ESTONIA

Tallin (population 400,000) is a medieval town.  To some, it’s “the next Prague,” to others, a “medieval theme park.”  The highlight is the Old Town, a 14th and 15th century jumble or winding cobbled streets, wine cellars, cafes, shops, turrets, and churches.

World War II:  The Soviets annexed and occupied Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1940, and rigorously began murdering, torturing, and deporting the locals.  It is no surprise that they (with the exception of Jews and communists) were relieved when German forces dispelled the Soviets and occupied the Baltic states in 1941.  In 1944, the Soviet forces overran the Germans, ushering in another period of occupation.  Although Winston Churchill stated in 1942 that “the Baltic people’s inclusion into the Soviet Union against their will would be in contradiction to all the principles for which we are fighting this war, and would dishonor our objectives,” Roosevelt and Churchill acceded to Stalin’s demand for the Baltics at the Yalta Summit in February 1945, setting the stage for a 46-year long occupation.

FYI:  If Keith boasts that he went "swimming" in the Baltic Sea, here's what he's talking about:

Like many Estonians we encountered, our bike tour guide could best be described as “blasé.”

Soviet Occupation:  During the Soviet occupation, hundreds of thousands of Baltic people were killed, tortured, and deported to Siberian gulags.  The Soviet Secret Service had unrestricted power to “render anti-Soviet elements harmless,” and one high-ranking signature was sufficient to condemn someone to torture, death, or deportation.  Innocent people were often tortured until they would confess to “disloyalty to the Soviet regime,” at which point they would be shot or sent to a gulag.  This helps explain why the ethnic Estonians (57% of the population) generally dislike the ethnic Russians (30% of the population).

After Tallin, we took an overnight bus to Riga, Latvia.

Full country name: Republic of Estonia Area: 45,226 sq km Population: 1.41 million Capital City: Tallinn People: Estonian (68%), Russian (26%), Ukrainian (2.1%) Language: Estonian Religion: 23% Christian (Lutheranism and Orthodoxy) Government: parliamentary republic Head of State: President Arnold Rüütel Head of Government: Prime Minister Andrus Ansip GDP: US$15.52 billion GDP per capita: US$11,000 Annual Growth: 5.5% Inflation: 3.7% Major Industries: Food, clothing, oil shale, metals, woodworking Major Trading Partners: Finland, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania Member of EU: Yes