The clamshell stage at Lauluvaljak sits at the bottom of a broad, grassy slope. Workers dismantle the setup from a recent event.

Near the top of the slope sits (literally) the statue of Gustav Emesaks, noted Estonian composer and conductor. Lauri snaps a picture of the statue as Gustav poses patiently for the camera.

From the grassy slope, looking just to the left of the clamshell, one can see the cruise ship port. We counted 5 cruise ships docked that day. (Four are visible here; one is hidden behind the trees at left).

A sign at the entrance provides historical data. I like how the tourists in the foreground blend into the crowd in the picture.

Back on the bus for our trip up to the old Hanseatic city, the walled fortress perched on the top of the hill. We exited the bus on a side street and were led past high stone walls and into a parking lot inside the gate. Most striking were the pink-and-white facade of the municipal building, and across from it the beautiful Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which despite undergoing a facelift, was perhaps the most photogenic structure we saw during our tour. We could enter the cathedral, but, as with other Eastern Orthodox chuches, no picture taking was allowed. It was a tall, somber space, the traditional lack of pews giving it an empty feel, accentuated by the shafts of morning sun stabbing through the shadowed vault.

A photo from the moving bus captured this unusual church, with spherical domes and round arches instead of the traditional pointed ones.

Leaving the bus, we walk uphill to the old city, passing tall stone walls and imposing towers.

The municipal building to the left of the entrance bears the traditional style of the region: white trim on pastel colors, in this case a soft pink.

The striking Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dominates the square where we entered the old city.

Zooming in captures some of the intricate detail in the white woodwork and, especially, the black domes. The raised cross-cut pattern reminds one of reptile skin, like dragon scales.

We were allowed to take pictures in the next church we visited, just down the street from the cathedral. Old-world architecture featured arrays of carved wooden coats of arms adorning the white stone walls, and a separate enclosed royal box across from the ornate pulpit. The altar boasted a large painting of Jesus in addition to the crucifix, and the rear of the nave was completely taken up by the massive pipe organ.

After leaving the Nevsky, we proceed down an adjacent street, the steeple on the right revealing the location of the western church that was our next stop.

Intricately-carved coats of arms adorn the white stone walls of the church.

The raised pulpit sits prominently to the left of the altar apse.

On the right side, across from the pulpit, the royal box provides special enclosed seating for attending VIPs.

The life-sized painting of Christ on the cross is the focal point of this elaborate altarpiece.

We continued on, down a narrow alleyway past various shops and restaurants, through a low arch to the overlook, a roundish open area at the end of a small courtyard, enclosed by low stone walls that gave a breathtaking view of the lower city. It didn't hurt that the weather was perfect: clear and sunny, with temperatures in the mid 70s. We looked out over red roofs, conical towers, various steeples, and narrow winding streets. Very picturesque and charming.

Tallinn, as seen from the railing of the old city: red tile roofs, castles, steeples, narrow winding streets, and Old World charm.

Lauri & Jill smile for this terrific you-are-there picture on a perfect Spring day.

After a bathroom stop, we backtracked a bit to a smaller overlook, this one providing a view to the southeast, with modern high-rises dotting the background. From there, we headed downhill on cobbled streets and broad, shallow steps, to our next venue, the church of St. Nicholas. We filed into pews and enjoyed a concert by a local a capella choir who were dressed in traditional costumes. The music was what you would expect to hear in an old-world church, contemplative and soothing.

Our second overlook pointed us 90° to the right, old world architecture giving way in the distance to modern high-rises.

Broad, shallow steps lead us down from the height of the old city toward the church of St. Nicholas.

Pews provide a respite from all that walking, as traditional choral melodies bring a moment of solace to the busy afternoon. Meaning it was difficult not to doze off.

Following our respite in the church, we tagged along with Aino through a large open plaza which was positively brimming with people and noise. Apparently, a music festival was going on that day, so in addition to all manner of musicians and singers we saw various handicraft stalls and kiosks, some of them selling street food, which only made us realize we were hungry. Onward, past the plaza and down a series of narrow cobblestone streets to our lunch place, a quaint little restaurant called Spot. We were seated at tables and given drinks, and eventually were served lunch. The service was fairly slow, which seems to be a common trait among Europeans. We enjoyed a salad first, followed by a chicken dish. The food was fine, but there doesn't seem to be anything about the dish that screams 'Estonia;' it's something you could probably get anywhere.

Crowded vendor stalls, live music, and a general hubub greeted us in the plaza.

Colorful buildings and traditional architecture line the square, as we snake our way through the swarm of people to keep up with Aino.

Spot, our restaurant, fronts onto a narrow, sun-dappled cobblestone street, away from the raucus of the townsfolk.

After lunch, we checked out a few shops, took some more pictures, and ambled our way to the gate. Some of our tour group had wandered off, so instead of doing more shopping or sightseeing, we had to wait at the gate for the stragglers to show up. Out through the gate, flanked by stone turrets, to reboard the bus and head back to the ship. On the way we passed Olympic rings, as Tallinn had been the rowing venue during the 1980 summer games. (It wouldn't be the last time we spotted Olympic rings on this trip.)

After lunch, Jill steps into a small souvenir store to do some shopping.

Our exit from the old city takes us through a gate flanked by stone turrents, the one on the right connected to the old guardhouse.

Before boarding, we checked the currency exchange booth on the pier to see if they carried rubles. (They did, but had run out during the day.) Rested in the stateroom until time for the sail-away party. The wind had picked up, so no umbrellas on the aft Lido, meaning no shade. We grabbed a few bottles of Estonian beer and some noshies, and headed back to the shelter of our veranda to await our departure. As with Puntarenas in Costa Rica, we had two Holland America ships docked together, one on each side of the long concrete pier. And like Puntarenas, got to watch as late returners had their ID cards impounded as they boarded, receiving either cheers or catcalls from the many passengers casually standing at the railings of their verandas overlooking the pier.

This particular pier berthed two Holland America ships: our Eurodam on the far side, with her smaller sister Rotterdam nearer the camera. From our starboard veranda we could watch the stragglers return to both ships.

Changed and headed to the Crow's Nest for drinks and appetizers. The drink of the day was called a Fashionista, which we tried. Don't remember what was in it. We planned to dine in the Tamarind restaurant instead of the main dining room. For one thing, we could eat earlier. For another, this was the first HA ship we'd been on that featured the Asian-themed eatery, and we wanted to try it. Lauri started with sushi, while Mark and Jill both had the scallops in lemon grass broth. For the main course, Mark and Lauri ordered duck, and Jill (not surprisingly) selected the beef filet with horseradish sauce. Mark and Lauri both tried the chocolate tamarind dessert; Jill finished with a ginger bread pudding. Food was really, really good.

With this being our first excursion day (and a long one at that), we didn't stay up late, although Mark did stop in at the piano bar to catch the end of the set before calling it a night.