• Blog
    • Musings
      • General
      • Parenting
      • Gadgets
      • Reviews
    • Travel
      • Abroad
      • Home
    • Dining
      • Food
      • Drink
    • Home Styles
    • F&F
      • Fitness
      • Fashion
  • Work with us
  • About/T&C
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Island Living 365

Exploring Tallinn, Estonia: Guest Post

December 12, 2017

view of tallinn

Hello, Little Granny again.   It’s been a busy few weeks in Suffolk with trips to Norway and the purchase of a new car (you will have read all about that!) but we must now get back to our Baltic cruise.

Tallinn, Estonia

Our second stop was Tallinn; the magical capital of Estonia with its gabled roofs and fairy-tale turrets is one of the oldest towns in the Baltic area.  Estonia has been occupied on many occasions by foreign powers; most recently by the Soviet Union.  Estonians were delighted to become a free and independent country in 1991 but the guide on our tour still appeared haunted by the Soviet Arm occupation and told us about life under that regime and the misfortune of those who had been sent to Siberia.  Frightening!

Our Tour

pile of hats for sale

We had opted to go on a small group tour of Tallinn, which was mainly on foot and included several stops to sample traditional Estonian food.  I have to admit it wasn’t the best choice of tour.  We started walking in the Upper Old Town, not the easiest as there are lots of cobbles but we marvelled at the onion domes of the Russian Orthodox Church of Alexander Nevsky.  Our guide begrudgingly said we could go inside (she wouldn’t be coming with us) but a service was taking place and we would not be allowed to take photographs.  We did climb the steep steps and peep in.  I was surprised to find quite a few people taking part in the service which was, of course, conducted in Russian.

Getting Into A Baltic Sprat!

Our first stop was to a small local café where we were given a traditional snack of black bread topped with a cold Baltic sprat (herring).  The herring had a very strong taste and wasn’t my favourite.  It was washed down with something like Vimto (who remembers that?). No, I’ll give that a miss.  Grumps and I were quickly finished and headed back into the cobbled street to wait for the group.  Unfortunately, I turned my back on him for two seconds and when I looked round he had completely disappeared.  Part of me hoped that he had gone back into the café to use the loo.  Soon all of the party were out in the street and the guide started counting us.  “Ve are two missing”, she declared in her strong accent.  She ordered her compatriot to wait behind and look in the café for them.  I had no idea where Grumps was and, feeling rather irritated by his disappearance, decided to keep quiet.  We walked back up the hill towards the Russian church when suddenly out of the sunlight he appeared.  “Where have you been” I demanded, “someone is looking for you down the hill”.  He nonchalantly told me that he had decided to walk up and take more photos of the church.

Grumps Returns!

streets of tallinn

Our tour continued through the old town, visiting the viewing platform with its beautiful vista of the red roofs and turrets.

We wandered along the winding cobbled streets to a small local winery where we sampled a glass of white wine and local snacks – both quite ordinary.  The guide handed over to a young girl to tell us about the history of the winery.  I have to say she was excruciatingly shy and knew very little.

Eating Karma

Our next stop was a traditional Estonian restaurant in the Lower Old Town, a very pleasant establishment with a friendly owner.  Here we were given a desert known as “kama”, which is a local speciality of mixed grains.  Someone in the group said it tasted like cold porridge – yuk!  Actually, it was more like cold semolina with a teaspoon of jam in the middle.  It took Grumps back to his schooldays and he quickly mixed the jam into the mixture turning it from white to a pinky mauve.  He must have been hungry as he devoured the lot.  Having an aversion to porridge and semolina from my schooldays, I ate the pudding at a more sedate pace.  We were given a strong cup of black coffee to wash it down – I needed it.

A medieval fair was taking place in the centre of the town with all the stallholders in traditional dress and we were given free time to wander around and soak up the atmosphere.  We later learnt that on the days the cruise ships are visiting the prices of the traditional goods soar.

Drinking Paraffin

Our last stop was to a small medieval pub on the Square where we were given a shot of spiced schnapps.  Now, I had eaten the cold herring and the cold semolina but the smell of schnapps reminded me of paraffin.  I could not throw my head back and swallow it in one – Grumps did, his and mine!

Our tour was over and it was time to head back to the ship and set sail for St Petersburg.

The medieval architecture of Tallinn with its ancient walls and tower gates is beautiful.  We will certainly be going back but I’ll give the food a miss next time.

More to follow ….

Related

Filed Under: Travel

  1. Alex - My LIfe Long Holiday says

    December 13, 2017 at 10:11 pm

    Sounds like Granny is having a lot of fun 😉

Back to Blog

Let’s chat

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Hi, I’m Emma

Mum to two girls and wife to Mr C.
We used to live in wild and wonderful Yorkshire on the edge of the moors. We have now moved to the rather lovely and sunny Jersey, Channel Islands. Read about our adventures here.

