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!

Costa Deliciosa Cruise


Debbie and I boarded our cruise ship - Costa Deliciosa - a little earlier than our embarkation time, so we could explore the ship, relax, and grab a cocktail. Crusin' mode, COMMENCE! LOL. We quickly discovered that the ocean liner exceeded our expectations! It was modern, glitzy, and new. We were in nautical paradise!

It was an Italian ocean liner company, but the crew spoke English - and several other languages for that matter. The passengers were a wide variety of international flavors - Italians, French, Germans, South Africans, Canadians, East Indians, Filipinos (Wup-Wup!), Japanese,  Americans, Australians, Brazilians, Puerto Ricans. You name it. They were on it! Appropriately, Costa Deliciosa's literal translation is "delicious coast", and it certainly lived up to its name!

Deb and I quickly settled ourselves on lounge chairs on the promenade deck. The weather was in the high 50s-low 60s F, the air was crisp and clean, and the sun was still a brilliant zenith. 

The heated outdoor pool remained empty, however. LOL.

The ship issued warm woolen blankets with their signature colors.

The outdoor bar was conveniently accessible, and its bartender was ever so accommodating!

Passengers quickly began taking advantage of the indoor pool and jacuzzi. A ginormous flat screen at the aft end of the pool intermittently showed music videos and news clips, and the sun streamed in through the sky panes above us.

The food served on the ship was off da hook! There were about seven different dining areas, and about 12 different bars and lounges. Every single one was uber contempo!

The ship had 15 levels.  The main lobby overlooking the circular bar was a happening spot!

The casino lured people right away, as folks were quick to make (or lose money) on their first day onboard.

The elevators and stairwells for each deck were conveniently placed throughout the ship. The 9th deck was a favorite for many of the passengers, because it opened to the spa and beauty center, fitness gym, tanning rooms, and assorted dining areas.

No money was exchanged onboard. Each passenger was given a cabin card that served as a room key and charge card. Let's just say that the carpeted pathway to the ship's spa center was pretty worn out by the time the cruise ended, and that I'll be eating ramen noodle soup for many, many months to come. But, oh was it worth it! LOL.

If passengers got tired of their plethora of choices indoors, they could go outdoors and  run on the track, or rent skates...

Some chose to lose themselves behind the wheel of a simulated race car...

Or work on their putting skills at the outdoor putting green. Costa Deliciosa was amazing!

Deb and I ate in the formal dining room on our first night, and enjoyed a scrumptious 8-course meal.

My favorite part of the meal - as with any meal - was dessert. I ordered the "pineapple express".  The presentation was puzzling at first.



Until our waiter poured liquid nitrogen and chunks of pineapple into a bowl of vanilla ice cream, and "VOILA"! Costa Deliciosa pineapple ice cream at my service. Stupendous. Magical. Fantabulous. We were off to a great start!

The Wonderful World of Hans Christian Andersen Museum

One of the sites I was excited to visit in Copenhagen was "The Wonderful World of Hans Christian Andersen Museum."  I loved fairy tales as a child, so for me to visit a museum that was dedicated to THE person that penned the well-loved tales that I grew up with was a definite must!  Some of my HCA faves were "Thumbelina", "The Little Mermaid", "The Princess and the Pea", "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Match Girl", and "The Ugly Duckling".  My inner child was in TOTAL bliss!

Han Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark (1805-1875), but was educated in Copenhagen and thrived there as a noted poet and children's literary author.  

The museum presented wonderful exhibits that depicted HCA's life in Copenhagen, and the fascinating tales that he wrote about that enthralled visitors as they pushed buttons at each station and heard the narration of his delightful stories.

This was the "The Little Mermaid" station, and while I listened to the timeless fairy tale again, I couldn't help but be sadden by its ending. I'm so glad Disney took creative license when they produced the well-loved animation, because I'm such a sucker for happy endings!

I thought the "Thumbelina" exhibit was bright and cheerful. This was - and still is-  my all time favorite Hans Christian Andersen tale!  I, too, wanted to sleep within the velvety folds of a fragrant blossom, and cavort with luminous flower fairies as they danced and flitted from petal to petal in the fairy king's magical garden kingdom; the locale where I would marry the king and live... happily. ever. after. Did I also mention that I was a sucker for romantic notions?

Out of all the exhibits in the museum, "The Emperor's New Clothes" was my absolute favorite, because it simply made me laugh. Wouldn't you have laughed too???

I was delighted that the museum had HCA's top hat on display. To think that it once covered the head of the creative genius that inspired so many timeless tales was very humbling indeed. Thank you, Mr. Andersen, for the legacy of literature you left behind!

Before we boarded our cruise ship, Deb and I grabbed a late lunch at an outdoor cafe'.

This is a pic of a standard meal in Denmark. Note the abundance of porcine and seafood.  All of it bland mind you, but was still interesting to order!