6-9-14

6-9-14 – Tallinn, Estonia

All seven members of our group disembarked in the city of Tallinn, Estonia.  There were two different On-and-Off tour buses soliciting for our business.  The first price that was mentioned was $15 per person.  Roger negotiated with them both and got the price down to $10 per person.  As the City Sightseeing Company representative was the first to agree with that price, we chose to ride on their red double-decker bus.  Jan headed up to the top, open-air level and the rest of us followed.

We all got off the bus when it arrived in the Old Town, a medieval city built on a hill.  We walked around the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, as we could not go inside, because they were having a church service.  Then we leisurely strolled along the cobble sstone streets.  There were several souvenir shops selling amber, which is a very popular and expensive natural “stone”.  Jan was trying to find something for her daughter.  You can find almost anything imaginable made from amber, not just jewelry: everything from decorative boxes to Tiffany styled lamp shades.  

We had just gone to view the town, below, from a vista at the top of the hill, when we saw a tour group, whose guide was leading a very familiar tiny woman.  Rose recognized us right away and came over to speak with us.

We were all delighted to see one another so soon.  After Rose’s group left, we walked down the hill for a better view of the Baroque Toompea Castle, which is now the residence of the Estonian Parliament.  

Since we had been walking for awhile now and were getting thirsty, we decided to find a restaurant.  The first one we came to had outdoor tables, so we sat down and ordered lunch.  After lunch, we walked back to the bus stop and returned to the ship.