We finally arrived back to Kaunas late last night (a day later than expected, due to a spontaneous detour to the Estonian island of Saaremaa-I’ll post about that later).  The trip was wonderful, and I would absolutely recommend traveling to Tallinn.  The city’s old town is awe-inspiring.  I think that it stands out from other European old towns, because it is so believable.  It is slowly getting somewhat touristy, with Scandinavian cruise ships stopping by during the days, but the city still maintains authenticity.  The old town was restored to a point that made the city clean, accessible, and beautiful, but it also remains real.  Some other old towns in Europe seem like something out of Disney’s Epcot Center, while others are so old and rundown that they are not enjoyable.  Tallinn is the perfect balance.  There are shops, sidewalk vendors, and many restaurants with perfectly lovely outside terraces with sprawling umbrellas.  We happened to be there during the old town festival, so our trip was topped off by live performances, local art, and more.  I would have been content meandering around for another week sipping the local beer and people watching.  It really was special.  I’ll end this post with some pictures.  I am sure I will be posting a lot more to the Daily Photo section in the weeks to come.

Toompea

A View of the Old Town

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Old Town

Town Hall Square

Town Hall

A Gate to the Old Town