probably not a question you have ever asked yourself, because really, why would you.  well, when you’re in Finland for the weekend and you think it would be fun to go to Russia for a day, but you can’t because you didn’t think to get a visa in advance, you pick somewhere else you can go without a visa.  hello Estonia!

the Republic of Estonia is a mere 1 hour 40 minute ferry ride across the Baltic Sea from Finland, and it made the perfect day trip destination.

we boarded the Linda Line Ferry at 10 AM and spent the day wandering through Tallinn, which is the oldest city in Estonia and the capital.

in the Middle Ages the Old Town was always under the threat of attack so they built a fortress with high thick walls, guard towers, and gates.  today 1.18 miles of wall and half of the towers still remain.

we went to the top of the St. Olav’s Church, which is the tallest building in Tallin and took in the stunning rooftop views.

we happened to overhear a tour guide speaking English and followed his trio up the cobblestone streets to Toompea Hill and learned quite a bit about the history of the area.  too bad we couldn’t stay with them the whole day, he was a really great guide.

the town is full of churches, museums, spiral staircases, ironwork, and lots of cool spires.  this is the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is undergoing a little renovation, hence the green netting.

surrounding the main plaza were a ton of restaurants to choose from, so we opted for a little late afternoon Indian lunch, and then made our way back thru the Viru Gates and flower market to the ferry for our return trip home.

thank you Tallinn for a lovely sightseeing excursion!

i had forgotten how much fun it is to travel with someone.  the majority of trips i take are solo, so it was pretty nice wandering through the streets of Helsinki and having someone to talk to along the way.

we started off the day by walking through the Botanical Garden on our way down to the waterfront area.  a big cruise ship had come in during the night so the weekend market was in full swing.  homemade trinkets, artwork, flowers, fruit, vegetables, and souvenirs were a plenty.

we stopped off and took a look at the Helsinki Cathedral and then hopped a ferry to see the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.  not only is this a historic sight, but it’s also a weekend picnic and relaxation destination for the locals.  the grassy knolls, small beaches and giant rocks were starting to fill up as we left in the early afternoon.

we then walked through downtown and had lunch at a funny little chain restaurant called Wrong Asian Kitchen.  not bad for a quick meal.

after noodles we slowly made our way back to the hotel to take a break in the day.  the hotel has a nice patio, so we took advantage of the good weather and hung out there until someone (me), had to take a nap before venturing back out into the city for another wander and dinner.

over pizza and beer at Vespa we made a plan for sightseeing tomorrow.  until then………..

again, i start with high aspirations of blogging while traveling, and then it just all falls apart. funny how that happens.

i am on a 10 day work trip and spent the first part of the week in the UK, Brighton to be exact. we (my colleague and i) lucked out with the weather, warm and sunny the entire time.  it was obvious who ditched the event for some beach time, i just hope their sunburn fades before they go back to the office Friday!

since we were there for a conference there wasn’t time to see a whole lot, but there was a walk through a lovely garden and a few dinners out. for a seaside town in the UK there were plenty of really good vegetarian choices. on our first evening we wandered through the streets of Brighton and made our way to a place a friend recommended, Terre a Terre. super tasty and my favorite meal. we had a big group dinner at Jamie’s Italian (Jamie Oliver’s restaurant) which i heard can be hit or miss. thankfully we were there on a hit night, i thought it was really good.  another great place was the Chilli Pickle, an Indian restaurant not too far from the hotel.

we stayed at the Hilton, which was the conference hotel and conveniently located, but not the best Hilton i’ve been to by any means.  rumor has it the one in Santa Cruz , CA is worse;  this is according to a colleague at the conference who has stayed at many a Hilton.

the conference was good; i saw some old friends and made some new ones as well.  plus it was in Brighton, and i hadn’t ever been here before. i love seeing new places.  by the way, the beach, not sandy at all.  all pebbles.

tomorrow we make our way to Finland where we will be for the weekend.  there is some sightseeing in my future, but what i will see is yet to be determined. stay tuned for highlights from Helsinki!