Tallinn
This morning the Endeavour sailed into Tallinn, the great Baltic port founded by the Danes but bearing the marks of its subsequent masters – the Hanseatic League, Sweden, and Russia. Our morning included a visit to the outdoor stage where the Estonians celebrated in song their transition to independence in the early 1990s. From there, an exploration of the old town revealed the church built by Alexander III in gratitude for sparing of the lives of his family in a train accident and a breathtaking vista of medieval walls. Even among the great cities we have visited on this voyage, Tallinn stands out for the marvelous architecture and ambiance of the old city.
In the afternoon we sailed eastward into another time zone, en route the final city on our tour – St. Petersburg. In the afternoon we had a lecture and a briefing on tomorrow’s activities, which sadly include leaving the Endeavour to transfer to a hotel for our extended time in Peter the Great’s window on the west. At the captain’s farewell party and dinner the conversation centered on the wonderful trip we have had and the itinerary designed for us as well as the weather, which we were fortunate enough to enjoy throughout the trip.
The end of any voyage is a little sad – how unlikely is a reunion of all these same people in one place again. But given the large percentage of fellow travelers who have sailed on previous trips on this little ship, we can all leave confident that sometime in the future the Endeavour will take us to new adventures somewhere in the world.
This morning the Endeavour sailed into Tallinn, the great Baltic port founded by the Danes but bearing the marks of its subsequent masters – the Hanseatic League, Sweden, and Russia. Our morning included a visit to the outdoor stage where the Estonians celebrated in song their transition to independence in the early 1990s. From there, an exploration of the old town revealed the church built by Alexander III in gratitude for sparing of the lives of his family in a train accident and a breathtaking vista of medieval walls. Even among the great cities we have visited on this voyage, Tallinn stands out for the marvelous architecture and ambiance of the old city.
In the afternoon we sailed eastward into another time zone, en route the final city on our tour – St. Petersburg. In the afternoon we had a lecture and a briefing on tomorrow’s activities, which sadly include leaving the Endeavour to transfer to a hotel for our extended time in Peter the Great’s window on the west. At the captain’s farewell party and dinner the conversation centered on the wonderful trip we have had and the itinerary designed for us as well as the weather, which we were fortunate enough to enjoy throughout the trip.
The end of any voyage is a little sad – how unlikely is a reunion of all these same people in one place again. But given the large percentage of fellow travelers who have sailed on previous trips on this little ship, we can all leave confident that sometime in the future the Endeavour will take us to new adventures somewhere in the world.
