Travel: Cruise Stop "Tallinn, Estonia"

Day 7 of our cruise was a visit to the fairy tale town of Tallinn, Estonia.  We were anticipating this stop since our last visit there was so delightful and the prices were so favorable for knit wear and meals.
Since that last visit, Estonia is on the Euro and doing exceptionally well - evidenced by the high end luxury cars on the road.  The country was smart to invite techies to establish their businesses there with a favorable tax program.  It appears that aside from the lucrative seaport that does not freeze in winter, the invitation for new companies to set up here has been well received.  It appears that many are doing very well.

The cruise port had several ships in - crowds would be descending upon this most magnificent little town.  We hurried off the ship as we were meeting friends there (they live stateside, but she is Estonian).  We took the short walk from the ship towards the old town's ramparts (no need for a shuttle bus).  Many of the other passengers had not disembarked yet and we had the town to ourselves for about an hour.  During that time we walked through the park and made our way to a rampart wall that overlooks the new town; we could see the cruise ships in the background.  Great time for photos...

Meandering our way through cobblestone streets, our Estonian friend gave us a little background on growing up in Estonia behind the "iron curtain".  Life seemed normal enough, just limited travel if any and not much prosperity.  She was only 10 and doesn't remember much; her parents however do.  Estonia has adapted very well and very quickly.  We stopped for coffee after walking several hours and then more walking in search of a place for lunch...too many choices!  It was another hot day - weather this hot was unusual for the area so there was no air conditioning - and dining outdoors, in the shade seemed the smartest choice.  We found a delightful place, settled down to scan the menu and could not choose among all the good selections!

After a good lunch, we had to wind our way through the crowds!  Seemed everyone was off the ships and enjoying the bright sunshine in Tallinn.  We found a quiet lane near one of the ramparts where ladies were selling hand knitted sweaters, scarves, gloves and long socks - OK, a bit unusual since it was 90+ degrees, but the quality and designs would be great to have on a cold winter day....if only the prices weren't so high!  Oh my goodness - how much the cost of hand made sweaters went up!  Sadly, I left empty-handed...  But I did take a few pictures of the day to share with you!
Fifi