Tom`s travels: Estonia (15-17/06/2017)

After taking the bus from Sigulda to Riga, where we switched, we then took another bus directed to the town of Pärnu in Estonia. After reaching the destination, we headed to our accommodation where we checked in and left our luggage. We were staying at a guesthouse together with two more couples, both from Finland, staying in the other two rooms in the accommodation. So after leaving our luggage, we headed out and walked through the pretty small town center. We passed by Seegi Maja, or the Almshouse, which is considered as the town's oldest building, rebuilt in 1658 on top of a 13th-century one. Not far we then entered the Lutheran Church of St Elizabeth, a baroque building dating to the 18th century. Close by were some nice examples of typical wooden houses of the area, probably dating to the 18th or 19th centuries. Then off to another church, St Catherine's, also built in the baroque style during the 18th century but for the Orthodox faith. Once we reached the western end of the old town, we exited through the Tallinn Gate, the only remaining of the tow, and the only gate from the 17th century still standing in the Baltic States. Walking further on we reached the Pärnu Rand, or city beach, with its beautiful greyish sand and nearly no one around, probably due to the light wind which nonetheless made the sunny day a bit more bearable. After relaxing for a while there, we then headed back into town where we had dinner and headed back to our guesthouse to rest. The next day after waking up and having breakfast, we took a bus directed towards Tallinn. After reaching Estonia's capital, we descended the bus and decided to leave our luggage in one of the lockers as we would have to wait a bit before checking in our Airbnb. After locking our luggage, we then headed on foot and reached not long after the Kadriorg Palace, a beautiful Baroque building dating to the 18th century and built by Peter the Great for Catherine I of Russia. We entered the building and visited the museum which exhibited mainly foreign art in the restored rooms of the palace. After seeing the museum, we then exited and walked through the Palace's park, all the way to the nearby beach where we relaxed a bit in the sun while eating lunch. After eating we headed towards the old town which took us a while as we were on the outskirts of the city. It was quite hot and I then just realized I, unfortunately, had lost my sunglasses, probably dropping out of my bag somewhere in Kadriorg park. Once we reached the old town, we first spotted the Viru Gate, one of the many medieval gates which dot the city. This one has only the circular towers remaining, as the main part had to be torn down during the 19th century to make room for the more modern traffic. From the gate, we continued on towards the center of the city, walking by some nice burgher houses until we reached the Raekoja Plats, or town hall square. It stands at the center of the old town and is bordered at its southern end by the Gothic Town Hall, the oldest in the Baltic Region and Scandinavia. Originally built during the 13th century the current building dates to 1404. On the top of its spire stands the copy of an original which is kept in the cellars of the building, which depicts Vana Toomas, a peasant boy who managed to become a city guard after winning a crossbow competition. The model was set up on the spire in 1530 and stood until 1944 when a bomb damaged the building. It was then replaced by the copy and stands guard over the ancient city. From the main square, we then walked further and started walking uphill to where Toompea Castle is located. Dating to the 9th century, it now features several additions and refurbishments. The oldest part, dating to the 13th century stands at the southwestern edge of the castle hill and is sided by a Baroque building which now holds the country's parliament. Close by stands the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built during the Russian domination at the end of the 19th century and still serving the Orthodox community of the city. Walking further over the hill we then reached the Cathedral of St Mary, the oldest church in Estonia, built during the 13th century and refurbished first during the 15th and then the 18th centuries. After visiting the interior we headed to the northern edge of the hill where we had an incredible view over the lower part of the old town, with church spires and steep roofs jutting out to the sky. From the viewpoint we descended the castle hill and reached the lower town once more, walking along the perfectly preserved medieval walls. We then reached the Church of St Olaf, originally dating to the 12th century, while the current building is from the 14th century. We entered it first and then climbed its tower for a small fee. From up there, we had another incredible view over the old town. After enjoying the panorama, we descended back down at ground level and walked through Pikk street, the main street which took us back to the main square. It was now time for us to head back to the bus station, gather our luggage, and head to the Airbnb to check in. After relaxing a bit in the room, we were ready to head back into town and have dinner. We stopped at a place called Kompressor, which made tasty and cheap pancakes. After dinner, we took a last stroll around the old town streets and main square at sunset before heading to our room to sleep. The next day, after waking up later, we decided to head to the Kakumae Rand, a beach to the west of the city center. After taking a bus to reach the place, we spent a few hours relaxing under the sun. The beach had plenty of people but wasn't too crowded and the area looked very nice. Once we thought we had enough sun and rest, we took the bus back to the city. We then strolled again through the old town enjoying it before sunset when most people were either eating or heading to their houses/accommodations, so it did not feel too crowded as during the rest of the day. Then after dinner, we were ready to go to our room, relax and then sleep as we would leave the next day for Finland.