Tallinn in pictures

Bye-Bye Finland!

The bar was FULL at 10am on the cruise ferry to Tallinn. And no, they weren't having coffee.


Alexander Nevski cathedral

Town Hall Square - previously used as markets/ execution grounds. Now you can stroll around and enjoy that continental cafe ambience. Tallinn was first mentioned in the records in the year 1154.

From this in 1991...

...to this in 2006. Estonia, especially Tallinn has progressed on so rapidly from its ex-Soviet past in just 15 years. Nobody has to walk into a shop with a coupon to queue up for their rations anymore. Supermarkets shelves are abundant with food. This Viru Shopping mall offers the latest European brand name fashion labels, cosmetics, perfumes, electronics, and gourmet restaurants.

At the Kadriog park - wooded area with gardens, fountains, museums and the Kadriog Palace. This area is also home to the President of Estonia.

View of the old town - i had to climb the equivalent of a stair-case marathon to get to this! you can see the towers and parts of the old town wall on the right.

5 completely random facts about Estonia

My education in the skool of life continues in Tallinn, capital of Estonia.

1) WIFI

Tallinn is so advanced it offers free wifi at several cafes, restaurants, hotels and even petrol stations. Yep. I have seen the future and it is in Tallinn. You can get a car wash and check your emails at the same time. Soon, you'd be able to go ride a bicycle or go to the supermart to shop for groceries AND surf the internet. Now if only i have a darn laptop! At the airport, it had, you guessed it -free WIFI but no internet terminals. Grrrrr...

2) Toilet signs. (take note especially if you are visiting Estonia)

Male/female toilet signs are denoted by triangles on the doors. A triangle pointing upwards refers to female restrooms. And a triangle pointing downwards refers to male restrooms. Guess how i found out.

3) Beverages

The Estonian word for "Cheers" is "Terviseks!" and you have to look your beer-mates in the eye when you say it. It is forbidden to drink alcohol in public places, e.g. in the park. You may be fined 600 EEK (1 euro is about 15.6 Estonian Kroons) if caught. Hide well.

4) Storage space

Estonia has a teeny population of 1.4m people spread out in a land area of about 45,000 square km. (Ok, about 400,000 live in Tallinn alone) Compare that with Singapore, which has 3 times the number of people squished in only 680 square km of space.

5) Transport options from Helsinki to Tallinn/ Buffets

Tallinn is only 82km across the Baltic sea from Helsinki. It is 3.5hrs by ferry, or 18 mins by helicopter. However, i heard that there was a helicopter mishap just a few months ago so it isn't a terribly popular choice at the moment. I took the ferry simply because, you know, i wanted the scenic route and definitely not because there was one of those ubiquitious breakfast buffets offered for only 9 euros. Frankly, I don't see how the helicopter company can compete and counter that offer - i mean, how much can one eat in 18 mins?