Second day in Tallinn

First off I have to correct a typo from the previous post. The Freedom Monument cost 7 million to build, not 7 billion.

It is 11:20 pm and I'm tired.  We are back in Finland now and I will make a better post with a few more pictures tomorrow morning. Meanwhile:

Yesterday was another beautiful day. Before we went into the Old Town we walked to an outdoor/indoor market by the train station, (on the advice of the guide yesterday) looking for a yarn shop. We didn't find one but what we did find was outdoor produce stands (where the cherries are $3 per liter compared to $6 per liter in Helsinki, Estonia is much cheaper than Finland) and there were all kinds of shops in the indoor market, from just tables loaded with what looked to be second hand goods, to a large supermarket, clothing stores, and antique stores. We did find one wool shop that had Estonian knitted goods and a small selection of yarn, and just two packs of knitting needles. I bought some soft merino wool and we were done. I still don't have any knitting needles with me.

Our second day in Tallinn was a lot like the first, we just wandered around and took pictures. I did go in and out of souvenir stores and I finally found a t-shirt for my middle grandson that would, a) fit him, and b) he would actually like, and c) wasn't too expensive (everything in Old Town costs more). I also bought a shawl and some souvenirs for my sister and and niece, I like to add to the locally economy wherever I go. Ha ha.
Some pictures:
"Pood" means store or shop. This is an "alkoholipood" or liquor store. I just like the name "alkoholipood" it appeals to my adolescent sense of humor. Taken on the way to the outdoor/indoor market.

 We took more than one picture of this building in Old Town. It was a lovely blue and cream color and there is a statue of a man sticking out of a chimney on the left.

 Souvenir shop. Many shops are in underground spaces.

 Blurry picture but this is the oldest, continuously operating apothecary shop in the world, dispensing medicine since the 1500's. It is also a small museum.

 Horse hooves on the left and scorched hedgehog on the right.

Bleached dog feces on the left and dried deer penises on the right. Aren't you glad you live in the age of modern medicine?

 Here I am, starting up the 119 stairs of the Town Hall tower. The stairs are quite steep and large, about double the height of regular stairs, and you really need to use the rope to pull yourself along.

The bell at the top. The clapper is now hooked to the clock  electronically and strikes on the hour.

 Just walking around now, looking for a place to eat lunch and taking pictures. We can recommend Von Krahl on Pikk street for lunch and/or dinner, really good food and great service.

 We stopped in at the small Museum of Photography where there are huge, and tiny, cameras.

 Tiny spy cameras at the bottom of the picture, a picture enlarger at the top left, film in the middle left.

 That modern white building in the background is the Sokos Hotel Viru  and is the first "skyscraper" to be built in Estonia. It was built in the 1970's and was supposed to attract important personages and celebrities. Apparently not that many famous people stayed there, however, it was a great place for the KGB, from Wikipedia:
"During the Soviet era, the 23rd floor of the hotel housed a KGB radio centre, used to eavesdrop and spy on the hotel guests. 60 of the hotel rooms had concealed espionage devices, and even some of the tables in the restaurant had microphones. The KGB left the hotel in 1991, but the secret room was only found in 1994. The former radio centre is now a museum.^{"
We will be visiting the 23rd floor today.}

 Flower markets to rival anything we saw in Paris:

Fountain across the street from the Sokos Hotel Viru. I named this "Two fawns strangling a large fish".

 There are many tunnels and stairs and shortcuts through Old Town.

 After we ate at Clayhill's Gastro Pub we wandered around some more. The light is beautiful as the sun sinks lower in the sky and there are fewer people, more pictures later.