#6 Cruising The Baltic with #Fred Olsen’s Balmoral -Tallinn

Tallinn!

I’ve really been looking forward to visiting Tallinn - mainly because I’ve heard friends and family who have visited raving about its beauty, but more so because it was one of the few locations that I’ve written about in my contemporary mystery novels that I’d never been to.

Spires of Tallinn

Now I can truly say I’ve been to Tallinn even if only for a very short time. In fact, the duration of my visit was probably on par with Aela’s in ‘Take Me Now’! I didn’t’ kayak in the wide bay at Tallinn but I did manage to get some photos of the area I wrote about and look forward to using them in promotions when I get home.

 

The tour I booked skirted the old town area but took other parts of the city. We visited a ruined monastery, and some other viewpoints but the highlight for me during the trip was the cream slice and tea at a historical building turned into visitor centre /Fishing Museum.

While enjoying the cream roulade we were entertained by two lovely local women who played traditional Estonian instruments that are unique to the country and resembled a zither. They wore traditional costume and gave us a background to both their national dress and the instruments. Excellent stuff and we bought a CD to play at home.

I’d love to have wandered the old town cobbled streets but that wasn’t suitable for hubby so we compromised on the coach tour. There’s still very good reason for returning to Tallinn!

I need say little about the food and drink back on board - it’s always of superior quality and so beautifully presented.  

Slainthe!