Thank You :-)

Never Miss A Post

Subscribe To Get Future Posts In Your Inbox

Featured on

Where I have been featured
  • It’s fair to say that I inhaled this novel by @hotpatooties. At the core of this novel is a great message - don’t follow the herd. I took that message a little too far when I was determined to find the perfect herd of Jersey cows so I could get a photo of me stood in front of them reading this novel. Those cows must have heard/herd (😉) I was coming because I couldn’t find a single cow on the island. I had to settle for this flat-lay instead. Pfft. Head over to the link in my profile to find out what I thought of this novel. This is one feisty feminist read! Now I had better moo-ve onto the next book from #mnbookclub. (Gifed)
.
.
.
.
.
.
 #booklove #booknerd #booksofinstagram #mnbookclub #bookish #instareads #fiction #literary #goodreads #readersofinstagram #readersofig #literaturelover #bookblogger #bookaddict #bookaholic #booktastic #bookflatlay #feminsitbooks
  • Over on the blog I’m reviewing our Christmas Caribbean cruise with @pandocruises on the #Azura. Link in profile. This photo is from when we visited Nevis Island and Youngest tried some Caribbean chicken. It blew her socks off but she loved it 🤣. .
.
.
.
.
.
. #instatravel #travelblogger #ilovetotravel #travelwriter #travelgram #postcardsfromtheworld #trip #ilovetotravel #writetotravel #igtravel #instago #travelpics #worldcaptures #worldplaces #thisisthelife #caribbeancruise #caribbeancalling
  • Nope, I'm not constipated, this is my attempt at a selfie.🙈 I hate having my picture taken and this grimace was my attempt at looking either sultry or smiley. I can't remember now. I also need to work on my selfie-taking location, the car (I wasn't driving, obviously!) isn't the best location. However, there is a reason why I have put myself in front of the camera. I'm talking about how I have been feeling, because sometimes it's good to talk, don't ya think? Anyway to find out more you can read my post, link in profile. I hope you have all had a lovely Easter weekend xx
  • What’s that over there? It’s the Easter holibobs. Easter is nearly here and that gives me to two weeks to eat the mini Easter egg mountain. I have found all of the best activities and days out that are taking place in Jersey this Easter, link in profile. What are your plans this Easter? I will be trying not to eat my body weight in chocolate 🙈 Maybe. .
.
.
.
. .#theislandbreak #jersey #channelislands #travelblogger #worldplaces #postcardsfromtheworld #instago #countrylife #countryside
  • “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” Eleanor Roosevelt.  I’ve just finished reading this novel - Still Me. I loved it in parts, but I also found it a very frustrating read at times. However, I have come away from this novel thinking about life and what I really want from it. Don’t worry I’m not going to get all deep on you 🙈. It’s just made me realise that I should spend less time being preoccupied with the past. Instead I should be focusing on the now and my hopes and dreams for the future. From now on I’m going to try and be a little bit braver 💪 and that means I’m going back to school. I explain more in my post. Link in profile. Here’s to chasing our dreams ❤️
.
.
.
.
.
 #booklove #booknerd #booksofinstagram #bookish #instareads #fiction #literary #goodreads #readersofinstagram #readersofig #literaturelover #bookblogger #bookaddict #bookaholic #booktastic #positivevibes #ncchomelearning
  • “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” - Dr Seuss. Oldest is devouring books at a ferocious rate. She has just finished reading Letter From The Lighthouse by Emma Carroll. She adored it and wouldn’t put it down. We are fast running out of books though. What other books would you recommend for a nearly 9 year-old? In other news we’re under attack! I explain all in a new post. Link in profile.
.
.
.
.
.
. #littlebookworm #bookworm #childrensbooks #toddlerbooks #toddlerreading #whatimreading #kidsreading #kidslit #kidsbookstagram #kidlitpicks #childrensliterature #childrenslit
  • It might be the first day of spring but I am still seeking sunshine and that means I am planning holidays. Getting off the rock can be expensive but I have lots of tricks and tips for saving money. I have written a post about the different ways I save money when booking a break, link in my Instagram profile. This cold weather (I have to blame something 😜) made me book a break last week. I booked a two night stay through @secretescapes ( not an ad) at a gorgeous hotel. I saved myself at least 60% off the normal price and it means I get to go back home and visit family ❤️. Head over to my post for a read.
.
.
.
.
.
.
 #caribbeancalling #travelblogger #worldplaces #travelgram #writetotravel #instatravel #postcardsfromtheworld #instago #travelpics #travelwriter #worldcaptures #igtravel #travels #pandocruises #azura #thisisthelife #documentyourdays #capturingchildhood #rememberingthesedays
  • I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kissed them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again" - Lewis Carroll, Alices's Adventures In Wonderland
We woke up this morning to find snow gently falling. It wasn't much but it was enough to get a little excited about and Jersey did look pretty magical. It's blinking freezing though!
.
.
.
.
.
#springwhereareyou #positivevibes #theislandbreak #jersey #quotesaboutlife #jerseyci #snowy #postiveenergy

I would love to hear from you

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never Miss A Post! Subscribe To Get Posts Straight In Your Inbox.

HIBS100 Index of Home and Interior Blogs
HIBS100

Copyright 2018 Island Living 365

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok