18/07/08 - Stepping into a time machine.

For once we sort of had a plan and it was going to be a long day!!!
Alarm at 7 am, the first order was to take in the bog lands of
Lahemma. What should have been a half hour of boardwalking over
swampy terrain, took over a hour as Marea was on the look out for all
types of berries and trying not to get her feet wet whilst picking
them. The biggest find was the ellusive Cloudberry we'd thought only
exsisted closer to the Arctic Circle and which we'd not seen in the
wild. They are very yellow, juicey and tasty, although the pips are a
little big.

Back to the van, it was time to return to Tallin to get a proper
look!! Overall impression of Tallin - its one of those cities where
the old town layout hasn't changed in centuries. Because it hasn't got
too big (like London or Budapest), as you roam the streets, you feel
like you've stepped back into any number of the centuries that have
shaped Tallin's past.

The Old Town of Tallin is split into two sections - the upper town
called Toompea, and the lower town (it doesn't seem to have its own
name) Over the centuries the two towns (separated by only a few
metres of big thick walls) existed as separate political states.

We purchased a 24 hourTallin Card which gave us free tour and entry to
all the Museums etc... Using this card we hired a city audio tour
console and went off exploring the narrow streets, city walls, towers,
churches, town hall, market squares and old old old houses.

Since the 13th century, Tallin and Estonia has been in the hand of
either the Danes, Germans, Swedish, Polish, or Russians. It was not
until 1918 that Estonia decleared its independence. This lasted until
World War 2 when the Russians forced Estonia into occupation, then
Nazi Germany invaded and took over (which the Estonian people at
first, did not really mind cause it got rid of the Russians), and then
at the end of the war Russia drove Germany out which began the period
as part of the Soviet Union and Communism. Finally in 1991 Estonia
again declared the independence it enjoys today.

Our tour was interrupted halfway was as we had to make a mission back
to the van before the shops shut in order to find some camping gas.
This was sucessful though they only had one canister and we have two
empty ones. But one canister will keep us cooking for the next 5
weeks at least. Whats more, the same bottle that we'd declined to buy
for €40 in Helsinki - only cost 159 Kroons or a little over €10!!

To make the most of our Tallin Cards, we also hired bikes and went for
a bike ride along the waterfront, before returning to town square to
finish our tour, then a beer and a bit of people watching - just like
they would have done over the centuries past. The only difference was
that the main attraction in the square now was an English stag-do
party!!