Hotel Dzingel Tallinn

... are located and is actually a separate township from the area below. The viewing areas offer some terrific perspectives of the contrasting old and new areas of Tallinn. Old walls and cannon towers surround most of the castle area. Dome Church (St. Mary's Church) is the oldest church in Estonia, founded in 1219. It has an interesting interior and different from many of the churches I have seen over the last few weeks. More spectacular is Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a Russian ...

... and friendly lady asked if I was in need of assistance. Oh, what a change from Russia!!!! Yes, thank you I replied. She proceeded to tell me where to purchase the tram/bus tickets (one KEY thing omitted from the guidebooks - you must purchase them at the multiple yellow news stands in the streets) and where to get off for my hostel. She was the first Estonian person I met, and my first impression was GREAT. Thanks.

Anyway ...

... not be full but it was....there were a few seats left and the conductor begrudgingly let us sit down. Most people had their laptops open and WIFI was available on this train car all the way up the line Tallinn. Incredible. The cost was exactly the same as for the bus ride. The train track was not in as good a shape as some of the European ...

... it happily at least eight times, and the whole church burned exuberantly down on three occasions. Today the church rises up to trifling 124 metres, but still high enough to make it the tallest Tallinn landmark and a former KGB surveillance centre. And then someone up there turned the faucet on and it started to pour. Abruptly, without a warning and unapologetically. All of us tourists walking up and down the old Town streets scattered around like rabbits and ran for the nearest ...

... Republic kind of way. Mine was of course the pigs ears. I will never look at a silk purse the same way again. Wonderful, like silky, chewy bacon. Kaliope loved her potato pancakes, threatening to get TWO more orders. Anyway, things got a little complicated when we did not budget our time correctly, and had to go rushing madly through the cobbled lanes of Tallinn in a mad dash to the ship. We made it. Your 'formerly hurried' pal, Davy

... almost as long. We drove about 100 kilometers (60 Miles) out of town through beautiful countryside to get to the 13th-century castle at Rakvere. Our guide this time was a young man. Gee, how surprising that the Estonian's really hate the Russians. You history buffs would appreciate Estonian history, considering what they are doing to Georgia while we are here on this cruise. Our guide told us that in 1917 or 1918 (I told you, I hate history ...

... The rooms themselves were marvelous. One former library had a marquetry freeze around the top, and the ceilings in the grand halls were amazing, as well as the halls themselves. In one long chandeliered room I took Carols picture, check out the guard who shielded his face. I thought that was kinda funny. We finished up quickly, and were back out in the rain, looking for the "Palace" that Michael said was next door, only ...

... Now this sounds great, indeed a dream, but deciding where to go on a whims notice is not that easy especially since we live in Australia and just cant fly over any old weekend to Europe. This had to be discussed and researched so after a few beers in a pub we decided to head to Ireland for st pats day and then spend two weeks in Italy seeing our relatives Yes it's a hard life i know but someone has to do it. Next stop Ireland

... Estonia's northern shoreline with what was out my window. It only took ten minutes to fly over half the country. Arriving at the airport, I quickly cleared customs (though not as quickly as EU nationals who I'm sure have a harder time getting into bars than this country) obtained some Estonian Kroons from an ATM (took me three tries to get anything less than 35 dollar bills) and caught a cab to my hostel. The cabbie totally ripped me ...

... there and the fleeing of the Russian ambassador. Estonians cried that the monument reflected the departure of one occupation force (Nazi Germany) with the arrival of another (the Soviet Union). I had chosen Tallinn as the place I wanted to get my new Russian visa because I had a friend living there, teaching history at an international high school. And because I had heard nothing but good things about ...