Tallinn and the rain

After the white night, unfortunately, a gray day followed. With significantly cooler temperatures, I immediately set off to explore the third Baltic gem after breakfast. And already when leaving the hotel, I had a déjà vu: just like during my vacation in April, there were film shootings right in front of the hotel's doorstep in Tallinn as well. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out from the hotel staff what was being filmed. What was exciting was that when I returned around noon, a Christmas tree suddenly appeared on the square in front of the hotel...

But back to the city: Tallinn is also a Hanseatic city and is teeming with cultural sights. The old town is surrounded by a largely preserved city wall. Unlike in Riga and Vilnius, however, the mass of tourists strolling through the beautiful alleyways borders on unbearable. Later in the harbor, I spotted 4 cruise ships, which probably explains a lot. Roughly, these grouped masses of people can be roughly divided as follows:

1) Group tours from the Far East, i.e. China - recognizable by a likewise Chinese tour guide who leads the way with a flag and gives commands in an almost military style, which in turn no one seems to care about who is stumbling somewhat clumsily over the - admittedly very rough - cobblestones (comparison: herding cats).

2) Group tours from German-speaking countries, recognizable by a likewise German-speaking tour guide who leads the way with a flag and tries to get the average 80 to 105 year old tour participants safely through the city, which probably interests them, but they are all hard of hearing and/or slow-witted. (Comparison: senior hiking group that has to change trains at Zurich HB and blocks half the station)

3) Men's trips from an indefinable Eastern European country, who half or completely drunk singing battle cries and chants in an indefinable Eastern European language even though a) the World Cup is taking place in Russia and b) their indefinable country is probably not qualified. (Comparison: none, but these are the ones that really get on your nerves)

Ascending the Olaikirche tower turned into a real challenge with an estimated 4 groups from category 2. The ascent is steep, narrow, and consists of 90% winding staircases in the masonry. There is nothing more to explain. The view at windy height compensated for the effort. Unfortunately, around noon, rain joined the clouds and strong wind. First a little, then a true downpour. Fortunately, there were still some longer dry periods that I used to visit some sights outside the city, such as the Kalamaja district with its many old, typical Baltic wooden houses, or a trendy area in an old industrial area near the train station that reminded me a bit of Frau Gerolds Garten. Back in the old town, the sky then opened the floodgates properly, which eventually took away my desire to explore. Wet clothes, soaked shoes, slippery pavement, and the constant running the gauntlet around the groups of categories 1 and 2, who now also armed themselves with umbrellas, which obviously did not contribute to an improvement in the traffic situation. It should also be mentioned that street names in Tallinn sometimes seem a bit strange. See the image gallery for more information.

So I decided to go to the ferry terminal a little earlier and to wait there in the dry for my passage to Helsinki. Already the waiting area with shopping facilities reminded me of the stories told by experienced Scandinavia travelers who reported on the legendary, convivial crossings. In any case, the shop's offer consisted mainly of alcohol.

But the crossing turned out to be much more civilized than these stories suggested. But actually, many Finns stock up on cheap alcohol in Estonia or on the ferry during a day trip (the crossing only takes 2 hours), which is not surprising given the beer prices in Finland. The ferries are very comfortable. In the pub where I sat down, I could even watch the World Cup, and for the two hours, a live band even took the stage. With wistfulness, I remembered a 20-hour passage from Genoa to Palermo a few years ago on an Italian ferry. Bars and restaurants were actually permanently 'fuori servizio', and entertainment was only a dream. So I didn't take it personally when, barely able to board the ship, the sky suddenly cleared up and the weather turned into beautiful sunshine again. With so much entertainment, I almost forgot my anticipation of Helsinki, the fourth destination of my trip. But more about that later.