Two recent trips - Aviano Italy in late Jan, Tallinn, Estonia last week. Only a couple of degrees below 0 in Italy, but with the wind off the water in Venice it was bitter. Nice to see the sun, though. We were in the same area a couple of summers ago - couldn't see the Dolomites til we were almost in them - this time of year, saw them almost all the way from Venice! Gorgeous.
Nice in Tallinn - a few degrees below there, too, and with that coastal chill, but you expect it more in Estonia than Italy, I guess! First trip to Estonia, liked it a lot. We've heard that Estonians are restrained and dour, didn't get that impression, actually - people were friendly and had a great sense of humour. The city seemed a lot more Western/Scandinavian than our beloved Vilnius, and the medieval Old Town is fantastic. Recommend the Tallinn Card to visitors - especially if you're there in the winter and don't fancy walking around all the time in the cold. You get a free city bus/walking tour in the price (it's 300 kr for 48 hour card, 200 kr is the cost of the tour, so easy to make up the rest - we'd paid for ours in one not exhausting day) - that's about $25 US, I think. It's nice to get out of the cold for a bit, and the tour goes out of the city where you might not otherwise venture if you only have a couple of days. I loved that the guide was totally honest - "see that ugly building? Well, behind it there's a nice one, but you can't see it." "Oh, it's too foggy today to see the pretty view. Oh well." Also, you get unlimited free transport, which is easier than tracking down ticket kiosks. Keeping in mind that we travel with 4 little kids, and try to diminish the hassle factor as much as possible. We stayed in a 600 year old church building, with a new hostel, but you have to know someone to get in. We didn't, but a friend there set it up. So if you're Lutheran, see if someone you know can hook you up. Otherwise, there are plenty of cheap options, but I can't vouch for them.
Vilnius, the whole region, actually, is having a pretty mild winter this year, so if northeastern Europe is in your plans, it's not too bad. We have a little snow on the ground, and a fair bit of ice, but temps are around 0 during the day, so it's pretty manageable for sightseeing. Grey, of course, but if it were sunny, it wouldn't be Vilnius!
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