Riga to Tallinn, Parnu

Friday, August 23, 2024

We boarded the bus this morning at 9 am for our trip to Tallinn which included a stop at the coastal resort of Parnu. We rode for about 1.75 hours before a rest stop just across the Estonian border. 

—— Rest Stop ——

After another hour of riding, we made a short stop at Parnu beach. This was another beautiful wide sandy beach located on the Parnu Bay in the Gulf of Riga. We watched mesmerized while numerous kite-surfers swished around in the strong winds occasionally leaping high into the air and (usually) gently landing back on the calm water. 

After our peek at the beach, we were driven to the main street of the resort town of Parnu and given time to sightsee and eat lunch. Jeff and I ate lunch at a traditional restaurant we found, Nikolai Lehtla, and then strolled the street to the train station where we had been instructed to turn around. Along our route, we encountered a statue of Johann Voldemar Janssen, noted for his efforts initiating journalism in the Estonian language and for composing the lyrics of the Estonian national anthem.

—— Strolling in Parnu —— 

After our lunch stop, we continued riding the bus another 1.75 hours to the Radisson Blu Olumpia in Tallinn. Several tour buses had arrived at once, so the lobby was crowded and the check-in process was chaotic and slow. Meanwhile, someone’s dog defecated on the lobby floor among the crowd. As the stench spread, the crowd parted but not before some people unwittingly stepped in the mess and spread it further.

After I finally received my room key, rather that waiting in line for the elevator, I hauled my bags up the stairwell to the fifth floor. Alas, the door to the fifth floor hallway was locked. I could see Jeff’s and my rooms adjacent to the locked glass door and waited awhile hoping to hail someone to help me. Eventually, I left my bag, ran down the five flights of stairs, noticed that staff were finally cleaning up the dog mess in the lobby and took the now readily available elevator up to the fifth floor. But, double alas, I couldn’t open the locked glass door to retrieve my luggage. So, I proceeded back down the elevator, up five flights of stairs, back down the stairs toting my luggage, and back up the elevator to finally enter my room exhausted. After my keystone porter routine, I only had a few minutes to refresh before the time that Jeff and I had agreed on to depart for dinner.

—— View from my Hotel Room Window —— 

Old Town Tallinn was about a mile uphill behind the hotel. Jeff and I easily walked to it and spent awhile rambling around, once again enjoying wonderful architecture. Serendipitously, we managed to stumble upon and identify Viru Gate, the Russian Embassy, and Town Hall Square.

——  Ramblin’ ‘round Tallin —— 

For dinner, we elected to dine at Olde Hansa based on a strong recommendation from Zane. We ate outdoors served by a waiter dressed in period clothes and were handed large ornate menus. We ordered beer with herbs which was served in clay mugs. I didn’t like it at first but got used to the taste and discovered that it paired well with the food. Jeff and I shared a roasted cheese appetizer and for my entree, I had the Vegetarium Gloriam Grand Jubilee of Flaming Roots. For dessert, we each ordered a delicious apple pie with caramel sauce and an almond liqueur coffee drink. 

—— Dinner at Olde Hansa —— 

After a delicous dinner, we wandered around a little more before heading downhill to the hotel where we immediately retired for the evening.

—— Tallinn at Night —— 

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