11:30 AM

We decide to conquer the Old Town of Tallinn walking - first we stroll through St. Catherine's Passage, where we find old tombstones hanging on stone walls, then we "climb" the Domberg on top of which we arrive at the magnificent cathedral, built around the turn of the century by the Russian conquerors (in only four years!) to give the impression that the Estonians and Russians are on the same side when it comes to religion (which they are not - in fact, most Estonians have a low opinion of religion. As a result, marriage is not important at all (unlike for catholics) and a large part of the couples remains unmarried.)

2:00 PM

I took a liking to free-walking tours, especially when I have little time to discover a city on my own. We are a group of a dozen Americans, two Australians and us - all up for a stroll through Tallinn in icy weather. Our tour guide is Vivian, a young film student born and raised in Tallinn. Her tour is entertaining as she tells us all the strange, creepy, and interesting stories about her home town.

• During Soviet times, the Hotel Viru was infiltrated by the KGB. All rooms were bugged, some even had peepholes. Files were kept on all persons (especially Finnish tourists) who stayed at the hotel. Vivian's dad can tell first-hand stories, he worked as a doorman. Today you can still visit the surveillance system on the 23rd floor.

• And there is the story of vaana Toomas, old Thomas, as the vane on top of the town hall tower is called. As a young boy, he won an archery competition. Only the noblest men in Tallinn were actually allowed to take part in this competition, but there was one time when none of the men shot the parrot off the stake. Then Thomas tried his luck and won. As a reward, Thomas was inducted into the army and gained fame and glory. After his death, the people of Tallinn realized that the weather vane resembled old Thomas and named it after him. They are convinced that the city will not be harmed as long as old Thomas watches over the roofs of Tallinn.

• Or the cruel legend of the wheel well, in which cats were said to have been drowned in the Middle Ages. The reason was that the residents wanted to prevent the well from drying up.

• Or the Maiden Tower, which is now part of a museum. Legend has it that young girls who refused to marry the groom chosen by their parents were imprisoned here. A couple of nights should bring the girls to their senses. For one of the girls, however, the imprisonment is said to have ended tragically. She died and is said to still haunt the tower today.