We are up relatively early this morning – and off to the gym which is really nice and big and on the 26th floor.  Talk about views! 

After our workout, we cleaned up, hit the breakfast buffet and went to the grocery store for beer and wine – which you can’t buy until 10am here. Not a big deal since none of the museums opened until 11 – we’ve got time.  And look what type of beer we got!!!!  

Who knew our family produced beer in Estonia? Oh, and Ed says its good too!  🙂

After our shopping, it was time for our touring and we took off for the Museum of Opposition and Freedom. Along the way however, we passed the US Embassy, heavily protected from the rest of the block of innocent looking residential apartment buildings. As we went past, Ed took a picture, and well, International Incident! A guard came out of the fortified entrance building (think reinforced steel cube) and politely called us back. He then explained we couldn’t take photos of the building for security reasons and watched while Ed deleted it from his phone. Note to self – no more US Embassy photos! Priceless.

Safely escaping who knows what punishments, we mercifully made it to the Museum without further issues, where we then immersed ourselves in an incredibly well done and informational exhibition on the history of oppression in Estonia. The permanent exhibit in the museum literally walks you through time from WWII with relics and items saved from people who were transported to both German and Russian concentration camps. Really personal stories are presented not just through the eyes of WWII survivors and those who were lost, but also “artifacts” in the form of photos and journals that were found. The entrance fee included a free audio guide, which was again, really well done, but very long winded. Each room had multiple stores and items, and the audio guide totally overwhelmed us after a while.  We could listen to the intro for each exhibit, then skip on to the next to get the gist. But bottom line, an excellent history on the totalitarian regime of the Soviet Union, and how the people of Estonia lived through it to claim their independence.

The displays progressed through more modern times, when people were living more comfortably. There was a whole kitchen outfitted from the 60’s, and ended with interviews from people currently working to create social and political justice.

A special exhibit also detailed how Estonia has become a digital giant in the world. Historical computers, Lennart Meri’s first mobile phone, early Estonian video games and so much more are on display. There is also this great e-business giant-type chart that shows all the e-businesses founded in Estonia. Skype? Bolt? Who knew?

Fascinating. On the way out, we walk past a poignant display of suitcases, representing those who were taken away to the camps, and on up to the old town past Hirvepark (Deer Park) where there was a military display with the first armored car built in Estonia (1918) and a bust of Johan Pitka, the creator of the Estonian War of Independence. Even here – or probably especially here – are the signs of solidarity with Ukraine which we will come to see absolutely everywhere we go in the next 10 days.

Walking into old town, we pass the old historic fortress and towers on our way to the Kiek in de Kok museum and Bastion tunnels,

where once we entered, we saw that there were way too many people waiting to get in, and lots and lots of kids, so we jettisoned that!

We consoled ourselves with walking around, then heading back to the shopping center food court for a very nice lunch. On the top floor, there was a cafeteria style restaurant, that reminded us of a food stall place, with everything you could imagine at excellent prices. Of course after Oslo anything is a good price!

Well fed, we made our way back to the street and headed toward the Viru hotel for our 2:30 KGB museum tour. This was a great tour! It is basically a walk through the history of the KGB who occupied the hotel and spied on all the guests – well 60 rooms of guests! Fascinating and fun.  We started off in the interrogation room – darn it, knew weren’t going to get away clean with taking that photo at the US embassy!

Then our guide corralled us and took us upstairs to the 26th floor, the top floor of the building but the elevators only go to 25 – the KGB never admitted there was a 26th floor because that was where they had their listening rooms. The rooms have been kept virtually the way they were found, just with added displays of items from the era. Tons of interesting stories ensued about how the KGB spied (microphones in ashtrays and plates in the dining room) and who came to the hotel (only foreign tourists allowed, which included, of course, movie stars, the rich and the famous, etc.). There was even the floor plan of all the rooms that were bugged and how the surveillance was placed!

Plus the views from up here were spectacular!

After the tour was over, we still had plenty of time before our first official Gate 1 tour event – our welcome dinner – so we detoured back through Old Town for some lovely pictures in the sunshine…

…and a stop at a brewery we had seen on our way through town earlier for a little libation. Aptly named the Beer House, it was a gigantic biergarden in the best old world fashion. Huge kettles in the middle, large wooden bench tables all around. A great place to hang out for a drink…and maybe a meal another day.

On our way back to the hotel, we passed through the city square, with the monument to Estonian Independence, then on past St. John’s church and into the more residential area of Tallinn to the Radisson Blu, our cool digs for the next few days.

And…..let the tour begin! Welcome drinks (with snacks, nice!) in the bar, met Ieva, our adorable guide from Latvia, so sweet and caring. Momma of the group. This is her first tour since COVID – it is really amazing how everything is all just starting up again!  There are 21 people, mostly women, 5 men including Ed. Drinks and dinner go well – and – well – it’s off the bar for a night cap and then to bed.

Tomorrow we begin again.