Tallinn (Estonia)

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is a fine city. As an important port for trade in the Gulf of Finland between Western/Northern Europe and Russia, it was owned at some point by the Danes, Germans, Swedes, and Russians. The charming Old Town - much larger than Riga's - reflects its medieval heritage. We embraced it by sampling some of the culinary history. In one candle-lit establishment, you can choose a "feast" from a menu in the style of an illuminated manuscript - calligraphy and all - while minstrels in medieval dress play flutes and drums in an upper loft. Traditional recipes paraded before us: juniper-marinated smoked beef, crisp pickles, smoked salmon, grilled salmon in a savory sauce with some unidentified nut, forest berries (possibly currants or lingonberries), rabbit in a wild mushroom sauce, and saffron spelt. Our personal favorites though were the game pot (a rich, minced mixture of wild game), the braised wild boar (almost like having barbecue), and the sausages made from moose, elk, and BEAR! No wonder people in those days were always suffering from gout. In case such feasting makes one thirsty, the beers come in big crockery to put some hair on your chest. But seriously, my cinnamon beer was really lovely, probably the closest I will ever get to pumpkin ale in Europe. Ok, the place was a little touristy, but we never did get to go to Medieval Times in the States, and the food here was really pretty good.

Tallinn has more modern alternatives, too. Every corner seemed to have a chic restaurant touting haute cuisine - morel soup! - or a cozy cafe with delectable cakes and dozens of armchairs to sink into. Sure, there were still places catering to the bachelor party pub crawl crowd. Nevertheless, there are also boutiques selling one-off pieces for the aspiring fashionista. Quality Estonian woolen handicrafts (each region has its own distinctive patterns), woodwork, and ironwork are abundant in the high street shops as well. Rich was so fascinated with the latter that I suspect he'd build a forge and start a smithy if we had the space. He had to content himself with buying a sinister-looking iron knife, which the shop lady raved was indispensable in the kitchen.