Night location: Tallinn, Estonia

This morning we left Finland and travelled to Estonia on a huge floating RSL club. The seemingly endless range of average looking cafes, buffet lines and loosely termed restaurants overwhelmed us as we walked bewildered and alarmed hoping to find a seat that did not require a food or beverage purchase! Amber and David did a thorough exploration of the boat and found the poker machines that were freely accessible to children, the night club and a duty free supermarket, however had to return to Gemma and Gareth who were seated next to a disco dance floor with the grim news that this was actually their best option. Fortunately, soon after this we were able to snap up a newly unoccupied table at the front of the boat so all was not lost.

It was raining when we arrived at the port so we were lucky to find a maxi taxi that could drive us the relatively short distance up to the Old Town of Tallinn. While we were checking in, a security detail complete with sniffer dogs were escorted through reception and we now believe that the Earl and Countess of Wessex are staying in our hotel. Perhaps we have them to thank for our room upgrades!

Setting off with umbrellas we walked through the town to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom. At the entrance was an evocative art installation titled 'The exile' which consisted of labelled suitcases that acted as reminders of the tens of thousands of Estonians who had to leave their homes during and after WWII. This newly updated museum has only been open for two months and narrates Estonia's turbulent 20th century history through immersive displays that you are escorted through with an audio e-guide. The focus here was outlined at the start with an excerpt from a speech by the then President Lennart Meri who opened the museum. "This building is not about hatred, fear or revenge. This is our house of freedom, and it should remind us of one thing only - of the frail and fragile line that separates freedom and the opponents of freedom."

The introductory display was of four individuals who sat in silence as a man standing behind them explained their stories of deportation, imprisonment, torture and survival. Their perspectives were really emotive as they spoke of forgiveness and healing in the face of trauma. Collecting ourselves after this we then entered a cattle car which was an attempt to embody the evil of both the Soviet and Nazi totalitarian regimes. The rooms surrounding the wagon displayed some of the stories about the mass deportations carried out by Stalin to the gulags and then Hitler to the concentration camps. An original boat that was used by some who fled in fear of the occupiers was on display and seemed very reminiscent to the plight of many 21st century refugees who must also be hoping to one day return to their homes and their loved ones. Questions of identity arose in this section as people living in exile grappled with who they were as many started a new life in other countries around the world.

The next section focused on the Soviet occupation. An image of Stalin gazed down from the ceiling to symbolise the imposition of a hostile, authoritarian regime in Estonia. What was particularly interesting about this section was that the focus was on choice and asked us rhetorical questions about what we would do faced with the same circumstances. Interactive displays let you play out some of these choices that were enacted by real people from the past however, frustratingly, their choices often led to futile conclusions. A poignant observation was made when reflecting on the examination of history and how we often want clear answers with heroes and villains, right and wrong. The guide concluded however that "The past always tells us only what choices we face, but it doesn't make those choices for us."

The final display allowed us to listen to the personal accounts of those who had participated in Estonia's break from the Soviet Union in 1991 and also contemporary individuals who commented on the meaning of freedom in the 21st Century. The e-guide concluded with another excerpt from Meri's speech in which he commented that "[the world] can only become better, and it will be better if we understand that it is the task for all of us to be against extremes and to preserve what we have been given: the desire for freedom."

From here we walked up to Toompea, the upper town, which was where the Danes first established a castle in the 11th Century and the hill which went on to become the residence district of the nobility. The Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dominates the hill and is a testament to Estonia's complicated identity as many still patron this church even though it was built in an attempt to 'Russify' the area. As the rain cleared we walked beside the Medieval walls that enclose the lower town and then we walked down the cobbled road called 'Long Leg' to the 14th Century gate tower. Along the way, Amber ducked through 'Short Leg Gate' to see the pedestrian stairs that offer a shortcut through the fortifications.

Tallinn is proud to have the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe. Completed in 1404, it sits in the middle of a beautifully photogenic square that has been the heart of the city since the 11th Century. We admired the pastel-coloured buildings before continuing on with our explorations of the small laneways that are filled with restaurants, artisan workshops and design collectives. This character filled city has already captured our hearts and we look forward to seeing more of it tomorrow.