink out of the bowl without a spoon), but Inna liked it.
Since one pie was insufficient for us, I ordered another and fished two pickles from the barrel. Overall, this was a unique and exciting culinary experience.
After finishing lunch, we returned to our hotel, hoping to take Alex to the park, where he could shoot his bee-bee gun (hoping to win a prize) and ride inside a see-through ball on water. We returned around 2:00 p.m. and took tram #1 toward Kadrioru Park. After a couple of stops, we got off and walked inside the park.
Alex first rode the see through-ball on the water - called "Akvasfaar" in Estonian. He really enjoyed climbing and falling in the ball on the water.
After this, he shot the bee-bee gun at various targets. One had to shoot 14 out of 15 cans to win a prize. Alex shot 13 out of 15 cans on his first attempt, but this was insufficient to win a soft toy prize. He did worse on his second attempt, as he got frustrated at missing some targets.
Since we had limited time, we decided to feed Alex lunch at the Gourmet Coffee restaurant. We ordered pasta for Alex, and Inna ordered some pastries and a cappuccino for herself. Alex wanted to drink lemonade but collected Amber water from Denmark - but he did not like it. Inna ended up getting two delicious pastries: Kristina Kupsis and Krista Travel. She really liked both of the chocolates.
After lunch, we returned to our hotel, got our bags, and took the taxi back to dock D for the Baltic Queen sail to Stockholm. The cab was much cheaper than I expected - only 6 euros from the hotel to the pier!
We got on board quickly and got to our room. We dropped off our bags in our tiny stateroom (Alex said it was the smallest room he had ever seen) and explored the ship.
Alex enjoyed his time at the Kidz Club, which gave him time to unwind and play!
A large Freedom Monument in the central square is dedicated to the short time that Estonia has been free from occupation.
When the tour ended, we rushed to our hotel to pick up Alex (he did not join us on the city tour) and returned to get lunch at the recommended restaurant - Von Krahil Aed.
I ordered the Jerusalem artichoke-cauliflower puree soup and a Fish with early potato, asparagus, and cauliflower cream.
The soup was acceptable - nothing special, but the fish entree was delicious. Inna ordered the Trout fillet with sour cream, smoked goat cheese, and mustard sauce for the appetizer, and for the main dish, the Mushroom salad roasted on a courgette pillow with hazelnuts.
She liked the trout appetizer, but the mushroom salad was too salty, and did not feel well afterward. Alex ordered the salad with chicken fillet but complained that the salad did not have enough chicken.
Overall, it was a good restaurant. We would definitely come back again (when we're back in Tallinn).
After we left the restaurant around 2:30 p.m., we went to Independence Square to watch the parade of ethnic Estonian singers marching.
Estonians celebrate a singing day once every 5 years, and today was the day for the festival.
The streets were mobbed with people as they watched the processions of thousands of singers to the main stadium.
The singers ranged in age from very young (6 years old to very old).
Most were dressed in ethnic Estonian peasant costumes. The procession started at 2:00 p.m. and continued until 8:00 p.m. when singing would commence (until midnight).
Here is a short video clip of the procession:
Since we wanted to also visit the nearby park and the Estonian art museum, we walked with the marchers until we reached Kadrioru Park. We planned to see the Kadriorg Palace and the Art Museum of Estonia and visit nearby children's playgrounds. We stopped at Kadriorg Palace to get coffee and cake for Alex, as he was still hungry and tired.
After walking around Kadriorg Palace and taking some photos (the palace is tiny but extremely beautiful), we walked to Kumu (the Art Museum of Estonia), where we looked at some classic and contemporary Estonian art, including paintings and sculptures.
The building housing the museum is very modern, and the entrance fee is relatively modest - 5.50 euros per adult.
I am not a big fan of modern art, but I was interested to learn about Estonian artists and sculptures.
There were a few exhibitions on display. The permanent exhibition - Treasury - focused on classic Estonian paintings from the 18th century to WW2.
We enjoyed the paintings, especially the progression from classic to impressionism and cubism.
There were some interesting and sometimes provocative sculptures.
The second exhibition we saw was of Nikolai Triik - and I did not like any of his works as they were too depressing. The third exhibition, "Difficult Choices, " focused on art during the Soviet occupation when more artists were forced to create propaganda posters to promote Communist ideology.
I did not like these works, but I am sure artists had little choice. We saw some really contemporary art on the 5th floor of the museum, but I did not like any of it.
Afterward, we explored the park's gardens outside the museum (some of the roses were blooming) and stopped at the children's playgrounds.
There were multiple children's playgrounds for kids of different ages. We found one for his age group, and Alex played there for a few minutes, doing monkey bars and climbing. Soon, we noticed some other attractions nearby - one with a ball floating on water in which kids were enclosed. Alex wanted to try it, so we went to try these paid rides.
For 4 euros, I purchased tickets for Alex to try the encased ball ride. Alex was placed inside a see-through plastic ball, the air was pumped in, and the ball was sealed to prevent air/water leakage. The ball was floated on a large, shallow water pool. Alex bounced around in the ball while floating. Alex really liked this ride - as it was highly unusual. I have not seen this ride anywhere else in the world.
Here is a video of Alex enjoying his time in the airball:
On the next ride, Alex jumped on a trampoline. He had done this ride before but wanted to try it again in Tallinn. He enjoyed it but was not allowed to do flips. He had a lot of fun jumping and enjoyed himself.
Here is a short clip of him bouncing on the trampoline:
The next activity that Alex tried was shooting small cans using pellets. One had to shoot 14 out of 15 cans to win a soft toy. Alex started well but only shot down 11 cans out of 15. It was an excellent first try for someone who had not shot this type of AK47 plastic toy rifle before.
We rested in the gardens, looking at the gazebo in the Luigetiik Lake, which had two black swans swimming. I did not have my zoom lens, but I took some wide-angle shots of the swans.
As it was starting to get late, past 7:00 p.m., we decided to get dinner at the Gourmet Coffee restaurant nearby. We chose to sit outside, as the weather was still pleasant and enjoyable (although Alex wanted to sit inside to watch the FIFA Belgium-Argentina game).
We ordered Bruschetta with Salmon and Avocado for an appetizer, which was delicious. Inna and I ordered two main entrees to share: Pasta with Chicken and Salad with Goat Cheese. Both of our main entrees were delicious. Alex ordered a Kanapasta for his main entree.
We ordered a freshly made Napoleon Cake with homemade chocolate and rum candy for dessert. Alex ordered a Sour muffin for his dessert. For drinks, I ordered an apple cider, Alex ordered a lemonade, and Inna ordered a black tea.
Both desserts were fantastic, and the cappuccino and latte we ordered later were great. We enjoyed our food and dessert, and the price was less than half of what we would have paid in Norway or Denmark (we paid 50 euros for everything). The food quality in Estonia is first-rate, and prices are much more reasonable than in other Scandinavian countries.
After watching the last minutes of the Belgium vs Argentina soccer game (Argentina won with a score of 1 to 0), we returned to our Radisson Blu Sky hotel for needed rest.
We went to the 24th floor of our Radisson Blu Sky Hotel to look at the sunset.
Even at midnight, it was still light out. I ordered an Irish Coffee using Estonian liquor, and Inna had a Strawberry Daiquiri and hot Jasmine tea.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
After a delicious breakfast at the Radisson Blu Sky Hotel, where I ate crepes with lingonberries and yogurt with fruits, we walked to the Tallinn Old Town for a Lahemaa National Park Tour.
The tour costs 49 euros per person for a 9-hour tour.
The tour was going to cover the following:
- Altja Fishing Village
- Käsmu Captains Village
- Vihula, Palmse, or Sagadi manors
- Forest & Bog Walk
- Soviet Submarine Base
- Wild Rivers & Waterfalls
- North Estonian Coastline
- Lunch at an authentic local village home (10€, not included)
It took us about 45 minutes of driving in a minivan to get to our first attraction - the Jagala-Juga waterfall.
The waterfall is 24 feet high and 150 feet wide. It looks like a miniature Niagara Falls. Some of the water coming down was a bit yellowish - and that was because of the bogs (which were explained to us later). We walked to the bottom of the waterfall and took some photos. Inna was even able to walk slightly behind the waterfall.
On the way to all of these destinations, we sat in the 2nd row, and we could barely hear the driver talk. The minivan did not have working air conditioning, so it was a bit stuffy and hot inside. I wish the guide had explained where we were going and what we would see there better. The tour could have been a lot more interesting.
