There are many ports of call throughout the Baltics.  One that has always lured me is Tallinn, Estonia. The preserved Old Town with its towers, walls, red roofs and colorful buildings. How can you resist?  It lies on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, 50 miles south of Helsinki and 200 miles west of St. Petersburg.

The cruise port appears quite new and is a fifteen walk to one of the gates of the Old Town…Fat Margaret.  I kind you not.  Here she is and some views of the walls and towers

The skyline is clearly visible from many angles as you approach this beautiful walled city with the steeple of St. Olaf’s Church rising high in the distance.  The moment you enter the Old Town, you are transported to the times of the Hanseatic League.

As you wander the ageless streets winding through the town you come upon interesting nooks and crannies including St. Catherine’s Passage.

And other little treasures…

Our walk took us up to the Upper Town for a visit to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (no pictures allowed inside).

Passing by St. Mary’s on our way to the two lookout points over the city: Patkuli and Kohtuotsa.

Having toured the Old Town, it was time for lunch.  I did not want to eat at a restaurant in the Old Town.  Since our afternoon was to include a stop in Kadriorg Park, we selected a restaurant on our way.  Now this part was not a stroll but a tram ride.  Now I did all the research and knew you could tap in with a contactless card (no need to tap out).  But in all the various videos and countries, I missed that it had to be in the front door so our card did not work in the middle door.  Lesson learned.  Otherwise clean, easy and off the lunch at Radio, a neighborhood wine bar.  Three small plates of white fish carpaccio with cucumber and sour cream, burrata with sun dried tomatoes and zucchini salad and an onion pie.  All served with a crisp white from Luxembourg. Perfect.

Then off to Kadriorg park.  A beautiful open air park that houses the Kadriorg Art Museum.  The building was completed in 1725 and built by Peter the Great for his wife Catherine.  You can clearly see the Russian influence in the design.

And a tram ride back to Fat Margaret and a brisk walk to the ship.  Timeless Tallinn.

For more travel information about Tallinn, Visit Tallinn has terrific information and a wonderful series of videos on their YouTube channel with the engaging and fun Polly.