Day Trip to Talinn part II - Old Town (Upper and Lower)

This post will be light on narrative and heavy on photos. I took ~90 pictures while wandering around Tallinn's old town. Tried to edit myself and maybe feature ~25 of them. The thing is that everywhere you turn around town reveals another incredibly charming scene. Nothing wrong with just strolling around and enjoying the medieval scenery, am I right? So after my initial approach I did find Fat Margaret and used her as my entry point to the town.

Then with Fat Margaret behind me, I made my way down Lai toward Nunne.

And soon found my way to the Patkuli Stairs, which you can climb up for view and access to upper old town (aka Toompea).

Caught sight of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

So I kept going in that direction for some more obligatory pics of that area as well as the Governor's Garden behind the castle and parliament.

Came down through Lühike jalg Gate. I think.

And then bounced around the streets of Lower Town, taking a variety shots of the photogenic intersections, plazas, and boutiques.

In an ideal world I'd have had one or two nights to spend here and Judy would be walking around with me, ducking into the shops and trying some of the food. Maybe another time.

Next post will cover the Balti Jaama Turg and Creative City areas.

Day Trip to Tallinn part I - scooting along the promenade, stumbling upon Rotermann Quarter, finding Fat Margaret

Since I only had one day in Tallinn I knew I needed a game plan to cover the ground I wanted to cover efficiently. Of course there is the old town, Kalamaja, and the Creative City. But something I read of watched on YouTube mentioned the Reidi tee promenade along the waterfront. I saw that was pretty close to the ferry terminal, so I made that my first destination to check out. You can see the ferry terminal marked by the heart icon below.

Grabbed a Bolt scooter pretty close to the terminal and made my way along the promenade.

Of course early October in general is not really the best time to vist the Baltic waterfront. And the day I was there was particularly not great. Grey, cool, windy. Even so, it's easy to see how this would be a terrific place for families, joggers, bikers, et al on nicer days.

(Whenever I see these little playground animal rides I smile. One of my favorite pictures is from the time I convinced Judy to pose on what I think was a squirrel in Paris.

Judy looks great, of course, but the puzzled child in the background takes the shot to another level)

Having checked out the promenade, spending a good chunk of time exploring the old town was the next priority. I pointed my scooter in the general direction of the center and stumbled upon the entrance to Rotermann Quarter. If you have less time in Tallinn than I did or just want to make better use of your time, I'd recommend pointing your scooter to Fat Margaret as a better entry point to the old town. But I found Rotermann pretty interesting. Mainly because I had no idea it existed. But also because it is quirky. Kind of a funky-chic aesthetic. Looks to be a viable entertainment district worth exploring if you're in Tallinn for multiple days.

The entry to old town from that side is a bit underwhelming. Little back parking area that needs some attention. Kind of generic (but nice) strip mall type situation.

Also passed the Beer Garden, which has pretty solid reviews, fwiw.

Soon enough there is evidence of more charming things ahead.

From here I navigated my way to Fat Margaret and then started for real my spin around the old town.

Next post will cover that stretch of the day.

Day Trip to Tallinn - Taking the ferry from Helsinki

The ferry between Helsinki and Tallinn is no secret. It takes 2 hours each way. Runs multiple times per day. Costs about 40euro each way (basic passage, surely you can pay more for business class seating or even a private cabin). Having heard great things about both the ferry and Tallinn, I planned to spend a full day experiencing the whole shebang.

I got tickets for the 10:30 ferry over and 7:30 ferry back. This would give me ~6.5 hours of exploring in Tallinn and 4 hours of comfy Baltic cruising. First order of business was getting myself to the terminal in Helsinki. Boarding for the Tallink MyStar starts 45 minutes before departure. I didn't know what to expect, if the doors close X minutes before departure, etc. I wanted to make sure I was there on time, so rather than take the tram I opted for a Bolt ride. Saved a few minutes and gave myself peace of mind.

Everything looks nice and orderly upon arrival. Scan the QR code boarding pass and you're on your way.

Upstairs in the lounge I saw maybe 100 - 200 people already assembled. To my knowledge there are no 'boarding groups' per se (unless you're taking your car over, and then that's a whole other area). Nor are there assigned seats, unless maybe you go for one of their 'lounges'. I expected to wander / explore most of this ride so I was not particularly concerned with being the first one on the boat to claim my seat.

There is a little cafe here while you wait. If you haven't had your coffee yet then, sure, get something here. But there are literally 10+ options on the boat that will be equally pleasant or better, so no need to panic buy any kind of snack here.

Time for final pre-voyage pics and getting on the boat.

First thing you notice -- and I'm sure it's not an accident -- is the shopping. Kinda like how the first thing you see once you clear security at international airports is the duty free area, first thing you see on the ferry is the 'mall' (or, the Traveller Superstore, in their marketing language). I knew this would be part of the experience, but was still surprised to see the scale, scope, and nature of it. Like an upscale department store. With carts for those who really wanted to load up.

(Honestly, my pics don't do it justice. For a fuller effect see the pro, 360-degree images at their virtual tour.)

Next thing you'll see are the multiple and varied dining options. Everything from grab-n-go prepared sandwiches to a full table service restaurant at The Chef's Kitchen.

Grab a coffee

Grab a lot of stuff

Get your drink on

Enjoy the buffet like you're staying at a coastal 4* hotel

Splurge at the Chef's Kitchen

... or get yourself some BK

I enjoyed that crispy chicken sandwich for 5-6 euros. Got a comfy little seat with a view and an outlet to charge my phone while I chomped it down, too.

As I looped around the various levels of the vessel I took note of some seating areas that probably do merit being early to the boarding process. Like these loungy areas with nice views.

But you also have some comfortable, standard seating areas, which I'm pretty sure are fair game for anyone with a 'Star Class' ticket (aka, general admission).

Or these rear-view, windowside seats. I can imagine some tense confrontations as people scramble for the handful of these. I can also imagine that the idea of sitting there for 2 hours is better than the reality of sitting there for 2 hours.

Not sure you 'need' a private cabin for 2 hours. And honestly don't know if these were occupied. But they exist. Probably more relevant for the longer haul rides to Sweden and whatnot. (If you want to see the interiors of the cabins, I refer you again to the virtual tour.)

You can also roam about the outer area somewhat if you like the idea of some fresh air. Few spots for your selfies. Or, in my case, the obligatory flag shot. I'm a sucker for the flag shot.

The two hours went by pretty quickly and it was time to disembark. Would be chilly in Tallinn. Good thing I brought my scarf.