It's A Small, Small World

[Cruise Day 4:  Saturday, July 7, 2018]

We arrived in the Old City Harbor of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia this morning.  The four of us (Cher, my brother, John and his wife, Reola) had scheduled shore excursions here in Tallinn, and in St Petersburg, and Helsinki.  Unfortunately Cher (already troubled by one arthritic knee) had stumbled on a doorsill at the Copenhagen airport.  That stumble triggered a new issue with her so-called “good knee.”  She could not walk any distance without experiencing significant pain and this, we knew, would prevent her from doing any of the excursions—all of which included a good deal of walking.  In fact, just getting off the ship included a good deal of walking!

That is why only three of us left the ship today to do the HopOn/Hop Off Bus tour of Tallinn, Estonia—hopping off and hopping back on the bus as we pleased.  When one has only a limited time to visit a place, the HopOn/HopOff is a good way to get an overview.   It also allows you to hop off after choosing those places that are of interest.  It worked well for us in Tallinn.

Tallinn is the largest city of Estonia with a population of around 450,000 people.  From the 13th century until 1918 the city was called Reval.  Earliest human settlement dates back 5000 years, but the city itself is first mentioned in 1219.  Tallinn’s Old Town is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  In 1991, Estonia became an independent democratic state and quickly developed into a modern European center.   It is the major political, financial, cultural and educational center of Estonia and is often dubbed the “Silicon Valley” of Europe. It is the birthplace of many international companies including Skype.  Tallinn is ranked as a global city and is listed among the top 10 digital (smart) cities in the world.  I wish we could have spent more time walking the cobblestoned streets of Old Town and getting to know its people. 

“It’s a small world…it’s a world of laughter and a world of tears…it’s a world of hopes and a world of fears…there’s so much that we share, that it’s time we’re aware,  it’s a small world after all”