Tallinn in Winter is remarkable. It's so quintessentially Northern European that you feel like your in a model town in a snow globe.  This is a medieval city that has never been razed - so it looks and feels a lot like it would have in the 14th century.  The fort that surrounds the town was originally 2.4km long, up to 16m high, and 3m thick with 46 watch towers. It is so well preserved that today nearly 2km still remains along with 20 towers.  At the end of the 15th century a new 159 m high Gothic spire was built for St. Olaf's Church - between 1549 and 1625 it was the tallest building in the world​.  My Mum, Val, joined us for this festive Christmas break.  Loads of fun were had, with some highlights being:  a proper medieval Christmas feast (dishes cooked according to 700-year-old recipes) in the  Old Hansa Restaurant, the hidden Bastion Tunnels  (built in the 1670s, but forgotten until recently), the warm relief when entering local cafes after walking around in -15 degrees, snow tobogganing, the beautiful green glassware perfect for drinking the soothing Tallinn Liqueur, and the quaint  town square Christmas markets.

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