Tallin 18 November 2007

Later start on Sunday morning. Tallinn old town is very compact and much prettier than Helsinki. It isn't as cold either though we still took every opportunity to get inside to warm ourselves up.

The City Museum had an excellent display on how the Communist propaganda obscured the truth about the occupation of Estonia. The curator, who had lived through the Second World War, explained how the Red Army conscripted men at the start of the war and how the occupying Nazi forces conscripted men later so that brothers could end up fighting on opposite sides.




Made our way up the Toompea Hill for excellent views over the city. The Toomkirk has a bizarre private chapel like a railway carriage set half way up one wall overlooking the pulpit.


Went into the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral while an orthodox service was taking place. It was so informal. The congregation was either crowding round the priests at the front or else sat chatting around the perimeter of the church.

Lunch was a mediaeval banquet using traditional foods (at last something vaguely local even if it was actually Hanseatic League German tradition).

Ridiculously early for the flight home but switching to the preceding flight would cost £200 which is a bit excessive when the original cost was less than £60. So we didn't bother.