Viking Homelands: Tallinn II (9/3/2018)

Monday, September 3, 2018 (continued)
During free time we did a little window shopping, but then Kent sat to have a beer and write a postcard to "Cousin" Mary. We managed to send her a postcard posted with the stamp of each country we visited on this trip.

Kent with his Estonian A Le Coq beer

I wandered farther along Pikk/Long Street.

These girls circled the living statue several times!

Doorway of Mustpeade Maja/House of the Brotherhood
of Black Heads (1531, in Renaissance style) was the
association of unmarried merchants and artisans who
also agreed to defend/protect the city

The image of the patron saint of the Brotherhood, North African St Maurice, is on the front door.

Art Nouveau façade at Pikk #18 is similar to Riga architecture

A peek into the Kalev chocolate shop...

...where marzipan/almond paste candy is also handmade...

...and hand-painted

Back to the guided tour.

Saiakang/White Bread alley

1656 bakery

Raeapteek/Town Hall Pharmacy (established before 1422,
making it the oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe,
and the oldest company in Estonia)

The Old Town Pharmacy is said to be where marzipan was first developed, as it was thought the almond paste had healing properties. The pharmacy now makes a secret recipe marzipan as a cure for broken hearts, for one Euro!

Tallinna raekoda/Tallinn Town Hall (1404 in Gothic style)

On top of the Town Hall spire is Vana Toomas/Old
Thomas (old because he has been there since 1530)

The story of Thomas is that he was a peasant boy who excelled at contests such as accuracy with a crossbow. Since he could not win a prize due to his socio-economic status, he was given the job as town guard for life. He always handed out candy to children, and when he died, parents were asked "Where is Old Thomas?" When the weathervane was placed on town hall, parents could then say that Old Thomas was watching the children, and he would leave candy under their pillow if they were well-behaved.

Panorama of the rest of Raekoja plats/Town Hall Square (KSS)

Another typical medieval Tallinn building,
with a hoist bar and a neighboring buttress

Café wrought-iron sign

Our guide, Leela, directs us into Katariina käik/
St Catherine's Passage, a medieval alley

Remnant of Püha Katariina kirik/St Catherine's Church (12C)

Artisan shops line the passage.

Elaborate chess pieces (KSS)

Dolls (KSS)

Leather shop

Doors to the ceramics studio

14-15C tombstones that used to be on the floor of St Catherine's Church

Small painted stairway niche

Were the arches used to keep the buildings
from leaning and falling over?

Knit or wool market on Müürivahe Street
along the city wall

Viru värav/Viru Gate (14C)

Lilleturg/flower market through Viru Gate

McDonald's right across from Viru Gate

Estonia celebrated its 100th anniversary this year

1905 aasta revolutsiooni mälestusmärk/
Monument to the Revolution of 1905 (1959, by Mart Port
and Lembit Paluteder) for the victims of Russian
reaction to calls for freedom of the press and assembly,
and for national autonomy (KSS)

Viru Hotel (1969-1972) where the Soviets had
a KGB radio center on the 23rd floor,
which is now a museum

A sailboat planter back at the dock

Someone from the Viking Star has to coordinate the
equipment for all the local guides!

Viking Star crew paint over smudge marks

View from the stateroom

Today we chose to eat at the Pool Grill, which basically offers burgers and fries, with a salad bar. It took a long time as everything was cooked to order, so I went ahead and ordered two burgers rather than have Kent take his turn waiting in line. Fernando and Josefina simply left to eat at the World Café, and were probably finished by the time we got our meal!
Next: St Petersburg Hermitage I.