Picture: Old Town Tallinn from Kiek in de Kök (wall/tower defences)
For many people living or visiting Helsinki the option to jump on a ferry and travel to nearby Stockholm, Sweden or Tallinn, Estonia has a lot of appeal as the journey by water is interesting and fun. There’s also no airport security and shenanigans to deal with. As we were in Helsinki, we too decided to take a detour over to the other side of the Baltic Sea and have a look see what Tallinn was all about. We took the last Eckero Lines ferry out of Helsinki at 9:40pm. I was pleasantly surprised that the terminal was very modern and comfortable complete with a large glass-walled waiting area and a busy cafe that seemed to be doing great business selling Finnish and Estonian beer. A sign warning not to bring wild boar meat back into Finland made me chuckle just because of the incongruity of such a sign in my typical daily life. Where have I been going wrong? We boarded some time later amid a somewhat chaotic rush for the scanners at the gate. Mine and Meggie’s eticket chose that moment to not work causing delays and some impatient muttering from those who, I learned later, wanted to claim a good spot to sit or lie down and nap. Onboard, the ferry operators want you to buy something in one of their numerous bars or cafes in order to sit down unless you chose the stairwell which many of the male passengers actually did, making it look like a homeless shelter. However, the staff on both the trip out and back did not appear super vigilant about enforcing the buy-something-to-sit rule. Upon reaching Tallinn, we exited without seeing any customs counter and took an Uber to our airbnb apartment near the old town of Tallinn.
Upon arriving at the apartment very late (our host had kindly waited for us) we were a little worried because the hall and stairwell looked a little derelict. However, inside the the flat was lovely and very comfortable. Phew! The next day, we decided to eat some street food for breakfast at the popular Balti Jaam; an indoor market that houses all kinds of produce, clothing, food, and antique stalls under its large roof. Yet less than 5 minutes after leaving our apartment heading across town towards said market, our noses detected a delicious odor that led us to a small doughnut shop with its owner frying up fresh treats right there at the counter. Ridiculously cheap and enormously tasty. What a good start to the day.
Balti Jaam was located the other side of the old city of Tallinn and so we meandered along the old city’s gorgeous winding lanes and alleys amazed at the many buildings that managed to survive all the way from 500-700 years ago (and through the Soviet bombing near the end of WWII). So pretty! Each street was better than the last and it was with reluctance that we exited on the far side under the towering cliff and old wall that protected the city during its tumultuous history (The Danes, Germans, Swedes, and Russians have all controlled the city at one time or another since the Danes rudely took it from the Estonians.) We reached Balti Jaam just as I thought I’d gotten frostbite on my fingers from removing my gloves too often to take photos. It was much colder than Helsinki, and I think that the closely situated buildings on stone cobbled streets actually keep the temperature lower as the meager sun cannot seem to penetrate the shadows. I warmed my hands on perhaps the best hot pasties I may have ever tasted. They proved to be a very economical meal and we returned a second time the next day to sample different variations. My absolute favorite was the lamb and cheese savory delight, while the kids enjoyed the apple cinnamon. It was great to stroll around and see the various warm clothing stores and cheese wheels, etc. although Liam and I energetically explored the antique section, especially the WWII and Cold War era military uniforms and paraphernalia. I was surprised by just how many German uniforms there were most sporting swastikas which always make me feel unsettled and introverted because of their obvious implications.
Next, we decided to head back into the old city and go on a free walking tour that meets daily outside the information center. I say ‘free’, but it’s expected that people leave a tip. Our young guide was a very interesting character who, in spite of his medieval garb and jester’s demeanor, imparted a lot of information in an entertaining tour. Of course he needed someone to hold his banner and wear a silly hat, and so he chose me, the big guy at the back. Darn. Still, I acquiesced as I wanted to be a good sport and perhaps entertain the kids a little. He wasn’t too hard on me thankfully. The highlight of the tour for me was visiting a merchant’s house from medieval times that still boasted its original decor and fittings not to mention all the original beams and stonework. So cool to see how merchants got around taxes imposed by the nobility who lived up on the hill (or dome as they call it here). For example, they had to pay taxes on the number of sunrays that enter their windows, so they built walls with barely any windows or even doors in place of them. Not allowed to build wide houses? No problem, they built very tall, narrow houses that were very deep and had large courtyards behind. Some taxes/fines were worth paying, though such as splattering a disliked noble with poop thrown from an upstairs window which was thought to be worth it if you could afford it!
I also liked the way our guide mentioned that life was so unpredictable and short with death always just around the corner, that doing what you loved even if it was dangerous and killed you eventually, was actually thought to be a very good thing as life had meaning and gave the person a clean slate when they met their maker. Tightrope walkers who fell to a messy death from ropes strung between the two highest church towers (140m high) were applauded for this endeavor because people realized that to the performers, their life had meaning in an uncertain world. This was apparently recorded in the churches, by the way, so it must be true. At the end of the tour Robyn and I had some pepper schnapps as a reward for my good humor. Wow! I would recommend trying some if you get the chance-warms your entire body and peels the paint from nearby walls.
Other great things to do in Tallinn include walking the walls at the Kiek in de Kök (no it doesn’t mean that; it actually means a peek in the kitchen due to the height of the towers and wall defenses). The Bastion tour is also great as it takes you down below ground to visit a section of underground tunnels originally made for defenses, but used by many different people all through history. There are many other museums to visit if you have time and energy. I would definitely recommend staying close to the old town, or actually in it as there is much to do and lots of restaurants with live music, too. All in all, Tallinn was a great place to walk around and get lost in. Allow a little extra time for the ferries, though. Our return one today was delayed in Helsinki harbor to the sea ice blocking the dock. Crazy.
View of alley leading down from the dome area/old town Tallinn