From here, we drove to an old, abandoned Soviet submarine base. This base was literally falling apart.
It was used by the Soviets to de-magnetize their submarines so that their magnetic signature could be erased. Other than colorful graffiti, there was not much to look at.
After this, we drove to the Altja fishing village, where we walked to the beach to see some rocks. On the way there, it smelled like rotten tomatoes (sulfur-like) - and the guide told me that the smell was caused by the vegetation. There was not much to do there but climb some small rocks.
Then, we drove to Kasmu Meremuuseum, where we ate a lunch of homemade baked salmon and potatoes in a large fishing boat. The salmon was delicious, and Alex entertained everyone with his questions to one of the tour guides. I did not realize he could be so funny! He was asking one of the tour guides whether or not he had a girlfriend - questions that are not usually appropriate :-)
There was a large guard tower in the middle of the village, and we walked to the top to look around, as this used to be one of the Soviet's old installations that monitored Estonia's coast for intruders.
The museum was tiny and just a collection of boat parts lying around. Two cute dogs were sleeping in the house, and Alex and Inna enjoyed petting them.
Then, we drove about 30 minutes to a natural spring to refill our water bottles. There was nothing more to do here than get free, fresh spring water.
From here, we drove the long bog hike. The hike was a 90-minute walk through multiple bogs (over wooden planks) covering this part of Estonia.
The bogs are created by rainwater that does not drain, and trees and plants grow in the bog. The bog is unstable, and stepping on it could result in suction and quicksand. Alex especially enjoyed walking here. Some exciting plants were growing in the bog, like the lingonberry plant. We saw a few of these on the way through the bog.
In the middle of the bog is a large overlook platform, which we climbed to look around the area. Bogs and small lakes stretch for miles across. Some people were going to swim in one of the bogs, but we were not interested in this idea.
Many different berries were growing in the bog.
We returned to the minivan by 6:30 p.m. and then drove back to Tallinn's old town, arriving around 7:00 p.m. It was a lengthy and tiring day trip.
When we returned, we were hungry and decided to eat at the Russian Troika Restaurant, which Rick Steves recommended.
I ordered "Siberian Pelmeni," a pot with horseradish and sour cream.
Alex ordered a Russian-style "Kotleta" (hamburger). Alex really liked his lamb hamburger (he said it was better than Mom's), and I enjoyed my pelmeni.
Inna ordered blintzes with sour cream. They were delicious.
The Russian food we pretty good at Troika, but a bit expensive and the portions were small.
Since desserts were expensive there, we decided to grab dessert at the Lido Bar (inside the Solaris shopping mall) on our way home. Thankfully, it was still open, and we purchased a few delicious desserts before closing.
I had an apple cider and Inna a cappuccino, while Alex enjoyed a hot chocolate. We had a few chocolate desserts, like the "Ant Hill," which Alex liked. The cost was a reasonable 10.45 euro (much cheaper than anywhere else).
We were going to take the elevator to "Lounge 24" for our last night in Tallinn, but we were too tired and went to bed instead. It was a very hectic but productive day.
Monday, July 7, 2014
This was our last day in Tallinn, as we had to catch an overnight ferry to Stockholm at 6:00 p.m. on the M/S Baltic Queen.
After a delicious breakfast of yogurt with fruit and lingonberry pancakes at our Radisson Blu Sky hotel, we packed our bags and put them into storage while Alex played his Clash of Clans game at the hotel.
We went to look inside the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It was crowded with tourists around 10:30 a.m., but we went inside anyway. It was well decorated inside but not as lavish as I expected.
Afterward, we toured the nearby souvenir shops, looking for something memorable for Inna but finding nothing worthwhile. She had her mind set on one amber stone for a necklace, but we were unsure of its worth.
We went to look at some of the best overlooks of the medieval portion of Tallinn and took a few photos. Afterward, we returned to the Tallinn Townhall, where we wanted to get lunch.
We decided to try a medieval cafe called "3 Dragons". It was one of the oldest eateries in Tallinn and tried to be as authentically medieval as possible.
There was no menu - you could look inside to see what was available. All the signs were in chalk; inside, it was very dark - as all light was from candles only.
The restaurant is located in one portion of the Tallinn Town Hall, and it looks like a cavern with uneven stones.
