Medieval Tour of Tallinn, Estonia

The first port call after Denmark was Tallinn, Estonia. Deb and I knew very little about this former USSR state, and had mentally prepared ourselves for a mediocre visit. Boy, were we wrong! We did the ship's "Medieval Tour of Tallinn, Estonia", and surprisingly found ourselves charmed. Estonia has served a short stint as an independent country. It gained its independence 3 years after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, and was free of regime control for the first time in 750 years. It has worked hard to build up its economy again, and was smart enough to capitalize on its medieval history appeal for tourism. Tallinn is Estonia's capital and largest city.

Old Tallinn's fortress walls were still erect. Its red roof towers reminded me of crimsoned dunce caps on rotund little schoolers.

Part of the tower tour included medieval players doing a re-enactment. A highlight was when a sword fight ensued!

I thought this medieval shop door was really kewl!

The town square had so much character!

I loved how even the merchants dressed up in medieval costume.

Amber shops were prevalent throughout Old Tallinn, but thought this particular shop was even more beckoning.

Isn't it hilarious that Tallinn's parliament building is pink? I wonder how President Obama would feel about living / working in the "Pink House"? LOL.

This little outdoor cafe' beside this pottery store just oozed charm! I sooo wanted to take this flower pot home!!!

Russian influence was still evident by the Russian orthodox church that stood prominently across from the parliament building. The onion shaped cathedrals that Russian orthodox churches are known for were aesthetically appealing against cobalt blue skies. This Russian orthodox church was the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

This wall placard outside of this building with the Estonian flag amused me greatly.

And then before we knew it, it was time to head back to the ship... but not before we squeezed in one more round of shopping! LOL. Tallinn, Estonia = 2 thumbs up!