Aristocratic Tallinn

Today's stop was Tallinn, Estonia. 

  View of Old Town in the background

We were up early, enjoying the scenery, waiting for our tour, Aristocratic Tallinn, to start at 10:30. 

  Our port neighbors

Estonia has a population of 1.3 million in an area similar in size to Denmark. 

 

It's been occupied by Denmark, Germany, Sweden or Russia for most of the last 800 years, gaining it's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. 

  The Swan's Lake

Tallinn is pretty compact so it didn't take us long to reach our first destination - Catherine's Palace. 

  Front

Peter the Great built this as a summer home for his second wife, Catherine I, 

 

in about 1730. The exterior is pretty but it's kinda small to be a 'palace'.

  Back

And then you go inside.

  

Wow! Everyone on the tour stopped in the doorway with their mouth hanging open. 

 

The original furnishings are long gone - 

 

the Bolsheviks stole or destroyed everything that wasn't tied down when they came to power in the 1910's. 

 

The building was recently completely refurbished and serves as Tallinn's art museum.

  The wall in back is original and being refurbished 

The formal lower garden is still part of the palace grounds, 

 

but the extensive upper garden is now part of the Estonian President's residence.

  Estonian Parliament building

Next stop was Tallinn's Upper Old Town

  Queen Elizabeth is in the upper left

which stands above Lower Old Town and is connected by only 2 cobbled streets - 

 

"long leg" and "short leg". (not making this up . . . )

 

We went inside the Russian Orthodox Church,

 

but picture taking was not allowed.

 

I made up for that by taking exterior pics from every angle I could find.

 

So beautiful, even under construction. 

 

Then a small break for shopping (hooray!)

 

 before we visited the Lutheran church, 

  Family crests dating from 1400s-1900s line the walls

which did allow pictures.

  This centuries-old organ has 4000 pipes, ranging in size from 3.5 centimeters to 7 meters. Still sounds fantastic. 

And threw in an impromptu organ recital while we were there. (It must have been the organist's practice time.) Wonderful!

  Our guide said the first of the 2 towers was used to imprision prostitutes "until they regained their virginity". I'm thinking they were there a long time. 

A large portion of Tallinn was destroyed in one bombing raid in March 1944 

 

but Old Town was spared,

 The larger round tower is called "Fat Margaret". Not kidding. 

including the medieval walls and towers that surrounded the original city. So glad we had a chance to visit.

  Tonight's dinner was "informal"

Tomorrow is St. Petersburg!!