Tallinn, Part Two and Tartu (Estonia)

So the day of sightseeing in Tallinn went very nicely. We started by heading out to Kadriorg park, to see several castles, the former cabin of Peter the Great, and an art museum that started out well and ended in total pretension. Then it was back into the old town, where we wandered the narrow cobblestone streets and popped in and out of medieval churches. We ate a lovely lunch at a restaurant dedicated to garlic (!) and did some very important sitting on benches. We went to a microbrewery for dinner and wandered some more, slightly cursing our lack of foresight at not packing warm enough clothes for a country that is, after all, at the same geographical location as Scandinavia.

Sunday we wandered around some more, visiting the remaining churches and drinking hot chocolate. Then we caught the train to Tartu, in southern Estonia. The train was certainly an experience, with hard benches crammed with people, bikes, and crops.

Tartu itself is a lovely small town, wooded and containing a canal traversed by many lovely pedestrian bridges. We visited the ruins of a cathedral, the spires raising from a field of sand surrounded by trees. We also visited an old university, still in operation, and paid 80 cents to climb several flights of stairs to visit the old student lock up, where students were enclosed from one day to three weeks for naughty behavior such as taunting cloak room attendants or leaving the town without permission. The most severe punishment, three weeks with only bread and water, came from dueling.

Now we are sitting, eating cake and drinking tea. We will be up early tomorrow, to catch at 630 bus to Riga. Estonia is a beautiful, charming, clean and lovely country filled with hospitable, friendly people speaking amazing English. It's a little chilly, but the sun doesn't actually set. I'm actually a little bit bummed to be leaving it, but I am excited for Latvia!