There are times in ones life where it gets too complicated and too busy to allow for any kind of reflection. That's been the last three months for me. But, simply because three months have gone by, it's not to say that the memories have faded. So here we find ourselves again in the memory of my adventures. Welcome back!
Estonia is a small country, but as I came to discover, the locals consider it to have three capitals. Tallinn is the main point of interest and was where I lived for the duration of my stay. It's the official capital and the centre of business for the country. The second capital is Parnu which is referred to as the summer capital as it mainly occupied in the summer when its long beaches become more appealing. The third capital is Tartu, which is the university capital where students populate the city for the duration of the year.
As per usual, my travelling companion was Kevin, the American, and for this particular excursion we chose to take the train to Tartu! I had never been on a train before and it was one of my missions to accomplish before I left. This would be the last time Kevin and I travelled together and so it was a kind of bittersweet adventure.
We took the bus into downtown Tartu (in which time I broke my only pair of sunglasses and was forced to buy a pair of new ones) and decided to eat at the shopping centre and kill two birds with one stone. Sorry, birds.
Tartu is on a winding river and borders both of its banks and so, when rainy, it also becomes bug-y. Tallinn has a breeze. I missed it. The rain started in the afternoon, about a few hours after we had disembarked. Humid, muggy, sticky, and rainy, this soon became my least favourite of our excursions. Add to that, that my camera broke (it had sand in it- my fault entirely) and I quickly had a little hate-on for this quiet university town. I know I'm whining. Be patient, it gets better.
After thoroughly scouring the downtown and river front areas for interesting things to see, my mood was delivered from its fugue by the beautiful, abundant greenery, stone pathways and little hills that dotted the town. I was even more appeased after entering into its old town and botanical gardens. Old Town looked the miniature of Old Town, Tallinn except for the university smack in the centre. People were out in the streets, sitting outside of cafes and restaurants despite the weather and the overall feel was pleasant.
The hill behind the university was home to a few of its buildings, a number of statues (and an ancient sacrificial killing ground!!) and somewhere back there in the green and dirt we stumbled upon something we hadn't expected (especially since we hadn't researched anything to be found in Tartu, really, including the human sacrificing place). Ill-planned and we still found the historic sites! What I now know we were looking at is called Tartu Jaani Kirik Church- or Tartu St. John's Church and was once one of the most unique pieces of Western Gothic architecture in Europe due to its massive collection of terracotta statues. Now, mostly a ruin, you can pay for tickets and climb through its stairways and get a great view of Tartu from 360 degrees. Standing inside the ruined bit with no roof (located toward what I think was the back of the property) you get a very inspired feeling. There are still brick arches that are now transparent and empty that funnel light down onto the sand floor, which is really just the ground. I can't describe it but standing there I felt something a bit profound and was moved by the atmosphere under the arches.
Another spot not to be missed were the botanical gardens on the outskirts of the Old Town. It was a fun little trip that included saying hello to a lot of fish and making your way through tangled vines and pedways looking down onto tropical trees and flowers. A surreal departure from the snowy Estonia one gets accustomed to. We finished our trip with ice cream, a good chat with the locals and we were back on the train to Tallinn.
I spoke with Kevin a few nights ago (maybe 9 months or so after this trip) and I have to say that there are many ways people can make friends but few are comparable to being the only English speaking people in a country far away. It's like a little pressure cooker for a friendship, especially considering how much travelling we did together. He's still just as easy to talk to and as odd as he ever was. So, if you're reading this, Kevin... I miss you!!!
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