I was hesitant to start this latest entry. I had been away for a week in Estonia, Russia and Finland. I had seen so much, I wasn’t sure how I would condense it into an entry. What’s worse is that I had missed a seminar and two lectures. I had to play catch-up; the blog would have to wait.
This trip was organized through Scanbelt Experience. The price was right and I knew someone else going. I thought to myself, when else will I get to go to Russia? Apparently, one can only spend 3 days in Russia without a visa. I think arriving by boat is also part of the condition. So, to get the most out of this, we would spend two nights and three days in Saint Petersburg.
The trip was entirely by ferry. From Stockholm we would travel overnight to Tallinn, Estonia. After spending the day in Tallinn we would travel to Saint Petersburg, stay for 3 days then head to Finland. After a day in Helsinki we would head ‘home’ – back to Stockholm/Sweden.
I had never been on a cruise ship before. I didn’t think about this until I was just about to board. Another ‘first’ was about to be crossed off my list. The Lonely Island’s ‘I’m on a boat’ was on everyone’s mind – at least mine. This hilarious song was countered by a fellow traveller who insisted on telling everyone about the 1994 MS Estonia tragedy - a horrible accident that took the lives of 852 people.
This trip was organized through Scanbelt Experience. The price was right and I knew someone else going. I thought to myself, when else will I get to go to Russia? Apparently, one can only spend 3 days in Russia without a visa. I think arriving by boat is also part of the condition. So, to get the most out of this, we would spend two nights and three days in Saint Petersburg.
The trip was entirely by ferry. From Stockholm we would travel overnight to Tallinn, Estonia. After spending the day in Tallinn we would travel to Saint Petersburg, stay for 3 days then head to Finland. After a day in Helsinki we would head ‘home’ – back to Stockholm/Sweden.
I had never been on a cruise ship before. I didn’t think about this until I was just about to board. Another ‘first’ was about to be crossed off my list. The Lonely Island’s ‘I’m on a boat’ was on everyone’s mind – at least mine. This hilarious song was countered by a fellow traveller who insisted on telling everyone about the 1994 MS Estonia tragedy - a horrible accident that took the lives of 852 people.
It was a warm sunny morning when we arrived in Tallinn. The boat that brought us to Tallinn would also take us to Russia, so we had the benefit of leaving everything on board. I had read or heard that most of the downtown was UNESCO protected but other than that had really no expectations or knowledge of Tallinn. The guide, who would stay with us for the entire trip, gave us a brief walking tour. We learned about Estonia’s history of occupation and the influence of the Russians, amongst others on the country. It painted a rather depressing past for such a beautiful place.
As a group we stopped for lunch and ate outside. We didn’t want to waste too much time eating but we were all tired, dehydrated and hungry from a late night on the boat ride over. After lunch we broke up into smaller groups and explored more of the old town including the large town square and some of the shops. As per suggestion, we made our way to the supermarket to stock up on food and drink to bring on the boat. Prices onboard would be much more.
After getting a good tour of the town it was time to head back to the boat. I think we all were impressed by Tallinn. Benefiting from the weather, we all got the best possible impression of this historic city. Before heading back to the boat I exchanged Canadian dollars for Russian Roubles, one last thing to worry about when arriving in Saint Petersburg the next morning.
After getting 80 photos, 4 postcards, a box of cereal, and 2000 roubles, it was time to leave Estonia.
As a group we stopped for lunch and ate outside. We didn’t want to waste too much time eating but we were all tired, dehydrated and hungry from a late night on the boat ride over. After lunch we broke up into smaller groups and explored more of the old town including the large town square and some of the shops. As per suggestion, we made our way to the supermarket to stock up on food and drink to bring on the boat. Prices onboard would be much more.
After getting a good tour of the town it was time to head back to the boat. I think we all were impressed by Tallinn. Benefiting from the weather, we all got the best possible impression of this historic city. Before heading back to the boat I exchanged Canadian dollars for Russian Roubles, one last thing to worry about when arriving in Saint Petersburg the next morning.
After getting 80 photos, 4 postcards, a box of cereal, and 2000 roubles, it was time to leave Estonia.
