It was pouring buckets of rain early this morning but fortunately stopped by 10:00 a.m. when the walking tour started. The missing 10 arrived safely last night. Vanessa, Mark, Jo, Philip, Michael, Merelyn, Christine and Alison from the U.K., Dorothy and Alan from Scotland.

The local guide began by taking us through the Rotterman area right behind the Reval Hotel Central. Once an old factory/warehouse area, it has been rehabbed with wonderful architecture…View image, and gentrified into condominiums, apartments, restaurants and a food market once a week. We had noticed the name “Reval” on many hotels, restaurants and shops and today found out why. The official German name of Lower Tallinn was once called “Reval,” replaced after Estonia became independent in 1918-1920. Ah so… From there, the guide primarily followed the same route that ex-Marine and I took yesterday (except today we noticed a restaurant called “Chicago”…View image, colorful trams…View image, and a few other differences). She pointed a few Art Nouveau/Art Deco details in preparation for Riga, Latvia, known for its Art Nouveau/Art Deco. One house had a cat…View image, and head sculpture on top while another had an Egyptian facade…View image.

Rotterman area of Tallinn, Estonia 

Art Deco head on top of a building in Tallinn, Estonia
Down Katherine’s/Catherine’s Lane (one small block also called Katarina’s passage) filled with small 15-17th century houses that are now open artisan studios with glassblowers, leathersmiths and patchwork seamstresses. There were tombstones on a wall primarily from 1400′s…View image, original courtyard dwellings and the very interesting Dominican Monastery and Convent, the oldest convent in Tallinn, founded in 1246…View image…View image. I loved the dog on the facade of St. Catherine’s church that was chasing pagans into the church.

Katarina’s passage in Tallinn, Estonia 

a dog chasing pagans into St. Catherine’s Church, Tallinn, Estonia
The 16th century House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads is a rich example of Renaissance building. Doesn’t that sound like a great movie title…or a name for a Dermatology practice? “Come and visit Dr. Glazer, member of the Brotherhood of Blackheads.” The Church of The Holy Ghost was built by rich German traders in the first half of the 13th century and the huge wooden clock dates from the 15th century and still keeps perfect time! I was told the church has highly colored panels inside telling about the bible in cartoon fashion for people who didn’t know how to read. That is one of the facts that only a guide can tell you.

Church of The Holy Ghost clock, Tallinn, Estonia
Back in the busy Town Hall Square…View image… with a fantastic dragon waterspout on the Town Hall roof, the 16th century “Fat Margaret Tower” housing the Maritime Museum, more cafes…View image, and traditional handicrafts. When the group continued walking up and through Toompea Hill, we called it quits. Been there…done most of it, yesterday.

dragon head waterspout on the Town Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
An early pizza dinner in preparation for the public bus ride to Tartu tomorrow morning. Only 187 km/116 miles away.

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