After my short, relaxing stay in Riga, Latvia, I made my way via bus to Tartu, Estonia, where I would be staying from late August until some time in June, a tentative date at the time of writing. Over the four-hour bus ride on a two-lane highway, I watched the sun slowly set over the Latvian countryside. The sun was nearly set as the bus approached the border with Estonia. We pass through, no checkpoints, no questions, no stamps, no visa requirements, no stop whatsoever. The ease of travel between countries in Europe was a strange feeling at first. Coming from North America, a simple border crossing between Canada and the USA could be the cause of hours of delays and egregious hassling. The ease of travel in Europe allowed me to explore neighbouring countries and more with no cause for concern and little stress.
I arrived at the bus station sometime around 10 p.m. It was dark and I was tired from sitting on a seat which, after some time, went from cushy to hard underneath me. I hopped out of the bus, into the fresh air, collected my suitcase and froze. I had no idea where I was or the direction of the dormitory I would be staying in. There were a few taxis around, so I hailed one. I wasn’t about to wander lost with a heavy suitcase and a heavier head. Getting into the dorm was no problem, although finding my flat proved to be nothing short of a long ordeal. I arrived on the sixth floor after taking the sad-looking elevator up, where my room number was nowhere to be found. Almost all of the doors I looked at had a metal number tag, yet 6– wasn’t to be found. After running back and forth through the hallway, I made my way back down to the main floor, where the night staff could have cared less and offered little help. She resumed her scrolling after mumbling something about students taking numbers from the doors.
I was fortunate that another student was present at the time and offered to help me find my flat. Keys in hand, I dragged my things once more to the elevator, and we made our way to the sixth. We double-checked every number on every door from one end to the other, this time counting. We tried the key in the door on either side of the elevator where the flat should have been located, and after trying four separate doors, one opened. At last! I thanked my new friend. My room was in the middle of the flat with two rooms on either side. I dropped my things and prepared myself for bed. I shook the last of the tea leaves out of my pyjamas. The same tea leaves left over from the tin that I’d cleaned up after my arrival in Rome. The bed was stained, and I hadn’t bought sheets, so I laid down a large scarf and slept under my jacket. At the time, I was along in the room. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
In the morning, I found that a soft, purple blanket had been laid over my feet, which were left out in the cold when I passed out under the cover of my jacket. I found the wash closet and made myself presentable for my afternoon meeting with a friend. When I left the dormitory, after having ordered a blanket and pillow set for the room, I set myself in the direction of the Old Town. The sky was dotted with clouds, but the sun was shining, which was welcome after the cold, rainy weather that received me in Riga. I met a mutual friend at the Kissing Students fountain that stands in the middle of the Town Hall Square, pedestrian-only, that stretches into the pedestrian-only Rutli Street, a popular street with students as it’s home to all the bars. From there, we walked around to an area of old wooden houses, I crossed three bridges, each time making a wish and crossing with closed eyes. We made our way back into town, where we had coffee and cake at the most popular cafe in Old Town. My introduction to the town of Tartu was great, and I couldn’t have asked for a better guide. From the top floors of the dormitory, one can make out the pedestrian path and bridge to the Old Town in the distance.
My first impressions of Tartu can be found at the University of Tartu blog, here.