Prices were very reasonable, but there were only a few items on the menu: cow pies, pork pies, soup, beer, apple cider, and pickles, which you had to fish for yourself out of a barrel with a long fork.
I ordered a cow pie, an apple cider, and soup. The beef pie was very delicious, and the apple cider was so pleasing that Inna drank all of it. There were no utensils provided - this is how medieval people ate - and you were told by the waiter to clean up after yourself when you were finished.
I did not like the soup (you had to drink out of the bowl without a spoon), but Inna liked it.
Since one pie was insufficient for us, I ordered another and fished two pickles from the barrel. Overall, this was a unique and exciting culinary experience.
After finishing lunch, we returned to our hotel, hoping to take Alex to the park, where he could shoot his bee-bee gun (hoping to win a prize) and ride inside a see-through ball on water. We returned around 2:00 p.m. and took tram #1 toward Kadrioru Park. After a couple of stops, we got off and walked inside the park.
Alex first rode the see through-ball on the water - called "Akvasfaar" in Estonian. He really enjoyed climbing and falling in the ball on the water.
After this, he shot the bee-bee gun at various targets. One had to shoot 14 out of 15 cans to win a prize. Alex shot 13 out of 15 cans on his first attempt, but this was insufficient to win a soft toy prize. He did worse on his second attempt, as he got frustrated at missing some targets.
Since we had limited time, we decided to feed Alex lunch at the Gourmet Coffee restaurant. We ordered pasta for Alex, and Inna ordered some pastries and a cappuccino for herself. Alex wanted to drink lemonade but collected Amber water from Denmark - but he did not like it. Inna ended up getting two delicious pastries: Kristina Kupsis and Krista Travel. She really liked both of the chocolates.
After lunch, we returned to our hotel, got our bags, and took the taxi back to dock D for the Baltic Queen sail to Stockholm. The cab was much cheaper than I expected - only 6 euros from the hotel to the pier!
We got on board quickly and got to our room. We dropped off our bags in our tiny stateroom (Alex said it was the smallest room he had ever seen) and explored the ship.
We saw many different bars: Sevilla Bar, Sea Pub, Cigar Club, Manhattan Piano Bar. and Tango Lounge.
There were also a couple of entertainment places, such as Starlight Palace (which played some 3rd rate acts) and Ibiza disco on the top deck. What surprised me was that this ferry also had a grocery store.
There were also a couple of entertainment places, such as Starlight Palace (which played some 3rd rate acts) and Ibiza disco on the top deck. What surprised me was that this ferry also had a grocery store.
After Alex discovered that a Kidz Club was here, he wanted to spend all his time there. First, we had him eat dinner in the Cafeteria. He ordered Swedish meatballs with coleslaw. The entree was not particularly good, but Alex ate in any way.
Alex played the Foosball machine, air hockey, and Xbox 360 games at the Kidz Club and horsed around with other kids. We played a couple of foosball matches against each other, and Alex beat me both times.
Alex enjoyed his time at the Kidz Club, which gave him time to unwind and play!
We had made reservations to eat dinner at the Russian A La Carte Aleksandra restaurant. The restaurant's was richly decorated, and the menu had various red and black caviar types.
Inna ordered a Chicken Kyiv entree (recommended by the waitress), and I ordered the Fried Fish of the Day entree.
Inna liked her Chicken Kyiv, but I did not care about the fish entree. Also, the hot tea we ordered had a weird taste - like the water was not the best. This meal cost was relatively high (50+ euros), but the quality was lacking. Eventually, we realized that most of the food on the Baltic Queen was mediocre.
Inna ordered a Chicken Kyiv entree (recommended by the waitress), and I ordered the Fried Fish of the Day entree.
Inna liked her Chicken Kyiv, but I did not care about the fish entree. Also, the hot tea we ordered had a weird taste - like the water was not the best. This meal cost was relatively high (50+ euros), but the quality was lacking. Eventually, we realized that most of the food on the Baltic Queen was mediocre.
Baltic Queen is a very fancy ferry - much closer to a cruise ship than a ferry, but it lacks some of the Cruise ship conveniences, such as quality food and entertainment. However, my ticket price was very reasonable, and I enjoyed one day of sailing from Tallinn to Stockholm.
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