Travel to Riga, Latvia and then to Vilnius, Lithuania was part of our vacation this summer. We knew we had to take the bus going to these cities and so while we were in Tallinn, we searched and ultimately traveled to the bus station where we were to purchase our tickets either from Ecolines or Luxe Express. We first visited the Ecolines office just outside the station and then went inside to the Deluxe Express Ticket counter. We had read a lot about the latter and so we purchased both our tickets from there.

The lady manning the counter spoke English and informed us about the different ticket prices as well as the departure times. We first bought our tickets to Riga for the sum of 34 euros (for both of us). Learning that we could likewise purchase the tickets to Vilnius from there, we did not hesitate in purchasing another set of tickets, this time costing us around 48 euros since we chose the Deluxe Express.

We originally thought we could catch the bus from Tallinn to Riga right outside the Ferry Terminal close to Old Town. We were wrong. In fact, we read from another travel blogger that we could. Actually, he was right. However, the Ecolines Bus Service leaving from the ferry terminal has already been discontinued and all bus travels now originate from the Tallinn Bus Station.

The bus station was small but very clean. On the day we traveled, there was a cleaning lady who went around in circles, sweeping the floor all throughout the premises.

We felt confident about the way back to the city center and so we just walked back from the bus station. I remembered seeing Stockmann Department Store and it was a straight walk. In a matter of minutes, we were back in the area we were familiar with. We stopped by Stockmann to eat. As usual I bought some pastries. Back in the States, I hardly eat them. First, because they are fattening and next, they cost a pretty penny back in my neck of the woods. In Eastern Europe, they are a BARGAIN!

On Rudy Maxa's travel show, Rudy once interviewed a native of Estonia who jokingly referred to the Viru Hotel, the hotel where foreign visitors to Soviet ruled Estonia used to stay years ago, as being built half with cement and half with wires for spying. Nowadays, hotels are everywhere in Tallinn. my favorites, just from what I saw on the outside were the Swissotel next to Stockmann Department Store, the Tallink Hotel and Spa close to the ferry terminal, the Old Telegraph Hotel and the Three Little Sisters all in Old Town.

Next on our errands list was changing our euros into Latvian currency or LATS. We went to a local bank and exchanged 100 euros. As it turned out, 95 euros was 65 Lats. This amount lasted us for the three days we were in Riga plus even had some leftover which we then exchanged to Litas, the Lithuanian currency a few days later.

Once done with all the travel related errands, we began our cultural blitzkrieg like there was no tomorrow. By this time, it was noon time and the sun was shining brightly. With the hotel room situation all resolved in PK Ilmarine, we were more relaxed and enjoying our vacation together with the thousands of tourists in Old Town that day.

Many postcards featured the Viru Gates. I assume they are the most important towers among the very many in the fortified Old Town of Tallinn. I never felt in danger all throughout our stay in Estonia. I was more apprehensive about our pending travel to Riga, Latvia more than anything else.

I had seen this scene on travel blogs before. Well, there sure were lots of local vendors selling woolen everything to anyone interested in them. I wasn't interested in buying any so I really cannot inform anyone about the prices.

We did go up the Hellman Towers for a fee. Admission was around 2 euros a person. I believe that was the amount we paid for each one of us. Anyway, it wasn't steep. Climbing the stairs to the towers were. From up above, we could get some views of the city.

Walking on part of the path between the Hellman towers was quite scary. We actually had to walk on wooden planks like the ones Marc was on in the picture above. You could actually see the street down below.

Inside the tower, there were some exhibits. We saw these porcelain blue and white plates on the wall.

From the Hellman Towers we discovered the Old Dominican Monastery. People interested in going inside coud visit the museum. We didn't. Instead we visited its courtyard as suggested by our guide book.

Close to the Old Dominican Monastery was St. Catherine's Passageway. It had some stone markers which looked very similar to the Dutch gravestones I saw in Malacca, Malaysia, the Jewish Synagogue in Willemstadt, Curacao, and the Franciscan Church in Bratislava, Slovak Republic.

This is one nice hotel we saw within the fortified walls of Old Town. Perhaps we'll stay here next time we visit Tallinn.

I remember this church vividly because there was this old lady-caretaker of the church who opened one room for us so we could see the portrait of the Black Madonna and Child.