E Is for Estonia

Welcome to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia

Our A to Z Blogging adventure takes us for a quick trip to the Baltic Sea and Estonia. We also return to the era before the smart phone and the world of blurry photographs. My trip to Estonia was quick, but interesting and enjoyable. 

Tallinn was one stop on a cruise of the Baltic that included Oslo, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Copenhagen.  Those were the high points and when I read the list of stops I wasn't quite sure where Tallinn was. I'd heard of Estonia, but I wasn't quite sure where it was and I don't think I knew what the capital was. 

I enjoyed the first and more well known stops on the cruise. With so many stops on the cruise I was scrambling to keep up with sights to see at each port and the various currencies we would need. This trip was done before the European Union and the advent of the Euro and we used at least seven different currencies in two weeks.   Since I had few expectations for my visit to Tallinn, this historic , yet very modern city was a beautiful surprise. 

I spent my day in Tallinn in the Old City, which was built from the Fifteenth to Seventeenth centuries. The city is strategically located on the Baltic and was a major trade hub. The historic area is beautifully preserved and one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The architecture reminded me of the Disney castles and the towns surrounding them that I loved so well. 

One of the things I found most interesting was that Estonia is major center of technology in Europe and has been the site of a number of major startups. Skype users, please note, Tallinn was the birthplace of Skype in 2003. 

Tomorrow we're going to a group of over 700 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 8900 miles from Tallinn. We're going from the north of Europe to almost the very most Southern point of South America. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. Much love and wash your hands!