Tram 4 dropped us just outside the Old Town and we made our way inside on foot. Our first stop was at Peppersack where we grabbed some coffee and pastry for breakfast.






We decided to go on City Bike Tallinn’s cycling tour (€19) departing at 11am, taking in the sights that were outside the Old Town area.



After getting and testing our bicycles, we headed off with our youthful guide.

First stop was Linnahall, the monstrous concrete multi-purpose venue built during the Soviet era. Tallinn hosted the sailing events during 1980 Moscow Olympics and Linnahall was one of the facilities built then. It was closed since 2010; there are currently plans to renovate and reopen it by 2019.



Tallinn Power Plant could also be seen from where we were. It is now home of Kultuurikatel or Tallinn Creative Hub where events and performances are held.



We passed by Tallinn’s ferry terminals, the main point of arrival for most tourists to Estonia. Slightly more than 10 million passengers passed through Port of Tallinn, with Tallinn-Helsinki route being the most popular with 83% of all passengers. Beside Helsinki, there are sailings to Stockholm in Sweden as well as to St Petersburg in Russia.

The quieter Terminal A



We stopped at the exhibition on Lailupidu or Song Festival near the ferry terminal. It is one of the largest amateur choral events in the world with over 30,000 participants and takes place every five years with the next one in July 2019. We would stop by the event ground later during the tour.



While on our way to Kadriog Park, our guide stopped briefly en-route and explained about the public transportation system in Tallinn. To discourage car usage, certain roads were deliberately made narrower and public transportation is free for Tallinn residents since 2013.



Kadriorg Palace, currently housing Kadriorg Art Museum, was built by Russian Tsar Peter the Great in the 18th century for his wife Catherine after the conquest of Estonia from the Swedes. Estonia was part of the Russian empire from 1710 to 1918 and then part of Soviet Union from 1944 to 1991. Around 300,000 out of 1.3 million people living in Estonia are ethnic Russians and many of them remain stateless.



Friends



A short but steep ride up the hill brought us to the Estonian President’s office. Our guide shared that he once stood guard outside it during his 8-month career as a conscript in the Estonian Defence Force.



After stopping by Tallinna Lauluväljak, the ground where Song and Festival is held, we cycled along the coast to Maarjamäe Memorial.

The obelisk was built in 1960 to commemorate Soviet troops killed in the 1918 war against Estonia. Obviously it wasn’t a popular monument and one of its nicknames was “Pinocchio”.

It had since fallen into disrepair; there was a sign warning of crumbling structure but the guide assured us that it was more for keeping people away.



There used to be a flame burning at where the palms are.



We rode along the coastal cycling track on our way back to Old Town.



A Tallink ferry heading towards Helsinki



Final stop was Rusalka Memorial, a bronze monument dedicated to the 1893 sinking of Russian naval ship Rusalka in the Gulf of Finland. All 117 members of her crew perished and the wreck was only discovered in 2003, 110 years after its sinking.



Our reward for completing the tour: a Kalev chocolate!



Back on our feet after the cycling tour and it was definitely easier to walk than cycle on the cobble-stoned streets of Old Town.

Pope Francis is visiting Tallinn in September 2018. Rather strange choice as Estonia was a traditionally Lutheran country and is currently one of the least religious countries in the world.


Town Hall Square, the centre of Tallinn's Old Town, is as bustling as ever.


Real v fake


Lunch was next on our agenda and we had ours at Väike. We were recommended to it after failing to get a table at Rataskaevu 16, its sister restaurant as well as the top-ranked one in Tallinn on Tripadvisor.

Great food and service; we would recommend anyone heading to Tallinn.

Complimentary rye bread


Fried Baltic herring fillets


Braised elk roast (cauliflower cream, parsnip, carrot, blackcurrant sauce)


Had a laugh when we received the bill.


We went up Toompea Hill to walk off our lunch. For centuries, Toompea is the seat of political power of Estonia and today Toompea Castle houses Rigiikogu, the Estonian parliament.



Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the largest Orthodox Church in Estonia



Passed by Kiek in de Kök, an artillery tower-turned-museum


There was an installation of helium-filled balloons at Freedom Square, whose purpose is to remember the 10,000 Estonian victims who were deported to Siberia by the Soviet authorities on 14 June 1941. It was a pretty amazing sight.



Please don't burst the balloons.



It was time to check-in to our Airbnb after getting the keys from our host.

It was a nice apartment with a cool history; built in 1954 for KGB personnels stationed in Tallinn, the house has extra thick walls which mean that almost no traffic noise can be heard.

Living room


Bedroom


One of the recommended restaurants in the guide created by the host was Salt, located around 15 minutes' walk away.


We arrived shortly after it opened for dinner and were among the first to be seated.

Chef hard at work


Grilled octopus with crispy potato, red onion-fennel salad and perselata


Black risoto with squids and samphire


It was another enjoyable meal; definitely a good start to our trip.

The rest of the evening was spent watching World Cup 2018 opening match between host Russia and Saudi Arabia. Despite the avalanche of goals, both Mrs and I fall asleep half-way due to fatigue and time difference. I did wake up in time though to see the two goals scored during injury time.

Next-up: St Petersburg & Morocco vs Iran