My Year in Berlin: Tallinn

Here I am, back from my four days in Tallinn. Rebecca and I had a good time visiting this old city, although I'll say it right away, four days, especially when the weather is cold (as it was for us), is one day too many for this city of 400 000 habitants. Had the weather been warmer, as we had wished it would be, then one of these four days could have been spent at the beach, soaking up the sun and swimming in the Baltic sea, but as Mother Nature decided otherwise while we were there, the fourth day could have been spent back here in Berlin, where the weather was, to say the least, much warmer! But this is not to say that Tallinn is not a beautiful place and worth visiting, if you find yourself nearby.
We were lucky to be able to stay with a "host" couple- Rebecca is part of the Hospitality Club and we found a couple that welcomed us in their apartment for the duration of our stay in Tallinn. Staying with people who live in the city you are visiting really does make a difference in how you get to know the place you are visiting. Ülane was kind enough to show us around Tallinn's old town, commenting on certain buildings and places of interests as we were walking around. It definitely put a personal touch to our trip, and was well appreciated by both Rebecca and I.
We learned a lot about the history of Estonia. Did you know that Estonia only became independent in 1991? After many, many years of Soviet occupation, German occupation, and Soviet occupation once more, the Estonian people decided that enough was enough and demanded that their country be returned to them.
I found that Tallinn was very similar to Prague. It is surrounded by a wall, which, in Medieval times, was used to protect the city. The streets are narrow and lined with beautiful old buildings. Here are a few pictures of Tallinn. Stay tuned for pictures of Pirita beach, Paldiski and Estonian tags!